What does this mean??? - Fibromyalgia Message Board

kathryn+2 · 10-12-2006, 07:31 PM

So i was on prednisone for poison oak and I felt %100 better. No aches and pains etc. I'm now off of it and my aches are all back ,including my tendonitis. What does this mean? Can't figure out what I'm "fixing" by being on the prednisone. I certainly don't want to go on prednisone ..so are there any natural alternatives out there? (I don't have insurance and don't wish to explore this with a DR .at the moment.) Just wondering if anyone on here has experience with prednisone???. Thanks ....Kat

2B Me · 10-13-2006, 10:34 AM

I haven't take it, but it is a strong steroid. There are other meds out there. Talk to your doc about it and also try someone who works with Chinese herbs.

Add yoga and deep breathing and walking to your routine and you will feel better.

elmhar · 10-13-2006, 12:36 PM

Hi Kathryn,

If the pred took away all of your pain, there are 2 possibilities that I can think of . First, have you been thoroughly evaluated for inflammation syndromes & autoimmune disease. Those usually respond well to corticosteroids.

Second, have you had a thorough endocrine eval. Adrenals (a.m. fasting cortisol & ACTH stim) & thyroid (free T3, free T4, & antibodies). The endocrine system works together in a complex way. Tendonitis is a frequent finding in hypothyroid states ... sometimes pred helps uptake of thyroid hormone at the cellular level.

What does your doc say about your observations?

Best wishes.

kathryn+2 · 10-13-2006, 01:33 PM

Well I did have my thyroid and hormones tested just a few weeks ago. Thyroid was fine ,but DHEA levels, which run the adrenals I'm told, was only 66 out of 430.,and at the time of the tests my estrogen and testosterone levels were at zero. Dr. was a little surprised at that number. Doesn't get much worse than zero!!! So I just started a compounded cream of estrogen/progesterone/testosterone and a liquid form of DHEA. I'm hoping that will help me feel better. But I did notice the huge difference being on the prednisone. I have been tested twice for RA, and lupus,but that has come back negative. I do have an appt in Jan with my holistic GYN ,and i will mention the prednisone thing to her. (She wasn't the one I saw for the poison oak. I saw someone at one of those med stop places.)
So I was just curious about what prednisone is used for. .( autoimmune diseases and tissue rejection for implant pt's is what i've heard so far.)
If i could afford it I would like to see a rheumatoligist and get to the bottom of this once and for all,but instead I'm having to research and guess at stuff on my own. I've already paid out 1000's of dollars on tests and Dr's visits with no real diagnosis except for a vague reference to fibro,just this year.. Thanks for your input.I do appreciate it very much.... I will keep researching and asking questions.

elmhar · 10-13-2006, 07:19 PM

Hi Kathryn,

Well, no guarantee that another couple thousand w/a rheumie or endo will get to the bottom of it ... sorry to say.

Yesterday I read about a research study that is beginning, recruiting fibro sufferers age 18 to 60 to study the effects of low-dose hydrocortisone on pain & other symptoms. Wish I could send you the link, but that's a no-no. Maybe if you have time & interest you can poke around yourself & see if it's going on anywhere near you. Just a thought. Apparently what you observed has been noticed by others, and by researchers.

Since you've just started on your compounded cream w/progesterone, you might want to consider the dose.

It's not real common, but I've run into a few other women besides myself who are extremely sensitive to progesterone. In addition to extreme fatigue, progesterone greatly increases my pain, in part my doc thinks because it can increase joint instability. I use topical estro, with just a smidge -- maybe 5 mg -- of progesterone, once in a while.

At first my gyn had me on 200 mg/day -- which is the dose they give women with infertility problems! And it's not uncommon for docs to Rx that for HRT.
He later conceded that less is OK for endometrial protection. Of course, if you can tolerate the Rxd amt, then that's not a problem.

My ND says there is some uncertainty about how topicals are absorbed. They used to think you needed MORE if you used a topical, but some current research showed increases 10x higher than expected in certain end-tissues, when topicals were used. But the research was done with saliva testing, which is yet another not-quite-fully-proven entity. My compounding pharmacist says absorption & utilization of topicals varies widely from individual to individual. So, go figure. All is not yet known.

Just thought I'd mention that. Personally I prefer having the compounded creams separate rather than combined. Because everyone metabolizes a little differently, and if the hormones end up out of balance for some reason, it can be as bad as having none ...

Best wishes.