Adrenal Insufficientcy caused by prednisone

I was diagnosed recently with polymyalgia rheumatica and was given 10mg of prednisone a day. I was taking it for about 2 1/2 months and was given another blood test at that time that showed my inflammation levels had dropped significantly and was told I could start tapering off of the prednisone. I started with 7.5 mg of prednisone for about two weeks and then to 5 mg of prednisone for another two weeks. After coming off of the prednisone I have felt terrible. Horrible muscle aches and pains, headaches, extreme tiredness, intestinal issues, hypoglycemia symptoms, depression, palpitations, etc. I don't know if part of this is the polymyalgia rheumatica is back or adrenals that haven't kicked back in yet. I'm also dealing with lymphedema and just got over cellulitis in both of my legs. I am almost tempted to go back on 5 mg of prednisone just to see if I feel better and then taper myself off after that. I am waiting for test results from my endocrinologist, for a morning cortisol test, then I guess I will go from there. Just wondering if anyone else has had this same issue with prednisone and adrenal insufficientcy?

Welcome to the forum Jan. This is a forum for those with Ulcerative Colitis, so I cannot say we know much at all about polymyalgia rheumatica nor its symptoms. However, we do know the dreaded prednisone all too well!

When here we talk about adrenal insufficiency, and involving endocroligists it is very different then your scenario. It's unlikely to have adrenal issues when only starting at 10-mgs of pred, and only being on it for 2.5 months total. If you said you started at 40-mgs of pred, and have been on it for 8-12 months or more, then you would pique my interest on adrenal insufficiency. Why? Our adrenals are still functioning when we are on 10-mgs of pred. Our adrenals do not shut down unless we are 20-mgs of pred or above, by my understanding. So, your adrenals should've been still functioning, albeit at a slower rate, during your course of pred. It's not impossible but I would call it unlikely to be the cause of your symptoms. Certainly keep working with your doctors and listen to them first and foremost. I wish you luck, and hope you feel better soon!

If you have dropped suddenly from 5 mg to nothing, you may need to go back to the 5 for a couple of weeks, then drop by 1 mg per week. That's what I had to do. Some weeks I didn't drop as I still felt bad from the previous weeks drop - didn't do additional drops till felt like myself again. Slow and steady is just fine.

You have to let the adrenals get back up to speed, and sometimes that takes a little while. Suddenly dropping can actually cause your heart to quit beating!!! Cortisol is what makes it beat.