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Prednisone is like running UP a DOWN staircase
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jul 6 9:19pm | Replies (33)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it. So you did mention the fatigue was very powerful. I find the fatigue to be overwhelming at times because I have been so active all of my life even in my earlier years I was very athletic. So up until January of this year I was getting up at 5:00 in the morning out the door by 6:00 most mornings before the sun rises, and walking three, four, sometimes five miles. Can't do this now. Barely reach 1 mile, and I am unable to even attempt to walk most mornings due to profound fatigue. As well, the weight gain is bothersome, and I am determined to really curb my appetite. I so agree with you about the symptoms of other serious disorders /conditions being masked. Shoulder pain is a huge one to differentiate. And yes, this forum is GREAT! 😊
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Morning fatigue and lack of energy are symptoms of a low cortisol level. Overwhelming fatigue is frequently reported on this forum. It is another side effect of long term prednisone use. It happens when the adrenals are suppressed by prednisone and are no longer able to produce cortisol in the correct amounts that the body needs throughout the day.
https://thesolutioniv.com/blog/low-cortisol-levels-causes-effects/
"Cortisol is released through the adrenal glands in varying amounts throughout a typical day. In the morning, more cortisol is produced to give our bodies a boost to effectively start the day off right. At around midnight, cortisol production drops to its lowest levels to allow for restful sleep. This cycle naturally happens each day as part of the body’s circadian rhythm. But lifestyle factors can set this natural balance out of whack. And that can have very negative impacts on health, wellness and energy levels."
I'm afraid a daily dose of prednisone is never going to duplicate what the HPA axis does.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279071/#:~:text=Sleep%2C%20in%20particular%20deep%20sleep,lead%20to%20arousal%20and%20sleeplessness.