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Off Prednisone but Residual Stiffness
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Aug 27 7:15am | Replies (37)Comment receiving replies
There have been other threads on here where the discussion has came up about getting back to your old active self. I am convinced that PMR has left us with a sort of adrenal fatigue. I also realize my age at 72 is not allowing me to do the same things. The medical community does not recognize a "fatigue". Although someone posted an article couple weeks ago on adrenal myalgia. Not sure what the difference in myalgia and fatigue would be but the one Dr explained it as not a fatigue but rather your body is not asking for enough cortisol.(insufficiency). I think its real. Even for me at 2 years later.
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There are case reports about what you are describing.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070320/
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It wouldn't be the first time that treatment for one medical problem creates another medical problem.
There is a consensus in the medical literature that long term Prednisone use can cause secondary adrenal insufficiency and the risk of rather high. You can't blame doctors for wanting PMR patients off Prednisone as soon as possible
Conclusions
Oral glucocorticoids, when given for long periods, put patients at risk of developing secondary adrenal insufficiency due to suppression of the HPA axis. The prevalence of long-term oral glucocorticoid use is 1% in the general population and increases with age and among women. The absolute risk of having adrenal insufficiency in patients taking oral glucocorticoids is 48.7%
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10257969/
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Unfortunately this risk is rarely mentioned when Prednisone is initiated for the treatment of PMR.
I'm happy to be finally off Prednisone. PMR seems to be in the rear view mirror but plenty of other problems to overcome looking forward.