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How are you tapering prednisone?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 20 hours ago | Replies (18)Comment receiving replies
Remember that if you’ve been on prednisone a very long time, even when you’ve been off it for a while you still may require “stress dose steroids “ during high stress events ( illness, accidents, etc). So be cognizant of this and if you’re ill or break a leg, etc, watch for signs of adrenal insufficiency and contact your doctor if they appear.
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@laura1970
After a long time on Prednisone it was difficult for me to know if I still needed prednisone for PMR or because I had adrenal insufficiency since both conditions cause muscle and joint pain. Corticosteroids are the treatment for both conditions.
To a certain extent, after prednisone suppressed my adrenal function, it caused me to be "dependent" on prednisone to regulate my inflammation levels. My adrenals weren't producing enough cortisol to regulate inflammation for me.
According to my rheumatologist, both PMR and adrenal insufficiency have similar symptoms like muscle pain and fatigue making a precise diagnosis challenging after prolonged prednisone use. It was easier to differentiate my symptoms when Actemra controlled PMR without suppressing my adrenal function. After my adrenals recovered it was much easier to taper off Prednisone. It was still a slow taper but not for years.