Exercise

@stonewheel Yes. For purposes of these conversations i refer to my corticosteroid as prednisone. However I was taking dexamethasone. I used the conversion factor of 5 to 1. So I started with 4mg tablet which I call 20mg prednisone. I found within the first 2 wks i could move my dosage rather quickly without issues. I settled on half a tablet of 4mg dex or about 10mg of prednisone. I tried several times right from the beginning to go to a quarter of a 4mg tablet or about 5mg prednisone and could not do so. These 4mg tablets are small. you get to a quarter tablet and you think how could this little speck make so much difference. At month 5 I moved to quarter tablet without much pain. I stayed there for a couple of weeks and then moved to every other day for a week then stopped. I contribute it to the fact that my PMR had burned out. Why? IDK? But I do think that I refused to stop my daily exercise and refused to stay on steroids. I also had no other issues. PMR had come out of nowhere however i was under extreme stress. As I mentioned the fatigue was a huge problem. My testosterone once i checked was 300. I use a daily cream and keep it at about 600-650. Any higher and my estrogen climbs and that takes another pill. Although my story is my story. I have learned so much from this site and none of us are the same. I stay on the site to offer my support . I feel that my PMR journey was a fairly quick recovery and maybe can offer some encouragement.

@tuckerp

Secretly... I have wanted to take testosterone mostly to rebuild muscle mass. I suppose I shouldn't expect the same muscle mass that I used to have when I wasn't taking prednisone daily for PMR. I would be 20 years younger.

I took Prednisone so I could exercise. I think it almost killed me. I was doing a 50 mile bicycle ride with my brother. I couldn't keep his pace which was unusual because normally I set the pace. My brother doubled back when I couldn't keep up. He was the one who said there was something wrong with me. It turned out that I had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and cardiac arrhythmias.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/left-ventricular-hypertrophy/symptoms-causes/syc-20374314
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My testosterone level was once documented to be in the 100's when I was on prednisone. Now it is in the 300's so the endocrinologist considers that to be normal. We are doing things to boost my metabolism. I think if I could increase my muscle mass my metabolism would probably improve.

@dadcue AI search -- "Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) boosts metabolism by increasing muscle mass, which burns more calories at rest, and enhancing fat oxidation (burning). It helps reverse the slowed metabolism associated with low testosterone, often reducing body fat, particularly visceral fat. Benefits include higher energy, improved insulin sensitivity, and better long-term body composition. " -- My TRT was complicated by having prostate cancer. I had mine removed and caught it early. My urologist would not even discuss TRT. My family practice is a mens and womens health clinic. My PA agreed to TRT if I waited 3 yrs after removal, my PSA was undetectable, and I had a clean PSMA PET scan that was clean. I started TRT in late 2023. I was 71. I can no longer build muscle like I could into my late 60's. I have also changed my workouts to minimize lifting single rep heavy weights. I have been able to maintain body composition. Overall I feel healthier. I think there are too many benefits to ignore for both men and women with TRT. My goal is the upper end of normal. This prevents any other complications.

@dadcue AI search -- "Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) boosts metabolism by increasing muscle mass, which burns more calories at rest, and enhancing fat oxidation (burning). It helps reverse the slowed metabolism associated with low testosterone, often reducing body fat, particularly visceral fat. Benefits include higher energy, improved insulin sensitivity, and better long-term body composition. " -- My TRT was complicated by having prostate cancer. I had mine removed and caught it early. My urologist would not even discuss TRT. My family practice is a mens and womens health clinic. My PA agreed to TRT if I waited 3 yrs after removal, my PSA was undetectable, and I had a clean PSMA PET scan that was clean. I started TRT in late 2023. I was 71. I can no longer build muscle like I could into my late 60's. I have also changed my workouts to minimize lifting single rep heavy weights. I have been able to maintain body composition. Overall I feel healthier. I think there are too many benefits to ignore for both men and women with TRT. My goal is the upper end of normal. This prevents any other complications.

@glinda47 thank you. Yes I lost my soul mate to glioblastoma. I took Lipitor for about 4 years and it seemed to work. 2000-2004. I developed colon issues that they first said was crohns disease. I stopped the Lipitor and it disappeared. I did nothing and 20yrs later I had a blocked carotid. I lived with a 220 cholesterol. I went to Mayo and they did testing. One test was the LPa. Mine is 125. My total cholesterol had climbed to 300 with prednisone. Mayo put me on Repatha. Once I developed the allergy I had tried everything that ended in a "tin". Repatha took my total to 120. It took my LDL from 220 to 84. Twice monthly injection. Almost 3 years now no side effects. They are trying to find something else that will take me to under 70 LDL. I have issues with everything we have tried. I am on welchol at the moment trying it.

@tuckerp Wow! Repatha rules! I had not heard much about it till recently but it sounds pretty great and certainly has worked well for you. Did you notice any muscular issues improving after dropping the statins? I loved that I read the side effects with Repatha were minimal to none. That's what you want to hear. Most of these meds advertised on TV certainly seem like they were not ready for real time with the very, very serious side effects.
I sure hope you can get those LDL's down with something that is not going to cause issues.
Best to you, tucker.

@tuckerp Wow! Repatha rules! I had not heard much about it till recently but it sounds pretty great and certainly has worked well for you. Did you notice any muscular issues improving after dropping the statins? I loved that I read the side effects with Repatha were minimal to none. That's what you want to hear. Most of these meds advertised on TV certainly seem like they were not ready for real time with the very, very serious side effects.
I sure hope you can get those LDL's down with something that is not going to cause issues.
Best to you, tucker.

@tuckerp

I see a urologist annually to monitor multiple uric acid kidney stones in both kidneys. I think she is sadistic based on the things she says that I should have done. She can see on my annual abdominal CT scan that my prostate is enlarged. Since my PSA is normal, I think my prostate should be left alone. She also said that microscopic blood in my urine isn't normal even though the microscopic blood has been detected for years when I was still on warfarin with kidney stones. There was no way I was ever going to do the work-up she said I should do to see why there is blood in my urine even though I can't see any blood in my urine visually.

My kidney stones aren't getting any bigger since the treatment of my uric acid level with allopurinol was initiated. Potassium citrate is shrinking the size of some kidney stones and others have disappeared. My prostate, on the other hand, gets bigger every year. I might not have the urine stream that I used to but hey ... that is the end of the world.

@dadcue I had an enlarged prostate. Having trouble with quick trips to the bathroom. My PSA was normal at 1.0. I went to a urologist and he said that it was enlarged my PSA was normal probably BPH but we could only be sure by doing a biopsy. My father passed away from complications of prostate cancer. Biopsy came back 1 out 12 samples with cancer. contained in the prostate. Dr recommended monitor. I couldnt do it. I could see no reason to wait on it to get worse. So I removed it. 6 years now with no PSA. < .01. But I have had to live with side effects. I am on the Mayo prostate site. Some very educated men on that site.