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@dadcue goodness me a remarkable story I hope you remain well and stable now . My problems seem somewhat insignificant . I think
You are absolutely right we cannot be lumped together regarding certain aspects of treatment , I also feel on another well respected forum there is a strong view that remaining on Prednisolone for life is acceptable , I do not .
I am undecided about the switch to HC but will be making that decision next week . I can honestly say I have never reached an even status since going below 7mg , that’s not with pain but fatigue , nausea and insomnia .
My Endo is highly regarded private Dr so I guess , as I need to do something , I should give his plan a go . My GP is on board and will test my morning Cortisol each month .
Interestingly my Endo also suggested Vit B12,Folic Acid and D3 along with my Calcium . His rational was that although my bloods are in range in his opinion the potential damage to muscles , cells etc could do with a boost .
Thank you all for sharing
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@spainishlady
It sounds to me that you will be in good hands doing what your doctor recommends. HC is a short acting corticosteroid with the same chemical structure as cortisol. Since it is shorter acting you need to take it more often. HC basically is the same as cortisol. It is thought that HC is better than prednisone because its properties are almost identical to cortisol.
Whether or not HC will help your adrenal functon to improve is debatable. My endocrinologist didn't seem to think HC would help that much so I was allowed to remain on a low dose of prednisone as long as it was 3 mg or less. I believe the key is maintaining a very low dose of prednisone and 7 mg probably isn't low enough to do the trick. Prednisone is more potent and longer acting than HC. Prednisone might be better when PMR is active---maybe it isn't so good when prednisone suppresses your adrenal function.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. There isn't a right and a wrong answer in my opinion. The vitamins are a good idea too. My endocrinologist suggested a multi-vitamin. Prednisone depletes vitamins while also causing weight gain. I was restricting what I ate because of the fear of gaining weight.
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https://www.amerigoscientific.com/hydrocortisone-uses-benefits-mechanism-and-scientific-insights.html