Connect
Secondary adrenal insufficiency question
After being on prednisone for a couple years for PMR, I went off a couple of years ago with no problems. I had a flare in the late winter, and my rheumatologist put me on prednisone again. I was tapering when I saw him at my annual visit in April, and he slowed the taper a bit. I was off about a month beforewas starting to noticing slight fatigue and worsening of my osteoarthritis, especially in my hands. I gradually cut down my activity level. About 3 weeks ago, I had a day with extreme vertigo which at the time I (background in gerontology) and a friend (retired physician) both thought it was a UTI which does present with vertigo in older adults like myself. It got better but didn't resolve, so I went for testing. I drank water before the test and felt a lot better so I went to the bakeshop and bought bread before walking home about a block. All of a sudden, my legs felt like they were logs, my heart started pounding, and I almost passed out but made it home. By coincidence, I had made another appointment with my rheumatologist to examine my quickly swelling fingers. He tested my CRP and ESR, which were both much higher than they had been at my annual visit From an initial 2 mg, he now has me on 5 for what is most likely secondary adrenal insufficiency. My question is for anyone who has experienced this secondary problem -- what was your journey back like? How long did it take you to feel better after you started on cortisone again and did you gradually get to where you could be active and travel some? Thanks
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.
Connect
Hello @emct. Do have a look at my reply to @p0rtia
@bettebaldwin Thanks. I belong to an integrative medicine complex within a large medical center. I will check to see if they have a nutritionist with whom they work. In the past, though, the emphasis has been on weight loss, and I need to put on weight. As for physical activity, that is the biggest frustration for me right now. I actually have published on physical activity and older adults, and now I feel forced to be sedentary. Some days I have felt lightheaded if I walked more than a few yards. Other days I have more energy but if I do even much more than that, I pay for it with fatigue and lightheadedness the next day. I am now almost totally sedentary other than doing my qi gong and physical therapy for a shoulder injury caused ironically by a new physical therapist prescribing a new exercise to address a very old residual stiffness. He didn’t take into account my age (my current PT told me she never recommends it for seniors) nor my PMR. So it feels like one step forward, one step back. I am just hoping the step back is a bit smaller each time. I was walking 1 1/2 -2 miles (2.4 km to 3.2 km) daily and working in my pottery studio, now it’s measured more in feet and I haven’t spent more than a few minutes in the studio. I feel emprisoned in a body that doesn’t match my mind. I’m trying to be hopeful and I am grateful to be alive after a couple of pretty bad hypotensive episodes, but I am getting frustrated and depressed.
@bettebaldwin lost my typed reply.
Again, hang in there, you’ve come this far, you,can do,it!!!!
I’m at the 30 lengths and walking in the AZ heat at 6 am is 4.5 miles, 18 min mile.
YOU CAN DO IT!
If you have a medical alert tag, how do you abbreviate Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency? I want to include that and PMR on the tag. Not a lot of room, and I also have had corneal transplants which require steroid drops. I guess that would be less important in case of rescue steroid, though, since prednisone does affect pressure and I already have to use a drop that doesn't raise IOP as much as prednisolone.