Guest guest Posted December 15, 2000 Report Share Posted December 15, 2000 In a message dated 12/15/00 9:05:03 PM Pacific Standard Time, nneW5@... writes: When I had my 2nd acute attack this past Oct, had severe joint pain which the doc advised was part of the hep. Within 24 hrs of starting prednisone, the pain was gone. I am currently on 20 mg prednisone, have been since before Thanksgiving. Over the past few days, joint pain has returned, severe enough that it is starting to limit my activity...I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I had with the prednisone) and more fatigue. Can anybody share their experiences along these lines? I can't give you much help, as I'm not very knowledgeable and because throughout my life, I've tended to not call doctors until problems progressed to big, big trouble. I don't recommend this mind-set for others. When I've complained of joint pain, I'm told it's "Just the Prednisone." I sleep very, very heavily, but I'm told that's not typical of Prednisone users. Fatigue -- oh, well. Here's one stray bit of information, although I'm not sure it's applicable. My LiverDoc isn't very talkative, to say the least. However, when I last saw him (in May), he said I might feel WORSE rather than better as the Prednisone is reduced, as it acts as an upper for some people. I don't understand this remark: "I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I had with the prednisone) and more fatigue." You're taking prednisone now, right? Good luck, and BE CAREFUL. This is YOUR life, and you have to take good care of it. Do you have an advice nurse you can call on weekends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2000 Report Share Posted December 16, 2000 marianne..... We are given prednisone because of its ability to do more than one thing....two of which are: (1) as an immunosupressant....to suppress the proliferation of the antibodies that are mistakenly attacking our liver cells and (2) as an anti-inflammatory..... AIH causes inflammation of the liver by the action of the anti-bodies attacking it... the auto immune disease also inhibits the bodys release of certain corticosteoids that usually fight inflammations of other types...hence our joints become inflammed and pain results... the predisone augments the body`s productionn of these corticosteroids which are hormones produced by the adrenal glands and diminishes the pain... in othe words te prednisone doesn`t cause the pain but rather lessens it... too much use of prednisone can atrophy the adrenals and natural production is slowed or stopped..if you aren`t getting enough of these hormones the pain returns therefore the dosage of prednisone you are taking may not be enough to augment your natural abiiity to lessen the inflammation in your joints ....... it is the hepatitis...the liver disase itself that causes the fatigue NOT the prednisone. Fatgue itself can cause inflammation. But the SIDE efffects of prednisone may contribute. prednisone can cause insomnia which enhances fatigue...as you aren`t getting enough sleep and it can cause depression which also can contribute to inflammation remember that prdnisone is prescribed as an antiinflammatory and then as an imunosupressant....the goal of most doctors is to get as low a dose of prednisone as possible to augment your own production of anti inflammatories - to fight your hepatitis induced inflammed liver and still supress the overactive antibodies which is why they add imuran to the mix . imuran is chiefly an immunosuppressant . You want as low of dose as possible of prednisone because of its many well documented side effects and still fight inflammation (which will eventually kill -cirrhos - the liver cells if left untreated) with imunos. to inhibit the production of those maverick antibodies. I know this is wordy but I don`t know how else to explain it. I suffered joint and back pain- sometimes severe - for 2-3 years before I was Dxd AIH.when I was given prednione 40mgs. the pain went away-- as the dosage was lowered--now 10mgs.-- the pain came back . I use Advil and a heating pad as well as wet heat to treat it when it becomes too bad that plus a little pain management by meditation (which I`m not too informed about.) Maybe your doctor can prescribe some pain meds. (others here use it) but I don`t think you want to be on high doages of prednisone for long periods of time as you know the side effects it carries. Hope this was of some help... love and serenity jerry Want to see if I have anything to be concerned about, that is, if my present regimen of prednisone is not doing the trick..I would call the doc..but am having blood work on Tuesday as it is...just wondering if I might be in for some new fun and games.... When I had my 2nd acute attack this past Oct, had severe joint pain which the doc advised was part of the hep. Within 24 hrs of starting prednisone, the pain was gone. I am currently on 20 mg prednisone, have been since before Thanksgiving. Over the past few days, joint pain has returned, severe enough that it is starting to limit my activity...I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I had with the prednisone) and more fatigue. Can anybody share their experiences along these lines? I've been waiting for the pain to go away...and I haven't called the doc before now cause if I do I cant deny it's there anymore....might lose my title as Queen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2000 Report Share Posted December 16, 2000 Jerry, thanks for your very helpful summary of prednisone's uses and characteristics. Re: . . ."too much use of prednisone can atrophy the adrenals and natural production is slowed or stopped. . ." I've been concerned with the possibility that the adrenals won't go back to normal production after high dosages of prednisone, resulting in something resembling 's disease, I think. (I'm currently too lazy to go back to the references I read this summer.) I've read that this is sometimes a problem. Have any of you run into that problem? Harper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2000 Report Share Posted December 16, 2000 I believe you are correct..... I read that same thing somewhere in my readings but like you, am too lazy to look it up.( Is laziness the problem to which you are refering?) Jerry, thanks for your very helpful summary of prednisone's uses and characteristics. Re: . . ."too much use of prednisone can atrophy the adrenals and natural production is slowed or stopped. . ." I've been concerned with the possibility that the adrenals won't go back to normal production after high dosages of prednisone, resulting in something resembling 's disease, I think. (I'm currently too lazy to go back to the references I read this summer.) I've read that this is sometimes a problem. Have any of you run into that problem? Harper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2000 Report Share Posted December 17, 2000 Thanks for the input, Harper. I will be talking to the nurse re the joint pain. Guess I am just hoping that I am not going backwards. I was surprised by your remark that your doc said the prednisone caused the joint pain. As Jerry described, it suppresses inflamation, and in doing so should not be causing joint pain. Much as prednisone can cause problems, the relief I experienced the first day I was on it was ...oh lord... To go from not wanting to move at all because of pain, to being able to walk, write and most importantly hug my kids was incredible. > In a message dated 12/15/00 9:05:03 PM Pacific Standard Time, > nneW5@e... writes: > > > > When I had my 2nd acute attack this past Oct, had severe joint pain > > which the doc advised was part of the hep. Within 24 hrs of starting > > prednisone, the pain was gone. I am currently on 20 mg prednisone, > > have been since before Thanksgiving. Over the past few days, joint > > pain has returned, severe enough that it is starting to limit my > > activity...I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I had > > with the prednisone) and more fatigue. Can anybody share their > > experiences along these lines? > > > > I can't give you much help, as I'm not very knowledgeable and because > throughout my life, I've tended to not call doctors until problems progressed > to big, big trouble. I don't recommend this mind-set for others. > > When I've complained of joint pain, I'm told it's " Just the Prednisone. " I > sleep very, very heavily, but I'm told that's not typical of Prednisone > users. Fatigue -- oh, well. > > Here's one stray bit of information, although I'm not sure it's applicable. > My LiverDoc isn't very talkative, to say the least. However, when I last saw > him (in May), he said I might feel WORSE rather than better as the Prednisone > is reduced, as it acts as an upper for some people. > > I don't understand this remark: " I am also having more sleep disturbances > (more than I had with the prednisone) and more fatigue. " You're taking > prednisone now, right? > > Good luck, and BE CAREFUL. This is YOUR life, and you have to take good care > of it. Do you have an advice nurse you can call on weekends? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2000 Report Share Posted December 17, 2000 Thank you Jerry...I appreciate the information, very much. I know that the lack of sleep is contributing to the fatigue feeling...but the fatigue I have had lately is different than what I had 2 weeks ago.more overwhelming, I guess...I had not considered depression as contributing to fatigue..altho I have some concern along those lines... seems that instead of prednisone making me... ummmm...belligerent, as my husband had feared..lol...it has instead made me rather weepy at times...takes a little more effort some days to get out of bed and not do the pity party thing. But the weepy stuff has been there the whole time...not just lately. > marianne..... We are given prednisone because of its ability to do more > than one thing....two of which are: (1) as an immunosupressant....to > suppress the proliferation of the antibodies that are mistakenly > attacking our liver cells and (2) as an anti-inflammatory..... AIH > causes inflammation of the liver by the action of the anti-bodies > attacking it... the auto immune disease also inhibits the bodys release > of certain corticosteoids that usually fight inflammations of other > types...hence our joints become inflammed and pain results... the > predisone augments the body`s productionn of these corticosteroids which > are hormones produced by the adrenal glands and diminishes the pain... > in othe words te prednisone doesn`t cause the pain but rather lessens > it... too much use of prednisone can atrophy the adrenals and natural > production is slowed or stopped..if you aren`t getting enough of these > hormones the pain returns therefore the dosage of prednisone you are > taking may not be enough to augment your natural abiiity to lessen the > inflammation in your joints ....... it is the hepatitis...the liver > disase itself that causes the fatigue NOT the prednisone. Fatgue itself > can cause inflammation. But the SIDE efffects of prednisone may > contribute. prednisone can cause insomnia which enhances fatigue...as > you aren`t getting enough sleep and it can cause depression which also > can contribute to inflammation > remember that prdnisone is prescribed as an antiinflammatory and then as > an imunosupressant....the goal of most doctors is to get as low a dose > of prednisone as possible to augment your own production of anti > inflammatories - to fight your hepatitis induced inflammed liver and > still supress the overactive antibodies which is why they add imuran to > the mix . imuran is chiefly an immunosuppressant . You want as low of > dose as possible of prednisone because of its many well documented side > effects and still fight inflammation (which will eventually kill > -cirrhos - the liver cells if left untreated) with imunos. to inhibit > the production of those maverick antibodies. I know this is wordy but I > don`t know how else to explain it. I suffered joint and back pain- > sometimes severe - for 2-3 years before I was Dxd AIH.when I was given > prednione 40mgs. the pain went away-- as the dosage was lowered--now > 10mgs.-- the pain came back . I use Advil and a heating pad as well as > wet heat to treat it when it becomes too bad that plus a little pain > management by meditation (which I`m not too informed about.) Maybe your > doctor can prescribe some pain meds. (others here use it) but I don`t > think you want to be on high doages of prednisone for long periods of > time as you know the side effects it carries. Hope this was of some > help... > love and serenity > jerry > > > Want to see if I have anything to be concerned about, that is, if my > present regimen of prednisone is not doing the trick..I would call the > doc..but am having blood work on Tuesday as it is...just wondering if > I might be in for some new fun and games.... > > When I had my 2nd acute attack this past Oct, had severe joint pain > which the doc advised was part of the hep. Within 24 hrs of starting > prednisone, the pain was gone. I am currently on 20 mg prednisone, > have been since before Thanksgiving. Over the past few days, joint > pain has returned, severe enough that it is starting to limit my > activity...I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I had > with the prednisone) and more fatigue. Can anybody share their > experiences along these lines? > > I've been waiting for the pain to go away...and I haven't called the > doc before now cause if I do I cant deny it's there anymore....might > lose my title as Queen! > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2000 Report Share Posted December 17, 2000 Thanks Don..yes..the relief that first day was wonderful!..My doc does have plans to taper..trying to get me down to 5 mg...He started me @ 60, and within 2 weeks was down to 20, which is where I am now. He had wanted to drop me to 15 2 weeks ago , but altho my enzymes were down,it wasn't as much as he had wanted, so he kept me @ the same level for a couple more weeks. He has already told me that if he cannot get me down to @ least 10mg, then will look at adding MP6 so he can get the prednisone low and maybe reduce the possible prednisone problems. I do miss that rush of the high dosage tho! At 20 mg I get by...but seems to take about 4 to 5 hours after waking before I become even marginally functional...not like it was @ 60...talk about zooming!..LOL > > In a message dated 12/15/00 9:05:03 PM Pacific Standard Time, > > nneW5@e... writes: > > > > > > > When I had my 2nd acute attack this past Oct, had severe joint > pain > > > which the doc advised was part of the hep. Within 24 hrs of > starting > > > prednisone, the pain was gone. I am currently on 20 mg prednisone, > > > have been since before Thanksgiving. Over the past few days, joint > > > pain has returned, severe enough that it is starting to limit my > > > activity...I am also having more sleep disturbances (more than I > had > > > with the prednisone) and more fatigue. Can anybody share their > > > experiences along these lines? > > > > > > > I can't give you much help, as I'm not very knowledgeable and > because > > throughout my life, I've tended to not call doctors until problems > progressed > > to big, big trouble. I don't recommend this mind-set for others. > > > > When I've complained of joint pain, I'm told it's " Just the > Prednisone. " I > > sleep very, very heavily, but I'm told that's not typical of > Prednisone > > users. Fatigue -- oh, well. > > > > Here's one stray bit of information, although I'm not sure it's > applicable. > > My LiverDoc isn't very talkative, to say the least. However, when I > last saw > > him (in May), he said I might feel WORSE rather than better as the > Prednisone > > is reduced, as it acts as an upper for some people. > > > > I don't understand this remark: " I am also having more sleep > disturbances > > (more than I had with the prednisone) and more fatigue. " You're > taking > > prednisone now, right? > > > > Good luck, and BE CAREFUL. This is YOUR life, and you have to take > good care > > of it. Do you have an advice nurse you can call on weekends? > > > eGroups Sponsor > > Paid Net2phone Advertisement - Click Here! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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