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Why in the world would any doctor prescribe Prednisone for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
My Mother has that and has never been prescribed Prednisone for it.
I've heard of it being used for Lupus but never Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (I prefer to call it by its European name, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME -- for the same reason that we don't call pneumonia Chronic Coughing Syndrome) can be relatively mild or extremely severe and horrifically miserable. For people on the more severe end of the spectrum, who can actually meet the more coherent and strict case definitions in places like Canada and Europe, doctors with real empathy and caring will try all sorts of off label creative ideas depending on the patient. Prednisone sounds like a fairly logical thing to prescribe at least for chronic flare-ups because severe ME patients usually have a great deal of constant body-wide inflammation and pain, even low-grade fevers, and it gives them a bit of relief. My late wife was such a person and her autopsy's major finding was "deep fibrosis of the menenges" which a fancy way of saying that the lining of her brain was quite inflamed and of a yellow pus-colored appearance. Prednisone might have helped her a great deal with her suffering. Toward the end, her immune system failed, her blood-brain barrier wasn't keeping things out like it should, and progressive infection by viral and cell wall deficient organisms was rampant.
The main thing that would make me hesitate to ask for prednisone would be concerns about suppression of the immune system. ME patients have disordered immune systems, some are downregulated, others are upregulated, still others are selectively dysregulated. I would lean towards prednisone for patients with upregulated immune systems, otherwise you might temporarily ease symptoms only to ultimately undermine the creaky balance of disordered hormonal and immune systems.
I am not euphoric but happy I can focus and not have anxiety. From what I read, though, it's bad stuff to be on long term.
Yes, that's what I hear. However, if I want to continue breathing, which I do--I happen to enjoy breathing--I have to take it until it shrinks the fibrous stuff growing around my trachea.
I took prednisone for 23 years. It was either that or risk whatever SLE (Systemic Lupus) might decide to do. It finally went into remission, then my doc said stay on prednisone because if I go off of it, there is a very good chance lupus will return raging and never go into remission again. I stopped it 2 years ago and so far, so good. It has caused plenty of damage to my body and I'll never know how it might have been without it. I don't think about it.
Those of us who have Colitus take prednisone when we have a "flare up " of bleeding and bloating " that isn't reacting to the normal drugs.
In my case, the dosage starts at 50 mg per day, and gradually drops down, by 5 mg a week, until it gets to the last point, at 5 mg a day, than it is stopped all together. It should NEVER be stopped abruptly, as that is a sure way to get a horrible reaction, and be really sick and feel wretched.
In my case, I HATE taking it, as it makes me feel angry and stressed. BUT it is the only thing that makes my bowel symptoms go away. Not being able to be more than 50 feet from a toilet, is torture, as is the bleeding, and pain in the abdomen.
Those of us who have Colitus take prednisone when we have a "flare up " of bleeding and bloating " that isn't reacting to the normal drugs.
In my case, the dosage starts at 50 mg per day, and gradually drops down, by 5 mg a week, until it gets to the last point, at 5 mg a day, than it is stopped all together. It should NEVER be stopped abruptly, as that is a sure way to get a horrible reaction, and be really sick and feel wretched.
In my case, I HATE taking it, as it makes me feel angry and stressed. BUT it is the only thing that makes my bowel symptoms go away. Not being able to be more than 50 feet from a toilet, is torture, as is the bleeding, and pain in the abdomen.
Jim B
Toronto.
Sounds bad. I hope your symptoms stay eased up for a while.
I wish there was a chemical compound similar to the prednisone without the bad side effects.
Me too!
I took it for about a month. The dose was titrated up for around 5 days, then stable for 10, and then titrated down for around another 10. The reason was that I had an elevated SED count and something else elevated, maybe c-reactive (something)?
I pretty much loved it. I don't know if I would say euphoric but close. It was a feeling of great well-being, an increase in energy and what was probably the best- this feeling of competence, that I was able to get things done.
The downside was that towards the end I started to see my face change. I have heard it described as "moon face". It was a rounding in the jaw and upper neck area.
I didn't have any other bad effects and could have dealt with the moon face because I have long hair that is kind of angled towards my face. But, once it was done it was done and I could not get it refilled.
But, yeah, that feeling of accomplishing things was great.
Yes, that's what I hear. However, if I want to continue breathing, which I do--I happen to enjoy breathing--I have to take it until it shrinks the fibrous stuff growing around my trachea.
You have my sympathies. I hope it shrinks the stuff!!
Funny, I just got off a short dose of Prednisone. I had blocked ears and extreme fatigue and nothing was doing any good. It probably started with allergies. I told the dr I didn't want Prednisone but he gave me a little pack to take for about 5 days.
Boy did I feel good. I got the furniture re-arranged, washed windows, did a lot of things with all that energy. The bad part was the tapering off because it made me weepy. I do have cfs and don't know if that has something to do with how the Pred. made me feel.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (I prefer to call it by its European name, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME -- for the same reason that we don't call pneumonia Chronic Coughing Syndrome) can be relatively mild or extremely severe and horrifically miserable. For people on the more severe end of the spectrum, who can actually meet the more coherent and strict case definitions in places like Canada and Europe, doctors with real empathy and caring will try all sorts of off label creative ideas depending on the patient. Prednisone sounds like a fairly logical thing to prescribe at least for chronic flare-ups because severe ME patients usually have a great deal of constant body-wide inflammation and pain, even low-grade fevers, and it gives them a bit of relief. My late wife was such a person and her autopsy's major finding was "deep fibrosis of the menenges" which a fancy way of saying that the lining of her brain was quite inflamed and of a yellow pus-colored appearance. Prednisone might have helped her a great deal with her suffering. Toward the end, her immune system failed, her blood-brain barrier wasn't keeping things out like it should, and progressive infection by viral and cell wall deficient organisms was rampant.
The main thing that would make me hesitate to ask for prednisone would be concerns about suppression of the immune system. ME patients have disordered immune systems, some are downregulated, others are upregulated, still others are selectively dysregulated. I would lean towards prednisone for patients with upregulated immune systems, otherwise you might temporarily ease symptoms only to ultimately undermine the creaky balance of disordered hormonal and immune systems.
I am sorry for your loss. Clearly, your late wife was suffering from an awful disease.
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--I have to take it until it shrinks the fibrous stuff growing around my trachea.
I got the furniture re-arranged, washed windows, did a lot of things with all that energy. The bad part was the tapering off because it made me weepy. I do have cfs and don't know if that has something to do with how the Pred. made me feel.
