prednisone withdrawal question

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BreeAlysia

New member
I have a question about prednisone withdrawal... I got the flu last month and was really sick for a long time. So I saw my doctor and he put me on prednisone to get me back on my feet. I've been on it in the past and was fine. I did the same 40 mg for four days and then it tapered down 10mg every four days until the end that I've done in the past. However, this time I have terrible headaches and sometimes feel dizzy or light headed when standing. Is this from prednisone? And is there anything I can do?
 
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TreasureGoddess

Member
I was going to recommend tapering off at the end, but you're already doing that. I'd call in as that doesn't usually happen with my kiddo when he takes predisone. You could possibly be switched to a different steroid and see if that helps?
 
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BreeAlysia

New member
TreasureGoddess said:
I was going to recommend tapering off at the end, but you're already doing that. I'd call in as that doesn't usually happen with my kiddo when he takes predisone. You could possibly be switched to a different steroid and see if that helps?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's never happened to me before and I think this is my third time on it over the last three years. I'll call my doctor. I feel a little better today though. Thanks.
 
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jamest

Guest
Four days isn't much, I'd be surprised if you were having withdrawal symptoms. Dizzyness or lightheadedness can be symptoms of cold/flu or some other bug.

My understanding of pred withdrawal is that it happens when someone is taking the drug over months or years and has to taper very slowly.
 
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cheerfulpuppies

Member
I am an RN and the taper sounds fine, you should not be having any withdrawal. Based on my experience, I have a few questions. What is your baseline blood pressure and have you been drinking lots of fluids? If so has it been water other fluids? Usually if I don't drink enough I get a headache easily. Also feeling lightheaded or dizzy when you stand up is a sign of orthostatic hypotension. What that means (if you are not familiar with it) is that your blood pressure drops some when you stand up and the dizziness is a symptom that you feel if it drops enough to feel it.
Back in December I had an episode of feeling "off" and this January I just had surgery and had another episode of feeling "off" and almost passed out. I didn't even feel dizzy I just felt different than normal. My blood sugar was fine and by the time I was able to check my blood pressure it was a low normal. Long story short after talking with primary MD, ENT, and seeing a cardiologist for the first time ever, having a head car scan, 2 EKGs, orthostatic blood pressures, and an echo cardiogram, the cardiologist thinks it was related to dehydration. Because my blood pressure is normally on the low end of normal if it drops, I don't have much of a reserve, therefore I feel symptomatic. His solution add salt to my diet to bring up my BP, how ironic!

by all means though don't brush it off. Talk to your doctor!
 
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LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Prednisone acts as an antiinflammatory drug, reducing congestion around infections for efficient infection fighting. It also puts your body in overdrive to fight the infection. I react rapidly to prednisone and I occasionally would get rebound headaches that were very intense. As bad as standard migraine headaches get the only headache worse than prednisone rebound was when they screwed a metal ring to my head for some antiquated brain scan. As bad as it is having screws cinched around my skull, nothing prepared me for the headache when the pressure was released afterwords!

It is hard to tell if you're rebounding from a return of (vascular) inflammation or your heightened metabolism is turning loose of a tight vascular tone, lowering blood pressure and relaxing the arterial or vascular muscles. Like that ring squeezing my skull, pressure slowly increased as they carefully bolted down against bones literally compressing blood vessels and my brain. Release of the pressure sounds great but the sudden dilation of blood vessels is a new experience in pain and a good metaphor for what may be happening as you if prednisone withdrawal is the issue.

Most headaches of this type are vascular headaches caused by a rapid or profound change in the blood pressure. The headache pain is from nerves surrounding muscular blood vessels, arteries, and to an extent veins, that send pain impulses when blood vessels rapidly/profoundly expands or contracts.

I no longer take prednisone but hydration is a good start in speeding up withdrawal without such terrible headache. If this is safe for you, my doctor prescribed a (Starbucks) medium Mocha for rebound headaches related to induced vascular stress. Maybe a beta blocker for a while?
Talk to Doc.

Sorry you're suffering so,

LL
 
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BreeAlysia

New member
Thanks everyone. I've been at a work conference so I am sorry I didn't reply. I spoke to my pulmonologist and he also said I'm probably more dehydrated than usual and yes my blood pressure is normally low. I'm also a teacher and I need to remember to drink water during classes. The dizzy feeling stopped after a few days and my headaches are pretty much gone now. Thanks again!
 
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