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Suggest Remedy For Perdnisone Withdrwal Symptoms When Suffering From Parkinsons
Question: i am a 74 year old with parkinsons and have been on predisone for an arthritiis for four months. i am coming of the prednisone and am down to 6 mgm a day but i feel incredibly weak an tired. i am told this is normal and it will continue o be part of the process. is there anything to take that will aid the process.
Brief Answer:
Calcium and Vitamin D supplements will help
Detailed Answer:
Hi Mr. Kelland,
Thanks for your query.
Prolonged use of steroids (Prednisone) does cause weakness and tiredness. So, it is perfectly normal to have these symptoms while on even lower dose of Prednisone.
Further, prolonged use of steroids have some undesirable side effects.
Perhaps, there can be an equally effective alternative drug, provided I knew the type of your arthritis. I will therefore request you to mention the exact diagnosis of arthritis, since Prednisone itself causes thinning of bones and aggravate osteoarthritis.
You may take calcium and Vit D supplements to mitigate the effects of prednisone on bones. There is no other treatment to alter the ongoing process.
Consult your doctor and apprise him of my opinion. I am certain that he will agree with my opinion and prescribe you an alternative, depending on the type of arthritis.
Hope I have addressed to your concerns to your complete satisfaction and you find my response helpful and informative. I will be happy to answer further queries, if any.
Fond regards and have a nice day,
Col (Dr.) Rakesh Karanwal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I was given to understand that my problem is the difficulty associated with the tapering of the prednisone and that it means I should come off very slowly. Is this right?
I am not sure you have seen my later comment. That is that I have been told that my muscle weakness and fatigue is due to the fact that I am tapering off the prednisone, rather than it being a side effect of prednisone itself. Which is the most likely?
Brief Answer:
Problems MAINLY due to side effects of Prednisone
Detailed Answer:
Hi Mr. Kelland,
I had read every word of yours very carefully.
I fully agree that Prednisone is to be tapered off very gradually. The SEVERITY of its side effects (muscle weakness and fatigue, among others) is DIRECTLY RELATED to its dose.
The problems of muscle weakness and fatigue, are MAINLY due to Prednisone's side effects and, ONLY PARTIALLY to gradual tapering of its dose.
Since the side effects (such as,muscle weakness and fatigue)- due to INITIAL high doses of Prednisone- will take some time to come down after reduction in the dose, your problems will gradually become less. They will come down by almost 90%, 6-8 weeks AFTER you started taking 6mg of Prednisone.
Fond regards,
Dr. Rakesh Karanwal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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