So I’ve been on a three week prednisone course that coincides with my IM WI taper. The steroids have helped the problem that they were prescribed for but they seem to be making my body fall apart in other ways. Has anyone had any experience w this? My question is the problem due to taking the pred itself or the cutting down that is making my muscles and nerves hurt.
Week 1
Starting to feel better have been on the steroids for a few days. At this point I am on 20 mg. I doubt anyone really cares to read all this but if you can provide any insight it would be very valuable. Here is the sequence of relevant events.
Week 1
Tues- do my last long run on a hilly tough course after work, hard wo but felt pretty good.
,Rest of the week, feeling good till Saturday…
Thurs- cut down dose to 10 mg daily as per Drs instructions
Friday- my neck and shoulder are killing me. Multiple muscle groups and everywhere the bundle of nerves go that start in the neck
Sat- weak during group run and calf starts hurting in a place I hurt it a year ago. Cut it short to ten miles. Start freaking out about calf and get emergency massage appt in the PM
Sun- feel weak and achy on the group ride, on a pace that would normally be moderately challenging. Can barely soft pedal the last eight
Week 2
Monday- get some ART and Dr says go ahead with group swim but take it easy. Try to swim but am in pain
Tues- Just take it completely off
Wed- am feeling better … get in a good brick although my calf is still tight during the run
Thurs- Also go to art and am still in serious shoulder and calf pain. am in tears thinking I’ll have to drop out of IM. Doc says it is more the nerves around the muscles which is really odd.
Later, do my three mile jog on dirt w minor calf tightness. Swimming feels better too
Fri- have another ART appt but all the sudden, NO PAIN. Today I taper down prednisone dose to 7.5. Swim 2100 meters pain free
Sat- Feel incredible muscle weakness and pain during my “long” bike. Cut it down to an hour twenty or so.
Sunday- During my “long” run, I feel like Im dying. Other muscles in my hammie and glute start to feel like they are pulled and my veins feel like battery acid is running through them. End up cutting it short and walking.
At the rate Im going I won’t be able to swim bike or run next weekend!!
So what should I do going forward? Is it the weaning from the drug thats causing these symptoms or just being on it? Should I try to hurry up and get off completely before next Sunday or not adjust the dose at all till after IM?
You need to talk with your doctor. Unfortunately, ou haven’t really described anything that is all that helpful. Are the steroids for asthma, inflammatory bowel disese, some collagen vascular disease, or some other medical condition. It may or may not be related to the steroids, your underlying medical condition, or something else entirely. I would hesitate to even begin to guess.
Sorry I can’t help, just want to express my hopes that you recover quickly. Prednisone is bad stuff - I have a 'script on my countertop for 10mg. from 4 months ago that I refuse to fill. Would rather deal with my other symptoms than take it. I’m sorry that you did not have that option.
Best of luck, and you will regain your strength and endurance from what I’ve read on other medical type forums. Just not sure when.
Thanks for your reply. From what Ive read/understand, such a short course of steroids shouldn’t affect my strength endurance permanently.
I think these withdrawal symptoms that are the culprit. I am PRAYING that they can get under control in the next few days!! I have trained really really hard for this IM!!
I am not a Doc, but have had to take prednisone a time or two in the last few years, so I researched it a bit. 20mgs a day quickly tapering to 10 is a really low dose. It seems strange that your symptoms would be from the prednisone, but I guess anything is possible. I was on a course that started at 60, then went down 10mg a day (6 days total). My workouts went great - -it was just a little hard to sleep the first couple of nights. I almost felt like it helped my workouts vs hurt them.
Should I try to hurry up and get off completely before next Sunday or not adjust the dose at all till after IM?
Whatever you do, DO NOT hurry the weaning process without a doctor’s permission. One of my doctors simply stated, “It will kill you.” No joke. Granted, I was on 60mg for ulcerative colitis, prednisone is nasty, nasty stuff.
It’s been a while since I’ve been on prednisone, but I remember that the weaning process at times made me feel pretty whacked out, physically and mentally. I was not training for any kind of athletics at the time, so I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you taking prednisone for?
It seems like you feel the worst directly after a taper. Maintaining the current dose until after the IM would make sense, but definitely discuss with your doctor. Better yet, ask for a referral to see a sports medicine specialist, he/she may have some answers.
I was given prednisone for my back once and the Dr. told me not to read the side effects because I wouldn’t want to take it.
This stuff is bad for you.
I would ween myself off this stuff properly though.
Acute steroid myopathy could be the problem but this is usually seen with higher doses than 20mg. A safe taper/doctor guided is the answer IMO. You can exercise through myopathy (and it may hurt) but most would do easy aerobic activity not IM and training.
I have Multiple Sclerosis and I have been on a lot of Prednisone at certain times. It always makes me feel very sick. I get a lot of restless nights and muscle pain. My side effects generally have gotten weaker as I am tapering the dose. I’ll feel like holy hell the first couple of weeks and then start to improve.
My side effects were a mixed bag. One day, I would feel like death warmed over, the next day I would feel OK. I am sure it’s the Prednisone that’s causing your symptoms. I wouldn’t just drop off the drugs. You’ve already got a bunch in your system. It takes time for the body to re-regulate itself.
I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing advice and their experiences prior to the race.
I am happy to say that I ended up resting a lot during the last week before the race, got a ton of ART and sleep, and then had an awesome race!
I was able to run the marathon well and didn’t have any muscular issues other than some calf tightness/pain that I always have when I run super long. Overall, an amazing first IM experience.