prednisone reduction "WARNING"

Just a note to all who are on pred and who will or are tapering off pred, ....... I just found out something the hard-way.

When we are in the tapering off phase of pred, we are not getting enough hormones/testosterone support from glands to support our bodies being under sickness or stress. Stress includes "hard work" I've now learned!! I'm mostly a buck up kinda guy, I push thru stuff and "get-r-done" ..... amazingly that really backfires while tapering off from pred. When I take on projects (remodel house, split wood, do lots of physical work, etc) I will ussually drop a few pounds and gain muscle mass, however this time around I felt I was actually getting weaker and not lossing much weight. I use these hard work periods to push myself and keep in reasonable shape.

It turns out after visting a DR, and reading the instructions that came with the pred prescriptions, (not all of the pharmacies list this side effect) that instead of building muscle, I've been tearing mine up. Normally muscle mass is made by tearing and healing, but while tapering on pred we only get the tearing part.

My right arm (I'm right handled) is now (last 2 months) about 1/3 smaller than my left, so is my right peck muscle, and the "V" taper from my waist to my right arm pit is also nearly gone. In doing a house remodel over the last few months, I've pushed myself alot, but its only resulted in tearing away and not the building back up of the related muscles. When my wife stepped back and looked at my body it was very obvious of the damage, all of my upper right side is smaller. I'm taking pics into my next visit with my sarc DR.

Soooooo if you work out or doing hard work and are tapering off from pred, its going to back fire. Just take it easy, pushing thru will only hurt you. Also, if you are under physical stess, the pred taper is going to hurt you and not help in your recovery.

I really wish someone would have told me about this side effect, I will not be able to regain the lost muscle until fully off pred and then for several months.

Just another downer to taking pred I think if I had it to do over again, I might try metho 1st.

PS, yes, I also get the standard joint/muscle/bone pains coming off pred. Currently have a pinched nerve in neck that I suspect is pred related, .... yea, it hurts like hell. Sooooo while my sarc Dr thinks my sarc is slightly better, I'm in worse shape than when I started!

Harmles2