Pred/Imuran and Adrenal Gland Issues

Hey people

Just wondering if anyone who's been on pred and Imuran for an extended period (in my case 6 months) then tapered off pred has ever had anything like this happen.

I have been off pred for about 2 weeks, and continued to gradually get more and more tired which seems normal. But then there came days where my body and joints hurt so bad and I was so tired that I would barely be able to get out of bed. Then came the upper back pain and tightness. Along with that came the inability to sleep even though I was dog tired.....which would make me even more tired. Then what really rose the red flag was what started out as tiny bruise like marks around my groin area. And after 3 days it looks like exploded spider veins all the way to my thighs.

I searched online but that just usually adds to the worry and stress. Anyone ever have any issues like this?

Other then UC I'm in very good condition physically. So I don't know what the heck is going on. Thanks

I can relate to a lot of the things you mention. I have been very tired and unable to sleep and it's been going on for quite a while. I remember feeling this way when I was tapering off pred. I don't know if imuran is part of the problem but I am on 6mp and as I said, I don't sleep well, even if I am very tired. I may get one good nights sleep after 3 days of struggling to sleep. I did however stop having terrible joint pain after I tapered off pred. It did take some time. I qbruise very easily since being on 6mp but never in the groin area. That sounds like something you may want to gt checked out. How much longer until you taper off? Do you have any sleep aid? I wouldn't have slept at all on pred without ambien.

Yep, Ambien is a prescription. There are some weird side-effects; sleepwalking, eating, driving, etc., with absolutely no memory.

Lunesta is another drug in that same class. Check the prices/copay as both are expensive.

There are alternative options in the class of benzodiazepines, e.g., clonazepam. Don't hesitate to do the research, have a preference, then have an informed discussion with your PCP or GI doc.

However you proceed to get good sleep - read the literature and know the intended effects and unintended side-effects, as well as any drug interactions, of both prescription and OTC supplements.

You may also want to search these UC threads: Adrenal Insufficiency, Prednisone Withdraw, Endocrinologist.

Have you discovered google scholar - a search engine with access to some of the medical literature? Also, the NIH Library of Medicine will let you search the medical literature, read abstracts (summaries), and access to many downloadable, full articles.

In my case, an endocrinologist initially guided my PCP, then took over the monitoring of adrenal function and directed the taper. The entire experience with prednisone was, by far, more disabling than the UC has ever been.

Good to know your UC is stable, sorry about the adrenals. But know that it is a fixable insufficiency and not adrenal failure.

Wishing you the best, Zoolander.
Ciao Denny Rae

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I will also be having a 8 am cortisol test done tomorrow, and when I saw the walk in doc he suggested I re-start the prednisone at 5mg per day for a week, then 2.5 for a week, then 2.5 every other day for a week.

To make sure this was the right thing to do I called my GI and he said not to do it but instead it could be an electrolyte or vitamin and mineral imbalance. So I just started taking those gummy one-a-days and a powerade or two and its made all the difference. Up to 6 hours of sleep a night almost completely all the way through to the morning without waking.

Cortisol test is tomorrow. Also had some blood work done and found my overall testosterone levels to be at the very bottom portion of normal. For a guy who works out 5 days a week(when healthy) and eats properly, this is weird. So TRT might be a step for me as well.

Zoolander