Cortisol levels, anti-anxiety meds, prednisone, adrenals, etc.

I've been doing a lot thinking lately on why prednisone effects me in the opposite way it effects everyone else. In most people, they get better at high levels of prednisone, then symptoms return as then wean off. For me, prednisone makes me WORSE at high levels (50mg) and once I get below 20mg or so, things start to improve. At first my doctors and I assumed some sort of infection was present, but so far I've tested negative. I'm getting more tests done but in the meantime I'm wondering if it actually has something to do with cortisol levels. I've always been an anxious person, worrier, stress about everything etc. I wonder if my adrenal glands make too much cortisol (stress hormone) and the reason why I start to improve when I taper, is because my adrenals are no longer working properly, which in my case, is actually a good thing? I've noticed a few people mention anti-anxiety meds have helped their uc, and I wonder if that could maybe help mine? If anyone who reads this is one of those people who take anti-anxiety meds for uc, did prednisone effect you the same way it effects me? Or if anyone can come up with any other idea why someone would get worse on prednisone and better on the taper, please share, I'm at a total loss here!

Thanks ncot. We tested out the slow responding theory this time around by keeping me at 50mg for two weeks. When I started the prednisone I only went 1-2 solid bm's with blood. The longer I was on prednisone the worse I got until I was at 5-10 loose stools lots of blood. A few days
On the third day at 15mg I finally start to come out of my flare, now going 3-4 loose with minimal blood. Going to drop to 10mg today and if history repeats itself I will get better each time I taper. It makes NO sense. This is part of a thread I made a year ago, my first time on prednisone, when the same thing happened and I thought it could be parasites:

"So two weeks ago today I started prednisone. Right away it started making me much worse, the bleeding was the worse it has ever been and I felt pain I have never had before. I gave it a week while it got worse daily before my doctor told me I must have an infection and to wean off of it. I have been weaning off (went from 45 to 20 mg last Saturday, then 10 on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday, 7.5 Wednesday/Thursday, 5mg Friday/today, and probably drop to 2.5 tomorrow. Last Saturday I went to my local health food store and asked for a parasite cleanse and she gave me black walnut and clove. I started it that day, the same day I started tapering prednisone. By Wednesday my bleeding stopped, and my symptoms have been progressively better since. I am shocked and amazed and a little hesitant to use the R word, but could this have been all I needed to get into remission? Has anyone else had success with a parasite cleanse? I have to wonder if it is some sort of delayed response to the prednisone, although it made my uc so bad and every time I taper I get better. It just seems too easy after two years of trying EVERYTHING! Anyway, feeling hopeful... :)"

This time around I am not doing any sort of parasite cleanse, so it's not that. Im just so confused?? My doc has no idea what's going on either. I need a doctor House!

you may have some sort of reaction, but the adrenals theory you outlined is not it. at any dose over 5mg, you adreanals are not going to produce cortisol.