Prednisone withdrawal blues/symptoms

I need support, mostly moral but also practical.

Down to 2.5mg prednisone now and really feeling it. Depression, anxious, tired, everything feels impossible. I'm having increased BMs, but not blood. Sleep is kind of terrible too... been getting up in the night to have a BM and it's annoying. Colon feels sore and irritated. Might need to change my diet.

I've been on prednisone since September 2019 and that's partly why this is so difficult. I've been in touch with my doctor and all she can really recommend is lower at a slower rate... maybe go back up to 5mg, and then go down by 1mg at a time. I wouldn't say I'm having an adrenal crisis but I feel pretty awful. Also, it's super hot where I am right now weather wise and we have no AC, so that makes things doubly exhausting.

Still... I feel that warm, kind of raw feeling in my left colon and it's not only annoying me it's worrying me. Been having oats for breakfast and yesterday I had beans, so it could all just be a fiber reaction. "Could be".

I told my doctor that I have been super depressed since really getting low on this pred taper, to the point of feeling suicidal. Like, what's the point of living long-term with UC? I've failed all meds, I don't want a colectomy. So the only alternative is to die, I guess.

My friends remind me of the progress I've made but I'm feeling hopeless. My body is broken and I can't help but compare myself to all the normal people around me.

I don't know what to do to feel better anymore.

I had a tough time the last time I tapered off of prednisone. I think it was at less than 5mg doses also. But chronic/interrupted sleep will cause problems like this also. It sure did for me. Maybe something to help you sleep through the night would help.

UC + pred = the sh!ts !

sorry you are having more than any of us should ever have to deal with :-(

how long have you been on pred ? how do you do at 5mg's ?

eating beans ??? yikes ! ya, don't do that again any time soon -

hang in there -

I recommend you taking an antidepressant. After 3 months reevaluate your situation. You will discover new options how to solve problems.

iPoop said...
Sorry you're struggling so. I'd equate the emotion struggling to mostly the pred.

Why don't you want a colorectal surgery if you've failed all of the meds? We have a number of posters who have undergone it and are doing great.

There was someone on here who is hemophiliac which makes surgery more difficult...it might have been van jordan? I'm sure he will speak for himself though