Endocrinologist-adrenal insufficiency?

Has anyone seen an endocrinologist during or after tapering from Prednisone. Has anyone had adrenal insufficiency or trouble with adrenal glands after long-term prednisone use? What symptoms did you have and what was the course of treatment?

I just had a test for the adrenals and testosterone and a few other things done to check for fatigue and of course was told "You are perfect." Didn't have to see specialist. I just told my GP what I wanted done.

this is happening to me right now, very lethargic. but I am suspecting some thyroid problems for me , I guess I need to get an endo soon.

Here is copy & paste of previous postings about my experience with tapering off prednisone and a 2+ year recovery from Adrenal Insufficiency.
Hope it helps. Wish you the best.

Posted 9/16/2011 2:41 AM (GMT -8)
My use of prednisone began mid-Nov 2007. The dose was rapidly increased from 20 mg up to 40 mg pred daily and stayed at that dose through March 2008. So I was on 40 mg pred for four months.

The first attempt to taper off was way too fast. As soon as I was completely off pred the symptoms of UC came roaring back. Abruptly, I was having severe migraines, nausea, bone pain, fatigue, weakness and lethargy. GI doc attributed these symptoms to the immuran I'd started at the time of beginning the pred taper. After two months in bed - my PCP listened to the explanation in the IBD book that I'd brought in. He called an endocrinologist who agreed with my suspicion - and guided the snail-paced taper described in my previous post.
Ciao, Denny Rae

Posted 9/14/2011 4:47 AM (GMT -8)
Prescribers fail to explain the risk of developing Adrenal Insufficiency as a result of having taken corticosteroids, e.g., prednisone.

Migraine headaches, bone pain, and extreme lethargy were the physical symptoms that had me down for two years. Chronic depression was also exacerbated.

The disabling symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are not due to "withdrawal" from prednisone. Rather, it is the failure (insufficiency) of the adrenal glands to produce the all-essential cortisol. Prednisone is far more potent than it's natural analogue, cortisol. Symptoms of insufficiency can emerge during and after tapering off prednisone, and vary in severity.

Taking prednisone overrides your natural production of cortisol. Developing adrenal insufficiency is more likely after taking high doses (~40 mg) for long periods (~several weeks). A rapid taper off of prednisone (of dose and schedule) hastens the emergence and severity of the symptoms.

In my case it took two months in bed to figure it out by re-reading the chapter on medications in an IBD specialist's book. I took the book to my PCP who promptly stepped out to call an endocrinologist. I was put back on a dose of prednisone just above where I first developed symptoms of insufficiency (~15 mg). The taper was unbelievably slow (reduction by 1-1.5 mg every 1-3 months). Symptoms re-emerged at 5 milligrams. So the dose was bumped up again; resetting the taper at smaller dose reductions over longer periods. At 1-2 milligrams of prednisone, I was switched to cortisone and continued the slow taper. Every three months I underwent adrenal challenge tests* to evaluate adrenal functioning and determine if & how much to taper.

*Adrenal challenge testing included; baseline blood draw, injection of cortisol stimulating hormone, followed by two more timed blood draws to measure cortisol and ACTH response.

In total it took two years and three taper attempts to get off steroids and restore adequate adrenal function. It then took another 6 months and two attempts to taper off of opiates that were controlling the bone pain and frequent migraines.

I have vowed to never take any steroid unless it given down an ET tube as a life saving measure.

Hope this information helps.
Ciao

not sure if this helps but I started rapidly gaining weight and having panic attacks with no reason to be found (which is pretty hard to do when you rarely eat and spend all day in the bathroom) my dr explained to me that besides the prednisone (which I am not currently taking) people with ibd can screw up their hormone levels greatly similar to the damage done to persons with eating disorders. I am having a hard time remembering all of what he said but here are the bits and pieces, our bodies start storing fat since we are constantly malnourished, this stresses out the thyroid and adrenal glands and overworks the pancreas, try and eat no matter what blah blah blah here is an article that is basically what he said to me http://drhedberg.com/2011/02/24/the-thyroid-adrenal-pancreas-axis/
I hope all goes well at your endo appointment get well!

If you've been on Pred since January, it's a good idea to get CBC done because you could be low on anything from calcium to potassium, etc. The body aches could be from vit/mineral deficiency or Pred taper or the flare or who knows? (I add "who knows?" because sometimes an exact cause cannot be pinpointed, but we eventually get rid of the aches after nearly abandoning all hope.) How is your colon behaving? Can you sleep thru the night? I'm not surprised that getting dinner for your family is fatiguing; sometimes when flaring I have put a chair beside the stove to sit & watch if food needed stirring. We can sink to a pathetic level with household chores! / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)