Prednisolone - 2 Dosages Of 25Mg Yesterday And Heart Rate Extreme, No Sleep

[blueskies]

Hi

I had to go to the dentist yesterday for a filling withlocal anaesthesia (no epinephrine). I have started to have a bad reaction to local injections so my allergist came up with a protocol for for the reaction. It doesnt seem to be a true allergy to locals ( yet), it just causes a bad burning red skin reaction that can last for 4 to 5 days over most of my body - called Erythromelalgia.

I took 25mgs of prednisone at 9am as well as zyrtec and zantac an hour later ( the zyrtec and zantac only ever make my constipation worse- otherwise they can help to keep some of my other allergies under control). I had the dental proceedure at 11.30 am and although so far i have some redness snd overheated feeling my reaction wasnt too bad. I had done some research that indicated the topical anaesthesia that they give you could be the most likely problem). At arouund 8.30 pm I took another 25mgs prednisolone and within a couple of hours my heart was beating extremely fast and I was jittery and sleeples. At 1am I took 0.5mg xanax but it didnt help. By 6.30 am this morning I was a mess, rapid heart been and constant trembling and feeling so sick. And no sleep - I normally struggle to sleep anyway but this was harder. I took 1mg xanax and within half an hour the tachy subsided quite a lot. I took a zytec and zantac at 8am. I have decided not to take any more prednisolone. I have followed this protocol before for the dentist, plus I have had to use large dosages of prednisone over a 5 day period along with zyrtec and zantac for anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions in the past.

I never do well on this drug, tach, anxiety, jitters but last night was something I never want to endure again, unless I am definately having severe allergic reaction.

I'm just wondering if anyone else with POTS has had a scarey reaction to prednislone?. I have always felt it was not a drug I ever willingly wanted to take but the 10 hours I spent with my heart beating as fast as it ever has, and doing so consistently for 10 hours, was was the straw that broke this zebra's back.

I,m thinking the worst is passed and hopefully when the xanax wears off I wont see a jump in heart rate. It still is uncomfortable snd there is no way I could successfully get to skeep even though I'm exhausted, as I still feel a bit wired, jittery etc.

I have had a lot of emotional stuff going on - my son is seriously deprssed and last night he was not doing well but although he has moved home to be with us until he feels better, he does like a failure. Which, of course, he is not. He has psychiatric help but he is really struggling snd I do have increased anxiety about that, which probably contributed to how I was feeling. (The idea that having 'real troubles' would cure me ( which is something one 'friend' said to me has surely been laid to rest).

I have long dwealt with excess adrenalin surges too and understand it to be part of pots, and erythromelagia, and allergies and adverse reactions to chemicals in many drugs and foods.

Sorry for all the mistakes but I am using a tablet, not a laptop, and I'm not very good at it. Every time I try to correct a mistake I make 2 more instead.

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[Friedbrain]

I when I was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency many years ago, the Endo told me to take my cortef 2x/day. Since I was already taking medicine 2x/day, I threw my cortef I with the other pills-at breakfast and at bedtime. I did this for almost ten years. There were times-in hindsite, during high stress, when I would wake up in the middle of the night with tachy and then the autonomic fallout from the adrenaline (shakes etc). I too was prescribed Xanax to help in these situations. Only when I stopped taking my evening cortef-and no longer had these severe tachy bouts, did I learn that i wasn't supposed to be raking my steroid so late at night! It's "activating". With my newly started prednisone, I take it at 6pm with dinner.

Sorry you had to go through that. I know how awful it is. Ther were a few times where I literally ran in place (in the family room, to not bother the dh) because I felt I had to keep moving or my head would blow up. And then the subsequent crashes the next day from exhaustion yeah, don't take that stuff at bedtime!

[DottyB53]

Hi Blue, Boy can I relate to your comments about prednisone. I have an autoimune skin disorder along with long time POTS. Have been on low dose prednisone over a year, its' horrible. Makes me crazy, can't sleep, mood changes. The doctors seem baffled but I am certain its because of the autonomic problems. I have found that walking thru the grocery store since prednisone will cause a massive shift in heartrate more than normal. I HATE this drug and can totally relate! Hang in there!

Dotty

[blueskies]

Thanks Dotty and Friedbain,

it is reassuring to know that others have problems with prednisone. My POTS can make me feel like I'm dealing with excess adrenalin -I have mast cell over activion and some more severe allergies and I often feel like I have taken prednisone when I haven't. Actually taking the stuff has magnified this feeling/reaction - although it does help with the inflammation but not enough to take it unless I have a true allergic reaction e.g anaphylaxis or anaphylactoid reactions.

Thank you

Blue

[potsticker63]

From an autoimmune basis, Theres a lot of reason to suspect that prednisone would help treat pots if taken long term.....