Medrol Pak Withdrawal Symptoms 3 Weeks Later? (Page 5)

Hello. I was prescribed a Medrol pak (6 days 4mg) for a sinus infection. I felt great while taking it. Finished up on 8/12. Couple days later started getting awful hot flashes Few days later jittery in the mornings and loads of anxiety. Then started having trouble sleeping...tossed and turned all night with waves of hot flashes. I'm 6 months postpartum and nursing a baby. Do you think these symptoms are withdrawal from the Medrol? It's right at 3 weeks now. I've had sweaty hands, jitters, racing heart. When will it end? What will help it?

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Isabella, I am still dealing with some effects, but I put myself at about 98% recovered, almost 11 months after my last pill. Dr's have never actually determined what happened, but they believe that the pack messed with my hormones in a very drastic way. Visits with every dr, including endocrinologist and ob, determined I am now in full menopause... I had pre-meno symptoms for only 6 months or so before! (I am now on HRT, after having very lite pre-menopausal symptoms to going on full blown symptoms within 1 month). Due to these sudden and severe hormonal changes that can occur, it could be possible that the spasms are hormone related. Maybe you should have these checked, including fsh and thyroid function. (Thankfully my thyroid is normal) I have even been referred to the Mayo Clinic!! I didn't take any meds to deal with the side effects of the pack, only the hrt.
Luckily, for me, most of my reactions/issues have resolved on their own, possibly with the help of hrt... and with lots of prayers. Frustrating part is, that there was never any formal 'diagnosis'.
Good luck with those spasms. Having gone through what I have, with all the fear and anxiety, I understand your worries! I will be sending up prayers.

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To Fed Up: Thank you for your reply and your prayers. You've certainly been through the mill and I'm glad to hear that the symptoms are passing. Yesterday, I had another episode, a shorter one than the other two. It seems that they are getting shorter in duration, I hope it means they're close to ending. Those spasms could mean the end of any social life for me. I fear having those spasms in a restaurant or at someone's home! I don't have a thyroid because doctors denied the lump in my throat for 20 years. By the time I was 42, it was too late to save it. I know my doctor will deny that the spasms have anything to do with Medrol. I've also seen an ENT, he didn't say much about it. I'm seeing an endocrinologist, maybe he'll be able to detect what is going on. I hope you continue to improve, as there are dozens of side effects for each drug we take. It's scary. As I get older, I'm sensitive to more things, which is something else we have to watch for.

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All the doctors said that there was no way the prednisone could have been the cause of all I've been through... all except for my internist; Although she thought I was having anxiety issues. My OB did tell me, that it's not unheard of that the pred can cause sudden menopause, due to hormonal changes that prednisone can cause. I'm 54, but I was still having regular periods before the pack, and now I'm in full meno. I hope you find some answers, and that your spasms resolve themselves on their own. If you are like me, I have become very apprehensive of any meds prescribed now...

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Fed Up: I had another episode 2 days ago. It was just as horrible as the other two, but of much shorter duration and I didn't urinate on myself. The 3 attacks seem to have been shorter each time, so you may be right about allergies. The Medrol could have made a pre-existing condition worse, or created a new one. I only wish I had lost 25 pounds too! My doctor will deny all of this, but she has no first hand experience with these drugs except what she was told by the drug companies, as with all physicians.

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Re: RacerD (# 3)

If these symptoms continue, you might want to investigate whether you've become hyperthyroid which can happen post delivery. You mentioned this but seemed to think it would be linked to taking the Medrol dose pack. However, this may not be related to taking that drug but instead be a separate condition. My daughter has a lovely young baby daughter and experienced the symptoms you've described - even though she hadn't had any meds at all. Turns out she has Graves Disease, which is a particular condition that has the effect of turning up the thyroid into overdrive. Hers came on further from delivery than yours, but her research did turn up the possibility that women can develop a hyperthyroid condition after delivery. She's a science librarian at a university and very good at researching in Pub Med so she was able to take a thorough look. Just something to consider and discuss with your doctor. There are blood evaluations that can determine the level of a number of thyroid related hormones, and it sounds like you would want to check that out. If it is hyperthyroidism, there is treatment. And if you can manage with treatment, the condition can go into remission, so it's well worth checking out with the blood work.

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I took Medrol a few months ago and experienced extremely strong throat spasms on three occasions. They seem to have stopped now, I hope. As I suspected, as we all did, four medical people and doctors have denied that the Medrol caused the spasms. As bizarre as they were, they just happened to occur just when I took the Medrol! I hope we are all on the mend.

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yes you can still be withdrawing. I have the same symptoms for several weeks after a course I have asthma.

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Sorry, Racer D, to have raised something you had apparently already been evaluated for. I'm new to the forum and didn't realize that I hadn't seen many of your messages. An endocrinologist would have done a full work up on your thyroid hormones, so my reply really was a miss. I wish you the best in your efforts to get things back in sync for you. It's encouraging to hear that you're doing better. It takes a lot of strength to face all the issues you've dealt with.

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Hello my name is Sue and I'm having severe side effects of the medrol dose pak. I have polymyalgia rheumatica. (PMR). It gives me severe pain in my muscles. Like they are on fire. 7 months ago I had sudden vision changes and severe headaches. Went to the ER and to make a long story short left a week later with a shunt after brain surgery. All went well and the Drs never could figure out why I had severe intracranial pressure...... I'm to start day 4 of the dose pak and guess what!!!! I'm having the same s&s of the intracranial pressure! Severe headache my eyes feel like there bugging out of my head, can't sleep, heart palp. and severe anxiety.... GOD CAN I PLEASE CATCH A BREAK HERE!!!! Just started feeling better from the surgery then this has to happen! I looked up to see if the prednisone can cause the Intracrainial hypertension and it said YES!! Good god why was I ever given this stuff??? I'm waiting to call my Dr. When the office opens. I'm scared to death! My head is killing me!! It has helped immensely with the PMR. I was feeling so good and happy to be pain free for 3 days UNTILL last night when all hell started! I think I had a course of this stuff 7 months ago when my brain began to swell.... could the two be related??? I can't think straight right now to figure it out but I think I should call my neurosurgeon to tell him I might need him to open my shunt more cause I think I'm making to much spinal fluid again from the steroids and my head is going to explode! They should outlaw this stuff or at least make sure you have no contraindications to taking it!! I'm not taking another pill till I talk to both Drs.... wish me luck that I don't end up in the hospital... I'm so scared and the hubby is on a trip out of town so I'm all alone! Thanks for letting me rant and I'm putting my tablet down and turning off the lights... pray for sleep!

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