My Four-Year PMR & Prednisone Challenge

I would be the last person expected to befall a rheumatoid autoimmune dis-ease. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 30 years. I’ve always felt very fit, strong and flexible and I’ve been dedicated to wellbeing throughout my adult life. October 2004 my body stopped cooperating in any familiar way. The condition was labeled PMR (Many muscle pains) yeah?? I was prescribed 10mgs of Prednisone to be taken daily, with no information for or against the steroid, except to say that “we’ll” get you off it as soon as possible. As if the pain and suffering of PMR wasn’t enough, the excruciating withdrawal pain and suffering that came with trying to get off Prednisone had the doctors upping the initial doses with each attempt I made to taper off it! The prescription was increased from 10mgs to 15mgs then 20mgs. Fearing 30mgs was around the corner, and with no guidance or information regarding the dangers of long term Prednisone, I began what would be my first of 3 attempts over 4 years to taper myself off; always with my doctors’ approval. I came to experience PMR as an important and strict Teacher who arrived at my door to teach me tolerance and to embrace acceptance, of all that is as is. PMR and Prednisone withdrawal therefore was tolerated, embraced and experienced as a great opportunity for my personal and spiritual transformation. The PMR balanced out after about a year, supported by homeopathy and yoga practices. My yoga practices helped me understand the counter intuitive healing purpose of the presence of the auto-immune disease in my life. Still, even as the PMR balanced out in my body, I was left to deal with debilitating withdrawal pains associated with tapering off Prednisone, for another 3 years! Along the way I was referred to a renowned Boston Rheumatologist, who along with my M.D. Homeopath, gave me the guidance and support I depended on as I continued on my long and challenging road off Prednisone. While experiencing the pain and suffering of Prednisone withdrawal symptoms and researching the condition on-line, I ultimately devised my own successful withdrawal program. I started my final taper off Prednisone back up at 10mgs from an excruciating, and I mean excruciating time tapered to 5mgs. I began to reduce the Prednisone first by 1mg each time, eventually tapering by 1/2mg each time in order to keep the withdrawal pains tolerable. Ha! Tapering off Prednisone from 10mgs to 9mgs the third and final time felt easy enough and I naively felt confident that I could sail through to zero Prednisone without withdrawal pain, since at this point the PMR felt healed, and at this point I had a normal SED rate, albeit unbeknownst to me that would prove temporary. My Rheumatologist and Homeopath had both warned me that pain is to be expected when withdrawing from Prednisone, and that as I reach the lower doses of the steroid to taper even more slowly, taking perhaps months between drops in doses. My Homeopath provided me with remedies, herbs and wise counsel to assist me with the withdrawal symptoms and to support my adrenals and blood pressure disturbances. As I tapered to lower and lower doses of Prednisone, the withdrawal symptoms proved as discouraging as I initially dreaded, and each taper reminded me to be mindful that Prednisone withdrawal requires a very positive attitude and very strong spirit. When I first reduced even the little amount of 1/2mg, I entered a zone where I felt I had to “soldier” my way through symptoms of stiffness, soreness and pain that mimicked the symptoms of PMR, and I felt discouraged at some point during every taper stage. Sometimes the Prednisone withdrawal symptoms overrode my trust that this too shall pass, and I succumbed to depressed energy and fear based anxiety for days, and even weeks sometimes. At around 2mgs I began to doubt I could ever get off Prednisone, my SED rate soared as I hit a wall of drastic symptoms eerily similar to PMR. I feared I had relapsed! As the withdrawal symptoms relaxed, and they eventually always did, I tapered by 1/4mg each time. A year later when I’d finally tapered to 1mg, I felt stuck again. I had a very high SED rate, stiffness and soreness, but miraculously no pain. Ultimately I knew I would succeed, because I stood firmly in my intention to be Prednisone free and symptom free; although by now my focus had shifted to perhaps “later rather than sooner”! After 1 year of PMR symptoms and another 3 years of Prednisone withdrawal symptoms! I added Chiropractic care to my health support team. The spinal adjustments added a profound support to my ability to balance and withstand the effects of Prednisone on my body’s systems. I replaced food agents that increase inflammation in the body with inflammation reducing foods. They are plentiful and not much different than my regular diet with the exception of NO BLACK TEA AND NO COFFEE for me… I still cheat on those… and I always pay for it. I am certain that my experience would have felt far more difficult, perhaps impossible to bear, if I weren’t practicing yoga throughout, because eventually, even in the midst of “relapses” with a SED rate of 57 and later on into 2008 back up to my highest point of 72+!!!, I was not feeling inflammation pain. I think I was able to mentally and emotionally step back from the pain and be more of an observer of it, rather than a victim of it. I think it’s a direct result of my yoga practices.