Coming Off Of Steroids!

Steroids sure do help but when you are coming off steroids it sure is horrible. Don't get me wrong steroids do really help me. I was up to taking 4 steroids for 4 days, 3 steroids for 4 days, 2 steroids for 4 days and then 1 for 4 days. When I went down to taking 1 for 4 days. That's when I experienced the pain and the horribleness of coming off the steroids.

From February 28, 2011 to February 2, 2011 it was not a good two days for me. I experienced everything under the sun and more. I want to go to the ER because I was in so much pain and I felt out of it and felt like crap. I needed some kind of pain meds but what did I do when no one would take me to the ER, I tuffed it out and rested pretty much all day. The next day I called my doctor and explained to the nurse what was going on and then waited for the nurse to call me back. I got through it but it was hard to because of the symptoms I was having with coming off the steroids. (If I didn't have God in my life and to trust him through this all I don't know what I would of done).

I took one steroid on February 28 and the amount of pain I was in was not even bearable to go through. So instead of calling my doctor I called the pharmacy to see if I can take a tramadol which is also a really good pain killer to. I explained to them that I was on steroids and what not and told them the whole story. The pharmacy guy is like you can take it you will be okay. But what he didn't tell me is the side effects. If I would of known the side effects I seriously wouldn't have taken the tramadol.
Note: I got tramadol from a previous doctor who gave it to me to take.

Coming off the steroids is not a pretty sight its actually horrible. Here's some of the side effects I  experienced.
I experienced 24+ hours of nausea, that side effect was horrible. The kind of nausea I had was it was the feeling of being nausea's but not throwing up type. I could still eat but it did make it worse. The good part is whenever I layed down I felt better.

I went from getting really freezing cold to really warm back and forth. That part sucked to. When I got freezing it was hard to warm up. I put a million blankets on me and took a shower and still couldn't get warm.
Kinda Scary if you asked me?

My right hand on top got really numb and puffed up which scared me alot. My hand is okay now. I have gotten very dry skin and my hands are starting to peel. My right hand is starting to look better now. I had a really bad headache/migraine that lasted over 24+ hours. It was horrible. This lasted February 28, 2011 to March 1st, 2011.

I didn't take the last steroid because I felt like crap still and the day was more than half way over and when I take steroids I have tons of energy so I said if I am still in pain I will take it today.

Believe it or not, I woke up this morning and I was not in pain I felt pain but it was manageable pain. I was like is this really happening. I didn't take the last steroid at all. I will when I am in alot of pain.

Well. After I stopped the steroids I am suppose to go on the Methotrexrate for 2 months and have two blood tests within the two months which I hate needles but you gotta do what you gotta do. I don't know about starting the new meds because I did some research I don't know if I should really be taking the new medicine. I gonna research it more. Possibly call my doctor and ask he can prescribe me something else. I'm also going to call my local pharmacy and see what they have to say about it. I'm gonna wait a few day before taking the methotrexrate. I recall the doctor saying the the steroids and completely taking my inflammation away and I feel no pain and I will still have it.  Its been 24 hours since I tooken a the steroid's and I feel great, gonna see what happens in a few days on weather I should take the new meds or not. I will blog about the methotrexrate in my next blog and tell you my thoughts about it.
See ya,
Rachel