Possible hormone deficiency?

Background: I am a 44-year-old woman who is overweight, depressed constantly, sluggish all the time, and I have insomnia. Recently I had a bad case of bronchitis and bronchospasm, and I took a short tapering course of prednsione, starting at 40 mg for 3 days. By the second day my energy levels were going through the roof. I woke up refreshed, ready to tackle the day, I got lots of projects done, I felt truly good for the first time in memory. My appetite stabilized (no sugar cravings) and I lost 5 pounds that week. By the time I had tapered down to 10 mg of prednisone (on day 6), I was returning to my normal sluggish baseline, and by the time I was off of it, I didn't feel like doing much of anything. What might I be deficient in to produce these results, and is there anything I can take long term to get that wonderful feeling back?

[enzymelover]

It sounds like you have adrenal fatigue, and hydrocortisone tablets can be taken long term at low doses (10 - 20mgs daily, double this during fevers or injuries).
Natural remedies such as licorice, vitamin B5, etc. will help support the adrenal glands, but I would recommend getting tests done through an endocrinologist and an experienced nutritionist to discover your specific deficiencies.