Medrol (steroids) as Trigger?

Hi and thanks for reading,

I'm a 44 y/o Police Officer, male, healthy, all of my annual physical blood tests and diagnostics come back within norms. I have experienced intermittent anxiety my whole life. As I look back, I can now see that it had been escalating since 1990. It is expressing as migraines, lightheadedness, stomach pain, difficulty swollowing, a panic attack, etc. I was a caffeine junkie and would suck down 4-6 sodas a day (both fountain and canned).

This last May 2004 I was in the yard clearing out some weeds and got a bad case of poison ivy.I sought medical help and was prescribed a Medrol dosepak (4 mg for 6 days).

No problems with it. I finished the regimen on Monday, June 7. On Wednesday morning, I felt a little sick to my stomach and went to work. Later that evening I experienced a PROFOUND anxiety attack. I was terrified and unable to control my thoughts. I was trembling, scared and couldn't stand still. I was consumed with a desire to confess a 7-year-ago act of infidelity to my wife but didn't.

The anxiety didn't abate in the intervening days and my sleep degraded further. I confessed to my wife that Friday after work. Over the next couple of days I saw increasing improvement until the only thing that was left was a disoriented feeling in my head.

Two weeks later, on Monday, when I was at work the anxiety grew quickly until I couldn't stay there. I then saw my GP (6/29). He prescribed Paxil CR 12.5 mg. I saw minimal improvement with that and my sleep worsened. To combat that he gave me Ambien 10 mg.

On Tuesday, September 14th we finally gave up on the Paxil (couldn't go higher due to side effects) and switched to Effexor XR 37.5 mg. I have seen some small improvement with the Effexor (been on it for about a month now at 37.5) but I'm told I am still sub-therapeutic. My side effects are blurred vision, head pressure, lightheadedness/mild dizziness. I'm also still taking the Buspar and Deseryl.

I have been seeing a cognitive therapist and a psychiatrist to manage this. Am diagnosed with GAD and mild depression. I've obtained a self-help program to augment the therapy, am reading some self-help books and, most importantly, have moved closer to God.

Despite all this, I feel lost. I don't feel like I'm making any progress. I'm tempted to just get off all the meds and try some natural supplementation (5-HTP, Whey Protein, Omega-3, etc). I feel like I've painted myself into a corner by going on all these meds and wonder if someone hasn't missed something.

My questions:

1) Have you ever heard of a course of Medrol (or other short-term steroid therapy) being a trigger for this?

2) What about the Medrol caused me to "tip over" like this? What did it affect in my brain?

3) given the nature of the Medrol trigger, do you think that drugs and cognitive therapy will eventually get me back to my pre-Medrol condition - free of meds?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for any response.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You should think about your assumption here which may not be correct. The medrol may not be the culprit, especially since the confession became such a big issue. You are probably look at more like a midlife transition, where being honest, and closer to god, and the softer parts of you, are coming out. That in itself can be causing the anxiety, along with the mortality fears that come with it when you abandon the "strong" man, invulnerable man, shell.   Work with your psychiatrist and cognitive therapist on these issues, and yes, try getting off of some of these medications so you can think straight when you can, but don't try the self medication route.  Rely on your intelligent mind rather than on drugs.

[azbull]

Hang in there. Looks like we will not hear back till Monday.

[openup]

I'd like to share a recent experience in which I believe the Medrol Dose Pack I had been prescribed contributed significantly to an instance of high emotional content.  Pre knee surgery this September, my doctor prescribed a one week regime of Medrol Dose Pack to ensure a chronic knee pain I was having could not be treated by non invasive means. Coincidently during that same week my girl friend, whom I really say potential with, started pulling away with out complete explanation catching me quit off guard. The reason I mention this is that this event set me up emotionally for what was to follow with the Medrol Dose Pack. About 3 days after the last dose of Medrol the situation with my girlfriend came to head and it was certain we would break up.  Since we had a rather long break in talking with one another I had lots of time to think and ponder where things were going. Anyway in an effort to set things straight I prepared an e-mail letter the content of which was a complete over reaction and heavily weighted to the "glass gone dry" perspective. When she read the letter she was really set back and confused on my change of heart , I mean really confused and "scared" in her terms. During the last few days of Medrol treatment and for about a week to 10 days after the last dose, I felt like a nervous and emotional wreck, where everything felt out of proportion.  
I have always had a slight grey cloud around me anyway and the combination of emotional stress and the Medrol Dose Pack, I'm convinced, pushed me into a zone I had never been before and was quite concerned with how it all affected me.  In fact the same week  I went to my GP describing how I felt and we have tried 3 different antidepressants to clear up this sudden onset of significant grief. It is clearing but I feel the steroid provided the final push.

In an effort to determine if anything I was taking could have contributed to my overreaction and sadness, I did some web searching looking for negative side effects of the various things I'd recently taken. Since I take a lot of supplements to help with general health and fitness performance I felt maybe one or a combination of these was the culprit.  I didn't even think of the Medrol as a contributing factor because I had taken it  2-3 times previously with incident. I also take a prescription testosterone supplement. Common for 50 year olds and older.

Boy was I surprised. I could not find any incriminating info on the supplements I was taking but I did find a number or information sources on Medrol indicating that in infrequent to rare instances Medrol can have significant emotional side effects. I've included some excepts from these sites at the bottom of this message along with the web addresses where I remembered to copy them.

Any significant emotional issue, e.g., infidelity death, guilt, I feel could easily set one up emotionally for the final push. As the info indicates Medrol can provide the push. Remember, rare does not mean impossible. It happens enough or they wouldn't mention it.  Hope this info is useful.


Don't discount the advise for counseling or therapy. It can be the most expedient way to resolve emotional issues and may be the only way, in my unqualified opinion.


=================================================
Medrol (Methylprednisolone)
Manufacturer:
Pfizer
  Side Effects:
SIDE EFFECTS, that may go away during treatment, include difficulty sleeping, mood changes, nervousness, increased appetite, or indigestion

[Strac]

thanks for the info openup.
I appercaiet you taking the time to gather and share it.

David

[pajamamonkey]

Hi I am writing to tell you about my experiences with steriods all together...i have lupus and fibromyalgia.  i used steriods, for five years, low doses, and then sometimes higher doses to get me through a tough time.  such as, work, or company, or the holidays, or having to go shopping for the holidays etc.  i think steriods are great if used properly for everyone to take.  i personally feel that the dose packs are too radical of a dose. they start at 60 milligrams, this is alot for a body to take. no one in their right mind does well on these high doses.  i was on five milligrams for several years.  the problem is, it takes bone away from you,,,it decreases your bone density..it is a great drug but it messes up alot of things in your system including your eyes.  with all that said, my doc just gave me a dose pack for the first time in two years.  it said to take 60 milligrams the first day...i am doing 20 milligrams because i do not want to have that manic feeling...i do the craziest did the craziest things on the higher doses ...i painted the carpet in the living room several years ago,,i painted my front porch steps, and door with all these flowers, and the back board of the basket ball unit...my kids called it roid rages...i hate to admit it,,but i love the way i feel on 10 milligrams..but no one should use these doses for long..it is a bitter sweet drug...i never gain weight on them,,and i do not know why.  thanks for listening.  jane

[Athens]

Interesting reading about the medrol.  My wife was having some problems with her ears and sinus and the doctor prescribed a medrol dose pack (standard five-day version) to reduce possible inflammation.  It has been three weeks since she finished the Medrol dose pack and many parts of her body are hurting her. She says she is experiencing