Medrol Pak Withdrawal Symptoms 3 Weeks Later?

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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Anyone have an idea on if this can still be withdrawal side effects?

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Hello, RacerD! How are you? Has there been any change? Congratulations on the baby!

It can take a few weeks for all of the side effects to go away, according to reports from the NIH. I have taken it before, too, and hated experiencing them, especially since some of them don't show until after you've already finished your course of treatment with it.

However, if they worsen, or don't go away, then you should consult your physician.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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Thanks for the reply. I'm hoping my issues over the last few weeks were related to the darn Medrol pak. I started to think I was suffering from postpartum anxiety and started Zoloft. That made me crazy and I stopped after 5 days. Then my OB gave me Ambien because I wasn't sleeping and I took it for 10 days and then stopped....probably triggering more withdrawal type symptoms. It's been an awful 6 weeks since taking the Medrol. :( I am finally starting to see a clearing and hope it keeps on going. I think it messed up my thyroid as well. Will never take this again.

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Hi!
I've had a couple of the same symptoms (clamy hands, heart racing, tight chest pains, jittery) that don't seem to go away! I've been off the Medrol pak (4mg for 6 days) for 4 days now and still no big improvements. I'm hoping my Saturday my side affects subside.

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It's an awful feeling. I'm still having issues and swear it's still because of the Medrol pack. I think it caused my other hormones to go wacky and they are trying to recover. It seems to come in waves now...a couple good days followed by a few bad. Hoping it's coming to an end. Let us know how you are doing in a few more days. I'm curious to see how long it lasts for others...hopefully not long.

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Its been a full week since I've been off the Medrol pak. Yesterday and today have been a lot better as far as chest tightness // pain and blood sugar levels (still not fully recovered though). I was taking the Medrol for allergies while I waited to get allergy tested and allergies aren't as bad today...so that may have something to do with it. I'm hoping in another week I'm fully clear of any side affects. How have you been doing RacerD?

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I'm still having issues and wondering if it's still a domino effect from the Medrol pak. Still heart pounding, jitters, anxiety, fatigue and off/on nausea. It sucks. I wonder if it's messed with my cortisol levels. How are you now?

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I've been off the dose pack for a full week now, and I'm still experiencing high bp, heart pounding, nausea and muscle weakness.
Have any of y'alls symptoms gotten any better? I keep thinking it's getting better, then by the next morning, it's all back.

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Unfortunately I'm still having issues and it's been 8 weeks. I don't know if it's from that or not but that is when my problems started...right after I finished it. I'm also 7 months postpartum and nursing so who knows but I wish I had never taken this Medrol pak in case it started some downward spiral. Hope you get to feeling better. Keep us updated.

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Today was a better day. I saw my Dr today. He gave me meds for the high bp, but scared to take it yet since it fluctuates so much, still. He also said i can take 25 mg benedryl to help with sleep. He wants me to come back on Monday week, for a blood test, to be sure nothing is screwed up. He wants to wait that long to be sure all side effects are gone. Prednisone is now listed on my chart as "don't give ". Now, I'm dealing with the killer migraines. I will post an update after the appt.
Good luck to you. It's tough having to deal with these side effects, but tougher when you have a sweet baby to take care of.

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Hi guys so I woke up one morning w a cracked tooth yet no one could tell me it was cracked so I suffered in pain for like 3 weeks I got an IM shot of medrol in my arm that started the anxiety the weird thing is that I've had it in my buttocks before with never a problem I started having just a little anxiety then in a few weeks I went back to the doctor still in pain asking for help she said medrol dose pack I started it and my life has been nuts! I feel totally crazy and out of my mind! My heart won't stop racing my blood glucose is high and the anxiety attacks are insane I'm not able to sleep but like 3-4 hours at a time and I'm just begging for answers it's like how to people live like this this has never happened to me before and I'm a runner. I work out 4-5x a week and these heart palpitations are killing me. I've always been able to control the anxiety but it's like I'm out of breath I wanna go to the hospital bc I'm so afriad. Anyways it was a broken tooth and just got it pulled. Waiting for these sxs of the medrol to go away. From the sounds of you guys they're not going away any time soon :( the craziest thing also is that I'm a pharmacist and to us these side effects are rare and now experiencing them I'm so upset I took this :( feel like a bunch of bugs in my head won't stop!

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How longs has it been since the Medrol pak? I still don't know if that's my problem but everything went down hill after the Medrol pak. I just started some Lexapro yesterday to help battle the anxiety as I didn't want to get hooked on Ativan. :(

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Stefani. I am now going on 11 past my last dose, and I am still dealing with insomnia. I'm lucky to get 1-2 hours max throughout the night, and the anxiety and pounding heart are awful. Dr said I could take benedryl, but it just got me wired instead. :(
When did you have your last dose?

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So literally Ativan is the only thing that has helped it didn't at first while I was still taking it but it seems to really be reversing some stuff for me it's only been 24 hrs since last two doses but I refused to take last pill so I took a nap w the addition of Ativan so idk yet but I didn't wake up w a racing heart beat. I'm hoping and praying to God it's coming out of my system and the Ativan worked.

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Most of my anxiety went away couple days after finishing the pack. I did go to the ER with, what I thought was a heart attack, but was instead a severe anxiety attack, on my fifth day of the pack. I didn't take the last two pills. I try to control the anxiety with breathing and relaxation techniques. Especially at night before bed. I really didn't want to take more medicine.
I also went natural to help with my sleep... eating foods that help produce melatonin before bed. Helps to get more sleep. Even if I still wake up several times, I can fall back asleep. Good luck, and hang in there.

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Today is 2 weeks off the pack. Had blood test yesterday... everything is normal. Yet, I am still dealing with morning nausea/weakness, and fast heart rate. Glad my bp is back to normal. I have an appointment with a cardiologist in the morning. Will update how that goes. On top of all this, I'm perimenopausal, but I was only dealing with hot flashes and minor dizziness. I wonder if the steroids made that even worse.
This really sucks!!

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So I went back to the doctor and they tried to give me Valium for the lack of sleep d/t the anxiety my heart rate had normalized and I had an ekg and everything was fine w my heart so it feels like I'm absolutely crazy. They told me to take Benedryl also which completely helped me sleep so much better but I still woke up several times then I took the Valium and I went to sleep and woke up in a panic super early not able to go back to bed with the Benedryl I was able to fall back asleep it's been about 4 days since I stopped the pack and I never took the last one. I'm going to try just the Benedryl tonight and see how that goes I really don't feel like myself still and it's so upsetting :( hoping there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

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Racer Deb, are you still struggling with insomnia? If not, how long till you were able to get some sleep? I think most of my lingering problems would get better if I could sleep. I refuse to use prescription sleep aids.

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Are you able to sleep now RacerD? It's been about 6 days off the pack and it's getting a little better but I've been using sleep aids :(

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I'm sleeping better now but I also had to start SSRI, Lexapro. I did Ambien for awhile shortly after the Medrol pak. I still think it caused some hormone imbalance for me and started a downward spiral. The anxiety and heart palps and insomnia are awful. It doesn't help that I have a 7 month old keeping me up. Lol. I know one thing...I won't do steroids ever again. I wonder if my adrenal is shot or something.

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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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I wrote on 8/18/17 about Medrol (the 6-day pack). I've been reading about Fed Up's experience with allergies. I wonder if my severe throat spasms are related to that. I had severe and strong breath intakes for a few long minutes.
Yesterday, I forgot to mention something that may be TMI and it was humiliating. Both times the spasms happened, they were so severe that I actually wet myself. There was no control and I'm glad I was home! This has never happened to me. These events took place while I took the Medrol and a short time after I stopped taking it. I've been going through every reply related to Medrol to see if it is related to these episodes.
There are always a myriad of side effects for each drug, and who's to know if there is one that is not listed. I've seen my primary and an ENT who didn't have much to say about it. I'm still afraid of repeat events.

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