Does anyone feel sort of light headed and off balance. It's not all the time,I am on 10 mg of pred it controls the symptoms very well ,however the pred tends to make me feel axious anyone else experience this?
Hello carol, although I do not suffer from either side effect, both are side effects of preds and will reduce as the pred dose reduces. Regards, christina
It isn't uncommon no - but do get your GP to check blood pressure and for anaemia too.
And yes, lots of people feel anxious on pred - it does improve as the dose goes down.
Yep....I feel lightheaded and off balance sometimes. Part of that is
that my legs feel heavy and I kind of stagger when I walk. I tried to
point that out to doc but his comment was that people my age (78)
have balance issues. I'm seeing him on Tuesday and not sure what
is causing what problem.....I had a terrible attack of sciatica the
first of the year and wonder if that is some of the problem as I still
can feel a burning in that sciatic nerve. But who knows? It could
be the PMR also, but sed rate came back a 20 last week.
The only time I felt anxious was when I was first diagnosed and put
on 20mg....There was one benefit to it though....I lost weight instead
of the dreaded weight gain. Doc said I was "wired" but that went
away....
Yes, I do feel lightheaded quite often. Mostly when I'm out. Nearly fell into a freezer at the supermarket the other day!
First thing in the morning, but once I get out for my walk it generally improves. I have been trying Tai Chi and/or Qigong and this can help with balance as well.
This is something we are trying to get through to the reseach bods - the lack of blance is a fairly constant complaint. So is the feeling you are telling your limbs to do something and they won't - many of us used the word "weakness" and that met with protests from the medics that there is no evidence of muscle weakness.
Today it occurred to me that maybe the descriptor to use is "a feeling of impotence" - as I fought to get a single duvet into its cover! I couldn't get the idea together as to which bit was to go where - despite my normal abilities with spatial awareness and really not being in the throes of PMR any more.
I hate changing the bedding - neer mind how much I know I will enjoy the "clean bed" feeling tonight!
yes! it can be either my prednisone, my gabapentin, or both. I blame the pred because I wouldn't be on gaba if it weren't for the pred 
. my body is a fine chemistry set and the pred just knocked it all off balance. some days I feel a bit wobbly and spacy, others not. I never quite know until I wake up.
Brings a whole new meaning to the idea of "chill"... 
I too have lost weight
I carry a cane hate to, but it reassures my balance it really is more of a security blanket
It's not all the time I think partly my fear of falling
Lisa this is so true! you never know.Some days good others not.
My blood pressure is 120 over 80 always good.Thank God that's one thing not wrong.I do suffer from anxiety so I think the pred makes it worse.
I have lost weight also --- 5 pounds since on 20 mg of Prednisone. I like that part --- no complaints --- now trying to follow "dead slow and nearly stop".....
How about Nordic Poles to hang on to for balance. I will try those for my evening walk.
me too. I have a cane in the car just in case for those days. I also have a fold-up cane to put in my purse.
Wow fold up cane I need one,I have to Google it thanks Lisa
When you are out walking (as opposed to moving from one place to another if you see my differentiation) you may find that walking poles are a great help - you use 2 and they really do help your balance.
Some members of a support group in the UK went to Nordic walking classes aimed at their ability level. All of them commented on how their balance as well as fitness improved - so much so that people who had struggled to get about using a zimmer frame were walking without assistance after 6 months.
Nordic sticks have special hand bits to assist with the technique but even ordinary walking poles will help - and using 2 poles means you are standing and walking more naturally than when you are leaning towards a single stick.
Yes i do feel off balance from time to time;not so much lightheaded. I would like to also comment on Judy's need to control. Tell me about it; this little pill known as Prednisone is a challenge in that respect too! It is just taking up too much of my mental energy and giving me the feeling of being immobolized and not in charge of my life the way i want to be....