Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
We state cortisone shots and predisone do not help people with fibro, but
YET. Here is an article from Webmd.by a dr that says it does.
What can we believe, like I said earlier," nothing"cause they dont know CHIT either.
We have seen this posted a millions times it seems, steriods. predisone doesnt help fibro suffers its for inflammation and this dr blows that comment out of the water. He proves it does help.
MY POINT IS, NO ONE KNOWS, its a mystery,.
This article is from the WebMD News Archive
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Steroid for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Doctor Says He's Had Success With Hydrocortisone for CFS and Fibromyalgia Patients
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 21, 2008 -- Boosting levels of the stress hormone cortisol with low doses of hydrocortisone could help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia feel better, a California doctor says.
Kent Holtorf, MD, says the simple treatment carries significantly less risk and greater potential for benefit than widely accepted treatments for the two conditions. But chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia experts who spoke to WebMD were not so sure.
Holtorf believes the majority of CFS and fibromyalgia patients have low levels of the steroid hormone cortisol due to dysfunction in a brain system that regulates response to stress, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
The problem is that very sophisticated testing is needed to identify this dysfunction.
As a result, while a number of studies have shown lower-than-normal cortisol levels to be common in CFS and fibromyalgia patients, many others have failed to show the association.
"The overwhelming majority of these patients have [cortisol] dysfunction, whether testing shows this or not," he tells WebMD. His review of the research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
CFS, Depression & Other Causes of Fatigue
Low-Dose Treatment
Holtorf routinely treats patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia with low doses (5 to 15 milligrams a day) of the steroid hydrocortisone, in addition to other treatments, to boost cortisol levels.
Of 500 consecutive patients treated with the steroid at his Torrance, Calif., clinic, Holtorf says 94% showed some improvement and 62% showed substantial improvement by the fourth visit.
William C. Reeves, MD, director of the chronic viral diseases branch of the CDC, believes that most patients with CFS and fibromyalgia could benefit from taking low-dose hydrocortisone, but he says the treatment is not without risks.
Reeves and CDC colleagues recently published a study showing that women with CFS symptoms tend to have lower-than-normal cortisol levels upon waking in the morning -- a time when levels typically spike.
"It does appear that there is something different in HPA axis function in these patients, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this treatment is the answer," Reeves says.
Hydrocortisone Benefits and Risks
He cites a 1998 study from the National Institutes of Health examining low-dose hydrocortisone for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Although the treatment was shown to have some benefit, a significant number of patients also exhibited a common side effect seen with higher steroid doses -- adrenal suppression, a reduction in the amount of hormones made by the adrenal glands
The researchers concluded that "the degree of adrenal suppression precludes [the steroid's] practical use for CFS."
"This idea of using low-dose steroids has been around for a long time, but it may not be as simple as simply raising cortisol levels. And even if it does help, it is not without risks," Reeves says.
Fibromyalgia researcher Lesley Arnold, MD, agrees.
"The evidence in favor of using steroids to treat these conditions just isn't there," the University of Cincinnati associate professor of psychiatry tells WebMD. "We just don't have enough consistent data about abnormalities in the HPA axis."
Arnold points out that some studies in fibromyalgia patients have shown the HPA axis activity to be increased and some have shown it to be decreased. "The only thing that has been consistent is that there is usually some kind of abnormality in function."
YET. Here is an article from Webmd.by a dr that says it does.
What can we believe, like I said earlier," nothing"cause they dont know CHIT either.
We have seen this posted a millions times it seems, steriods. predisone doesnt help fibro suffers its for inflammation and this dr blows that comment out of the water. He proves it does help.
MY POINT IS, NO ONE KNOWS, its a mystery,.
This article is from the WebMD News Archive
Font size:
AAAShare this:
Steroid for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Doctor Says He's Had Success With Hydrocortisone for CFS and Fibromyalgia Patients
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 21, 2008 -- Boosting levels of the stress hormone cortisol with low doses of hydrocortisone could help patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia feel better, a California doctor says.
Kent Holtorf, MD, says the simple treatment carries significantly less risk and greater potential for benefit than widely accepted treatments for the two conditions. But chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia experts who spoke to WebMD were not so sure.
Holtorf believes the majority of CFS and fibromyalgia patients have low levels of the steroid hormone cortisol due to dysfunction in a brain system that regulates response to stress, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
The problem is that very sophisticated testing is needed to identify this dysfunction.
As a result, while a number of studies have shown lower-than-normal cortisol levels to be common in CFS and fibromyalgia patients, many others have failed to show the association.
"The overwhelming majority of these patients have [cortisol] dysfunction, whether testing shows this or not," he tells WebMD. His review of the research is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
CFS, Depression & Other Causes of Fatigue
Low-Dose Treatment
Holtorf routinely treats patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia with low doses (5 to 15 milligrams a day) of the steroid hydrocortisone, in addition to other treatments, to boost cortisol levels.
Of 500 consecutive patients treated with the steroid at his Torrance, Calif., clinic, Holtorf says 94% showed some improvement and 62% showed substantial improvement by the fourth visit.
William C. Reeves, MD, director of the chronic viral diseases branch of the CDC, believes that most patients with CFS and fibromyalgia could benefit from taking low-dose hydrocortisone, but he says the treatment is not without risks.
Reeves and CDC colleagues recently published a study showing that women with CFS symptoms tend to have lower-than-normal cortisol levels upon waking in the morning -- a time when levels typically spike.
"It does appear that there is something different in HPA axis function in these patients, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this treatment is the answer," Reeves says.
Hydrocortisone Benefits and Risks
He cites a 1998 study from the National Institutes of Health examining low-dose hydrocortisone for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Although the treatment was shown to have some benefit, a significant number of patients also exhibited a common side effect seen with higher steroid doses -- adrenal suppression, a reduction in the amount of hormones made by the adrenal glands
The researchers concluded that "the degree of adrenal suppression precludes [the steroid's] practical use for CFS."
"This idea of using low-dose steroids has been around for a long time, but it may not be as simple as simply raising cortisol levels. And even if it does help, it is not without risks," Reeves says.
Fibromyalgia researcher Lesley Arnold, MD, agrees.
"The evidence in favor of using steroids to treat these conditions just isn't there," the University of Cincinnati associate professor of psychiatry tells WebMD. "We just don't have enough consistent data about abnormalities in the HPA axis."
Arnold points out that some studies in fibromyalgia patients have shown the HPA axis activity to be increased and some have shown it to be decreased. "The only thing that has been consistent is that there is usually some kind of abnormality in function."
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I watched a great video on YouTube this morning. I think the speaker's name is Tim Fletcher. It was about feeling unheard as a child. I distinctly remember sitting at the kitchen table with my family, everyone talking, no one listening. I just kept quiet and ate. I have had a feeling of being unheard for some parts of my life, with some people. I have had some fabulous friends over...
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Do you think having anxiety could lead into depression? What are your thoughts?
Thankis for the info. Very informative. Take care
Love & Hugs,
MaryKathryn
Can't stand WebMD...
As with any condition, some treatments are effective for some fortunate patients, and other patients suffer worst symptoms.
Glad it works for both of you!
Cortisone shot helped with burstitis in hip and knee for the worse pain. which fibro makes worse
This was actually something I looked into after reading another such article a few years back, but my conclusion was that the data didn't support it, and the risks outweigh the potential benefits.
That and the fact that my cortisol is normal to begin with :)
As you said, "no one know." I have less faith in those who claim they DO know, and more in those who claim they don't have a clue but they're still looking.
I would have to be concerned with long-term effects of steroids, especially on bones.
Way too many side effects for this girl. Brittle bones, lowered immunity and higher risk of infections, increased eye pressure, and let's not even talk about the mood swings and weight gain.
Been there and done that and I don't even want the T-shirt. lol
Hugs, Susan