WayneI will try and answer your questions the best I can. The fasting before blood draw is what is on the sheet that our doctors office gives to everyone.
As far as dosing, I never heard of this 5:30 dosing ever before seeing it on this board. I was always just given it when I got up, as that is when the body needs the push of the drugs. And I never heard of any one giving any past supper time, let alone at bedtime. If I take an extra dose to late in the evening, then it keeps me awake, so unless I am really sick, and then not just before I was going to try and rest or sleep.
When I was growing up as a child, I did 24 hour urine exams every 3 months I believe. Not just pee in a cup. And it was embarassing to me to have to care that jug in the brown paper sack into the doctors office. I was sure every one knew what it was and thought it digusting. Even when my Mom carried it in I felt ashamed. So blood test aren’t that bad to me. After they got the results back from the urine test, which was about 6 weeks, then my medicine would be adjusted if neccesarry, which wasn’t often, as I remember.
Yes I am overweight, and yes I am on depression medication. I take 80 mg. of Prozac a day, in the morning, when I get up. It is allot, but when you have been sick as long as I have, I guess it depresses you great deal, at least that is what the doctors told me. I never really had any thought of dieing, or killing myself. But just a feeling of not feeling quite right. Also, it helps immensely with the anger and rage that comes with long time steroid use. If it would just have an effect on me that made me not hungry, now that would be great. I don’t eat any more because of the Prozac, just because of the steroids.
As far as OHP levels, never heard of them, what are they????? What they tested as a child was the 17 keto-steroids. Now the test more things. I am going to the doctor today and get the results from my latest test.
Meds over the years: Cortisone shots in my butt evry morning till about 5 or 6 years old. Then I think maybe florinef was added for awhile with the cortisone pill. Next that I remember is Medrol tabs, 2 mg. - once a day when I got up. Later, in my 20’s the 2mg were discontinued being made, and I was switched to 4 mg - same dosage, same time. This is when I started gaining the weight. I should have been switched off the medrol when I was 18, but doctors didn’t know. Today I have troubles with osteoporosis because of it, mostly in my spine and hips.
At age 35, I was switched off the medrol, and put on the Cortef. The dosage has been the same, somewhere between 20 - 30 mg. a day.
I hope I answered your questions, if not feel free to ask more or e-mail me direct if you wish.