Question for all the long timers

I have been to a new doctor today, this time an Endocrinologist and the question I have is about prednisone. As some of you know I have been having all these strange symptoms with pain and other things, I have had heaps of tests and heaps of diagnosis thrown at me, but anyway this doctor seems to think my problems may have something to do with long term steroid use.
My questions is how long is too long? Sandi I know you have been on it for a long time but you are still taking it.
I took prednisone for nearly all of 2010, this doctor thinks that maybe my body could be producing too much cortisoid.
The two other things that he is looking at is thyroid meds not right dose or lack of hormones from menopause.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this, I know this an unusual question but there seems to be a lot of people with experience and knowledge of steroid use on here.

Milly I assume your endo did thyroid blood work, the only way to find if your thyroid med has you in the range. My thyroid levels have been up, upper, down, downner & all around the town and I never had pain because of being hypoT or hyperT. That's me, maybe someone else has.

So was blood work done to check thyroid and adrenal glands?

I know someone who has been on prednisone since 1989 due to the autoimmune disease PMR, hasn't been off it since [23 years] but the dose will vary. The prednisone has really done a number on her skin big time - but she has to be on it, so for her there isn't a "too long".

I was on prednisone from mid-1989 - early/mid 2003 - the last couple years was a very low dose.

I don't know what to tell you - know you are researching all you were told. I'd have to research the lack of hormones due to menopause - there are lots of women out there without hormones.

Wish you could get the right answer!!

Milly - it's hard to say how long is too long. Some people could take it for 20 years and not have a problem while others could have problems after a few years. A lot depends on the dose and I'm sure the persons age comes into play.

You've had the ACTH, right? What did that result show? He thinks you are producing too much cortisol? That's odd....backwards. Do you have symptoms of Cushings?

Hi Melinda and Sandi,
Thanks for the input, the acth test was in normal range, he has ordered a whole page of tests for everything.
He called the symptoms I described as non specific but fit a little bit into lots of things, cushings, early lupus, hormone problems but at least he is looking.
He has also done tft but says that thyroid hyper or hypo is usually way out of range before these sort of symptoms happen.
I don't know maybe I made a mistake just following one doctors opinion when I first got itp but I was pretty new to this whole doctor thing as I had never been sick so I sort of just went with the flow, maybe things would be different if I had of changed treatment after about a month on steroids when it was clear that it wasn't working very well, but hey the past is the past and I can't change that but maybe someone else can learn from this.
I don't really think it's the steroids as I have been of them for 18 months and as you say there are people that have been on them for a lot longer then me.
Thanks Guys I will let you know how I go

Good luck, Milly. I'm glad you found someone who is digging for an answer.