Prascend and worsening anxiety?

[Butterbear]

My old horse has cushings. He was diagnosed back in October and started on Prascend. He started coming in overnight for winter in November having spent the summer living out. He has been getting progressively more anxious and twitchy/jittery but is starting to get out of hand.

-Separation anxiety even though he has neighbours and can see and hear others, he is familiar with the yard and other horses.
-He gets really upset as though he has no other horses nearby and has even started trying to jump the stable door - most days.
-When I leave the yard to go home he freaks out and tries coming over the door and charges about in his stable, whether I leave on foot or by car.
-He got very confused in the field a couple of weeks ago and was again acting as though he had been left alone, he had me and about 5 other horses in close proximity.
-Last week he took down fencing, which he is normally respectful of, he doesn't like the electric) and was charging about.
-He is just edgy - like a green and inexperienced horse, pepped up on oats!

He is an old boy and I have had him for nearly 20 years so know him pretty well, this is just so out of character. It has been a gradual deterioration over this time period. He is on the same feed and supplements (Copra, Linseed, Turmeric, 365 balancer and brewers yeast) as he has been for a few years, hay is the same as normal. He hasn't changed stables, has the same field companions, all is the same.

Has anyone else had anything similar on Prascend? I have the vet coming out to re-do bloods again and check dosage and have a chat in more detail but wanted to see if anyone else had experienced anything similar?

Thanks!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Can their eyesight fail with cushings?

 

[Gloi]

I think I'd try and save the worrying until you get the blood results back.

 

[Butterbear]

I think his eyes are fine, he sees me approaching across the field, and sees me leave the yard!

I will wait for the bloods, they aren't necessarily going to show up a sensitivity though, I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar with the Prascend.

It could equally be dementia, he is behaving quite bizarrely and it is erratic.

 

[Gloi]

If the dose is too high it can have odd effects

 

[Lady2021]

Probably more crushing disease getting worse than the medicine. My friend horse had that problem.

 

[sportsmansB]

Theres a PPID group on facebook which is a bit scary but very knowledgeable

 

[deb_l222]

Not anxiety but my mare became aggressive on Prascend and eventually had to come off them. The aggression stopped within a week of stopping the tablets so definitely medication and not cushings related.

Her levels were never massively high (48) so it was agreed with the vet to keep her un-medicated.

 

[paddy555]

mine did something similar. We spent 3 weeks building up to the full dose of 1 tablet, before too long it obviously took effect and he went crazy. It was as if someone had put the Duracell batteries in and they never wore out. He trashed everything, wouldn't have dared to ride him. After a couple of months he calmed down and become normal.

He lived at home, same horses, same fields, same routine. Nothing else changed. I gather some do react in this way. We just lived through it, kept mending every fence he broke and he came right in the end and back to riding and normal living etc.

I think mine was 14. He reverted to his 4yo self which had been a nightmare the first time round and was no better the second.

 

[suestowford]

Cushings can certainly affect their behaviour, as can Prascend. I am fortunate in that mine is positively affected by Prascend - he is much less irritable when the dose is right. When he starts to behave as yours is I know it's time to get another blood test and face the expense of increasing the dose.

 

[Honey08]

This was the main symptom when my horse was diagnosed. She was the most confident mare, yet became clingy and anxious. The prascend brought her back to normal. After a couple of years she started getting anxious again. When tested her levels were high again. Her prascend was upped and she became calm again.