Prednisone side effects?

[Denise]

I doubt it. I was able to maintain my weight taking a 40 mg taper with diet and exercise....lots of diet soda and gum chewing helped with increased appetite

[Alice]

I was on a steadily reduced dosage (20mg down to 5mg) of pred for 6 mths due to radiation pneumonitis. 2 weeks after I stopped taking it I began having muscle pain from head to toe. Exercising makes it worse.

It is getting somewhat better, but is this normal after taking this amount of prednisone?

[Beth Houston Texas]

I have been on prednisone for about 6 months and I have tried to come off of it 3 times and each time I did, I got a bad rash pretty much all over my body. but my doctor put me back on the prednisone and it would take away my rash. I wish that I could come off the prednisone and not have to deal with this stupid rash that I get. anything anyone can tell me to help. thanks a lot and God bless

[Tracy Canada]

Pain in joints and muscles often occurs when getting off prednisone at a quick rate of speed. It can be very painful but will go away in time. I have experienced this when I went off it quickly. if you go off it slowly the pain should not be that bad if at all, but everyone is different.
I wish you all the best,

[Narciso Garcia]

I underwent a bone marrow transplant about two years ago. Since then, I have been taking predinisone. As a result, I have had my glucose levels go up and down and have had to take insulin shots from time to time in order to control it. My doctor told me that this problem can go away in time, so i am hoping it will. It is great not to have cancer, but having to deal with diabetes is also a big price to pay, so I get discouraged at times. Has anyone experienced the same problem I am having? Has anyone been able to maintain their glucose levels at normal levels after they stopped taking predinisone? I hope there is hope ouut there....

[Jodi]

I'm on my second round of prednisone for psoriatic arthritis and chronic hives. The first time I was on as much as 60 mg to fight the swelling and hives. Ended up being on it over three years as it was the safest treatment for someone contemplating pregnancy. By the time I got pregnant, I was down to a 5mg dose which my doc's were fine with. It did cause me to have gestational diabetes which I was able to manage with diet. Once I was completely weaned off the prednisone, the diabetes went away.
I'm now on 12.5mg from, again, 60 for my arthritis/hive flare up. I weaned 5mg from 60 to 20, then 2.5mg from 20 to 10, then I will wean 1mg each week til I'm off. I will say this go around I've experienced different side effects than the first time - round face, acne, fat redistributed to my midriff. Prednisone definitely comes with a cost. I would not be surprised to find out my blood sugar is high.

[Dino]

Narciso Garcia wrote:

I underwent a bone marrow transplant about two years ago. Since then, I have been taking predinisone. As a result, I have had my glucose levels go up and down and have had to take insulin shots from time to time in order to control it. My doctor told me that this problem can go away in time, so i am hoping it will. It is great not to have cancer, but having to deal with diabetes is also a big price to pay, so I get discouraged at times. Has anyone experienced the same problem I am having? Has anyone been able to maintain their glucose levels at normal levels after they stopped taking predinisone? I hope there is hope ouut there....

I have been on and off Prednisone for years due to severe asthma attacks. While on Prednisone I too have problems maintaining my glucose levels, but once I get off the medication, they go back to normal. Yours should too.

[Jennifer]

I just got on prednisone for low platelet count. My doctor has me on a 40 MG a day for the next 4-5 months. What can I expect?

[Jodi]

Jennifer wrote:

I just got on prednisone for low platelet count. My doctor has me on a 40 MG a day for the next 4-5 months. What can I expect?

This is a link that explains all things prednisone. My sister-in-law was just on prednisone for a low platlet count, too, but only late in her pregnancy and a high, but short-term dose.
My experience at anything over 20mg is an increase in appetite (I've gained 15 lbs in 2.5 months), puffy face, acne around my chin, jaw, and forehead, water retention, moodiness and night sweats. Down to 12.5mg now, my acne is clearing up and I don't have the hunger pangs I used to.
While I wasn't good in my diet (specifically limiting sugar and salt), I have been diligent in getting enough calcuim (citrate) as pred will thin bones. And I did find out that taking pred close to bedtime will cause night sweats. I had to split my dose to maintain control of my inflammation. Instead of taking is 12 hours apart, I would take my last dose between 5 and 6 pm. Night sweats were no longer a problem.


http://www.medicinenet.com/prednisone/article...

[Andy]

I've been on Prednisone for a couple of months for Crohn's disease. I'm almost done tapering now, (started at 60mg, now I'm at 5), and i was just wondering how long it took for the side affects (puffy face, hunger, water weight etc.) to go away after you go off it.

[Alice]

As a followup....my muscle pain is subsiding. I still have some knee trouble when I squat and stand, and when I first get up in the morning it's hard to walk, but it's getting better. I have finally been able to start exercising regularly and am doing OK with that too. I am trying to lose the pred weight and the humpback seems to be going away. I can't see it yet, but others say my face is not as full.

Just as a reference, it has been 2 months since I stopped the pred.
Good Luck to everyone.

[kim]

i have been on prednisone for 5 days 50 mg due to
a allergic reaction it has made me very sick how
long will thislast

[Esther Flannery]

Beth Houston Texas wrote:

I have been on prednisone for about 6 months and I have tried to come off of it 3 times and each time I did, I got a bad rash pretty much all over my body. but my doctor put me back on the prednisone and it would take away my rash. I wish that I could come off the prednisone and not have to deal with this stupid rash that I get. anything anyone can tell me to help. thanks a lot and God bless

I

I have been on prednisone for 1 1/2 years, starting at 80 mg. and very slowly decreasing to 9 mg. now. This has been taken for temporal arteritis. Since being on 10 mg. one month ago, I have developed a dark red, itchy rash on both legs, spreading now to arms and back. I am trying natural remedies now: baking soda with water and castor oil since I do NOT want to have to start increasing the prednisone. I will let you know if I have any success.

[PDINNC]

Can anyone tell me if they have experienced pain in the ankle to knee region from prednisone? A pain that comes in waves (like knives cutting you) and subsides for about a half hour and then comes back. Prednisone has been the only different thing that i have recently taken and am thinking this might be the cause.

[lizzard]

I saw the doctor yesterday and he says he suspects temporal arteritis. If I have to take prednisone, what side effects can I expect? I have just quit smoking and trying desperately not to gain weight. I am so afraid of gaining weight and looking horrible with moon face. Does the moon face go away? Does the weight go away? He says I will have to take for a couple of years. I am so scared.

[Annette Houston]

My sister has taken prednisone, high doses, for a few years. She is off now but the physical and mental problems are horrible. This is not a drug that I would EVER recommend any person to take. The overall effects for cure of the problem versus the lifelong problems do not make sense. I know we will see that the medical industry will stop the use of high doses due to depression and anxiety. Please stop and weigh the issues with this drug before you take it!

[rebekah]

hi all, i was looking for info. on how to speed up weight loss from pred. on google adn found this, i felt compelled to tell u all my story. no offense but many of u are lucky to only have to use it a short time. anyway, here goes. i'm 36 years old have been on it for 28 years, since age 7 for jra, stills's disease, a rare form of j.r.a that affects only about 10% of kids' diagnosed. it also affects my eyes which is even more rare why i was put on it originally, to prevent blindness. anway, in 2001 i went through menopause to surgery fromm ovary destruction to long term use of pred. though i only used 10 mg. every other day until this time. since then my illness has flared up/worsened about 4 mos. ago i had flares so bad i was literally screaming in pain 24 hours day for weeks adn my eyes flared so bad i couldn't see how many fingers the eye doc. was holding up so i was put on 15 mg. day by him then 15 more by my rhuemy. for a total of 30 day for about 1 mo. i've been lowering since then to try to get back to my normal 5 day. but am hurting more in body the very cold weather here, indiana, doesn't help, i'm also only 4'10" tall, weighed aoround 95-108 most life, i've gone up to 130 past few months and am very uncomfortable adn my doc. is getting onto me to lose it but it is very hard, i can't exercise as well do to the increased pain too. i'm become very self-conscious of my very poofed up face/stomache,can anyone out there help me with ideas to speed up the weight loss? i've even considered these pills u see on t.v. i will never get completely off the pred. to being on so long, it damages your adrenal glands so the body can't produce on its' own. thanks for any help availble and feel free to email me at my personal email at [e-mail], i'm not sure i will be able to find this forum agian, as said, i came acros it by accident. take care all, beck

[rebekah]

Annette Houston wrote:

My sister has taken prednisone, high doses, for a few years. She is off now but the physical and mental problems are horrible. This is not a drug that I would EVER recommend any person to take. The overall effects for cure of the problem versus the lifelong problems do not make sense. I know we will see that the medical industry will stop the use of high doses due to depression and anxiety. Please stop and weigh the issues with this drug before you take it!

hi, i'm sorry for your sister, she is experiencing withdrawal, however, it will most likely go away in time. when i had my surgery i was accidentally overdosed on pred. by mix-up in docs. writing on order, it must be given to me in higher doses during time of trauma such as surgery, when it was suddenly taken away i experienced extreme paranoia, anger, "witchiness" etc, my mom txlked to my sister who is a physchiatric nurse to know this, later when i fouhd out i felt so bad for treating my parents', husband, hospital staff so bad, i had no idea what was going on or what had happened until later on, high doses however, can literally be a lifesaver!!. hang in there adn tell your sister to too.

[lupe]

has anyone have dertomyositis can anyone tell me how i can get better or about the rash i get really bad and alot of paint im on prednisone but i dont think its helping me i look bad i dont even have hair any more

[Obee]

I have been on Prednisone 20mg for Temporal arteritis. My symptoms stared a couple of days afer being on it...light headed, falling to one side, feeling very weak and shakey, and a gereral very unwell feeling. has any one had symptoms like this...