Flare symptoms and conditions

I was on Prednisone a couple years ago and it gave me severe insomnia, I ended up tapering as quickly as possible, I was so wired I couldn't function. My son was started on it today, and I was a bit worried about letting him take it, he has asthma and is in the middle of a flare up that started 5 days ago and isn't getting much better. So we started the Prednisone tonight, and within an hour he almost had an accident with diarrhea which is not like him at all, he is a 30 minute on the toilet taking his time kind of boy. Now I'm worried it's going to be a long night, and worry that tomorrow nights dose will be worse?

Damn reading up on all these side effects shared here is really scaring.
Well I must admit that I certainly can relate to quite a few of them.
Well I took Yasmin for over a year,and my initial experience (say 6 months) was ok.
During that times my skin became flawless,to clear&radiant the best I'd ever had.
However beyond the 6 months things changed and I developed mad constant thrush
Really it was horrid,was put on fluconazole countless times,and I had never been one prone to thrush.
Furthermore every month during my period I'd get this mad headache coupled with dizziness and serious fatigue.
I was even convinced that I was anemic,because I'd actually go pale!Due to these headaches I decided to stop the Yasmin as I
Felt that really my life was at stake.In fact it was so bad I couldn't complete the that months pack.
Discontinuing Yasmin,opened yet another can of worms,perhaps due to me stopping suddenly.I developed severe acne,I was never one skin issues.
Well perhaps it could be attributed to the abrupt discontinuation of the pill.Sadly even 6 months of being off the pill my skin has not gotten any better.
As a result I have stupidly found myself having no choice but to go back to Yasmin.I have been taking it for just over a week,my skin has improved profoundly but I'm scared.
Moreso after reading everybody else comments,I'm really scared.If I'm to discontinue would yoi advice that I complete the cycle and not not stop suddenly?
Right now I'm ok just have slight nausea and occasional dull aching head.
Please can somebody give me advice.

Took my 3rd dose of the Avelox samples my Dr. gave me for a sinus infection. Yesterday I thought it might have been the infection getting worse before it got better and the nausea was from the nasal drainage. Given Clarinix D which I thought might have been causing the dizzy, shaky feeling. Today I woke up feeling pretty good, but took the Avelox with a bagel and I felt very sick to my stomach, hot and flushed, dizzy, throbbing head and wanting to cry. I didn't take the decongestant so I know it was the Avelox. I have RA and yesterday it felt like all my joints were throbbing and I was having a flare up. My doctor's office was closed today, I won't take this again tomorrow. I'll wait until Monday to get a different antibiotic.

I'm 28 years old woman...
I was prescribed Ulcerative Colitis 5 years ago. I have been on prednisone 4 or 5 times since then for periods of three to four months experiencing the typical symptoms and side effects. I had a new flare up and 2 weeks ago my doctor prescribe prednisone again, but this time he told me to take 40 mg a day for 7 days and then stop it, TOTALLY.
He said that it was safe and even better than the old strategy of reducing the dosage slowly over a 2-3 months period, so I accepted.
I've never felt so bad in my life, not even when I was a moody teenager.
These days I have felt so miserable, so depressed...I am an optimistic person, really positive and easygoing but these last three days I have changed completely: anguish, anxiety, panic, alienation, it's like living in someonelse's body,...
Yesterday morning I couldn't go to work, I just sat for breakfast and start crying in front of my boyfriend in a desperate way...I spent two hours crying because I couldn't establish a connection between my body and me, I felt that I was trapped in a strange body...
The funny thing is that my doctor doesn't really acknowledge these sensations, he thinks that the emotional distress is due to sth else and not prednisone!
Apart from that, my bones, muscles and joints hurt terribly...

If you feel depressed, prepare herbal tea. It cleans your body and your sprit. Good options are mint and lemon zest, orange zest and chamomile

Male 28. Was diagnosed a couple of months ago with Ulcerative Colitis and was prescribed Prednisone. A large dose to start with then tampered off for 4 weeks. The first week I felt great, better than great, fantastic. The only downside was difficulty sleeping. The following 3 weeks, without any exaggeration have been among the worst I have ever experienced. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me, so I was constantly tired and generically felt depressed, also knee ache, eye pain, inability to think clearly (quite a problem when you are an Engineer), lacked energy or strength – and the Acne. Never before have I had Acne like this, and I used to suffer quite bad during my teens. Its just so aggressive, every few hours there seems to be new ones appearing. It seems to occur when ever I step down the dose. I think having this bad skin has really added to my depression over the last few weeks, it has been especially difficult considering I have been in the process of starting a new job. To top all of that my UC seems to be worst than ever! I’m worried that when I go back to see the Doctor next week he is going to put me on some equally-annoying medication or maybe another course of Prednisone if I’m lucky.

Does anyone know of some natural alternatives that are good for UC, very reluctant to put anymore man-made chemicals into my body.

Ladies~
I went to my doctor Tuesday 7/21/09. She made me feel like this is the answer. I really want a endometrial ablation done, but I was told, that there could be problems down the road as I get older. I am 43 and we are done with having kids because my tubes are tide.
But after reading all the comments, I am really scared to have this put in. I have MS I was diagnosed 5 years ago this June. I just can not afford to have a flare up.
Ladies i really need your input on this, if you would please.
thank you
T

I'm 15 years old and i've been taking prednisone for a few months, and from what i've read i'm on a really high dose. i was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and another autoimmune disorder concerning my muscles at the same time. my doctor told me prednisone was my only choice; it was either that or i would lose the ability to walk. he told me there'd be side effects, but i had no idea it'd turn out like this or i would have fought harder for another course of action. i started out on 30mg twice a day, and since then was weaned down to 20mg twice a day and now i'm down to 30mg once a day. i've been looking up a bunch of information trying to figure out if there's a way to lessen the side effects or any hope at all that they will get better. apparently there isn't much. after reading a bunch of these stories i gotta say i'm not feeling great about this. i totally understand everything everyone is going through. i'm sure you can imagine what it's like being smack in the middle of high school with a huge puffy face, acne so bad on my face, chest, back, neck, and shoulders that wearing a bra could put me in tears, and mood swings so bad i've lost friends over it. everyone knows how brutal high school can be, where appearance and attitude are everything. and i try to tell my doctor about it and he literally looks at me like i'm a whiny teenager and says "you're just going to have to deal with it." and people like my mom and my closest friends don't get it either. nobody understands how beyond frustrating it is. i'll get into the worst moods and not have a reason for it, but i'll stay angry for hours or burst into tears over someone looking at me the wrong way. it'll get to the point where i have to isolate myself from other people because the abrubt mood changes get so bad. as bad as i hate to admit it, the pain from the arthritis is gone now and supposedly my muscles are doing better too. developing arthritis caused me to have to quit cheerleading, something i've loved doing for 6 years, because the pain got to the point where i couldn't get my arms above my head or bend my knees. however, i'd almost rather deal with the horrible joint pain than deal with the side effects of prednisone. if your doctor gives you and alternative method, take it. i've always been confident in the way i look and really outgoing and happy and now i sometimes catch myself thinking about suicide. that's shocking to me because i've got so much going for me, but this medicine makes me miserable. and when i complain about it, anyone i'm talking to just looks at me like i'm being a cry baby. my mom does too, she'll say things like "you just have to do this. i know it's not what you want but to be honest i'm sick of hearing you bitch about it."
i feel a little better knowing other people feel the same way - like nobody gets whats going on with them. the prednisone does give me days of really great euphoria and days when i feel like i could run a marathon, but waking up in the morning to the acne and huge face puts me to tears every day. i have to pee all the time, usually getting up at 2 or 3 am. i don't sleep well anymore and i do sweat all the time. which also sucks being a teenage girl. i'm always hungry, and when i eat i never feel full so i don't know when to stop. my neck and face have put on so much weight that when people see me in the halls or out and about they ask me what happened. mind you these are people i don't talk to, just ones i know from classes or whatever. and it's pretty bad when teenage boys i've never really talked to ask what happened to your face. kind of a blow to the ego, or whatever is left of it at this point.
i'd like to know if, as my dosage gets lowered, the side effects will diminish and when i'm off the prednisone completely if they will disappear altogether. any help there?
or if there is any way to help the acne or puffy face

my doctor just put me on something called methotrexate or something like that to help wean me off the prednisone, and does anyone know what those side effects will do? or if they'll affect the prednisone side effects?
i'm constantly obsessing over gaining weight and what my skin looks like and what i eat and how heavy my face feels and the occasional pressure in my eyes to the point where i just want to be put out of my misery.
and after reading other people's stories i really don't understand why this drug is still given out as freely as it is. but maybe all doctors are like mine, they just don't get it.
best of luck to anyone who's on prednisone, my heart goes out to you; i'm right there with you
sorry this became like a book it wasn't meant to be this long

I have been on prednisone since I was two years old (I am now sixteen) because I have Autoimmune Hepatitis IIa. I would like to point out that there is still a life worth living being on prednisone, maybe I say this because I do not know life without it, but at least we're alive! Last year I had a flare up of the AIH and had to 6x my dose of prednisone. It sent me into a spiraling depression of constant sleep, crying, hopelessness etc....but I made it through. Just PLEASE keep hope that things would get better, because I know what it's like being on the dreaded drug better than most.

I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and was hospitalized in March 2008 for pancreatitis - a reaction I had to Asacol. A week later I was discharged then went back to the hospital a day later for a severe flare-up. There, they started me on antibiotics and prednisone through an IV. When I left the hospital I started taking 40mg. The initial side affects were severe sweaty palms, racing heartbeat and dizziness. Within 2 weeks I started experiencing insomnia, acne, hair loss, extreme mood swings, depression, anxiety, and was OCD on top of the sweating to where the skin on my palms was starting to peel. It suddenly got out of control fast. I became suicidal - nearly attempted suicide twice. I was paranoid, had severe lack of concentration to the point that I felt cognitively delayed, couldn't do anything on my own, lacked emotion, and felt that I WAS crazy. Luckily my family was very supportive. During the second suicidal attempt they begged me to stay at a psychiatric hospital. I did and was there for about three days. A week later I was finally completely tapered off prednisone. Within 2 weeks I was completely normal and back to myself. My three months of hell was finally over. I tell myself I will never take prednisone ever again but the truth is it might be the only thing down the line that can save my life. I hate this drug and I don't recommend anyone take it unless it's the last option you have.

My fibromyalgia has totally flared since I had Mirena put in about 2 months ago. The fibro always was better when I was pregnant and since Mirena has increased progesterone (like pregnancy) that it wouldn't make it worse - maybe even better like pregnancy. But it's definitely worse and I'm really thinking it's because of the difference in hormones. When you are pregnant - estrogen is increased as well so maybe that difference is to blame. Who knows. I have also had more breakouts. No hair loss yet but major fibro problems (aches and pains, memory/cognitive problems, sensation of swelling/stiffness etc...). I am hoping if I have it out the flare will subside a bit. If I am still majorly flaring in a few weeks - I think I will have it out.

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when I was 20. (i'm now 26) I was on 80mg of prednisone for about 2 years. I again about 45 lbs, between water retention and just an increase of appetite and extra calories. I developed moon face and all the other horrible side effects. I was sweaty, bitchy and fat. Needless to say I was miserable. My doc put me on Remicade as an experimental drug, and it seemed to work well. We were able to wean myself off the prednisone and within 6 months the weight came off with the help of some Weight Watchers. 6 years later I'm back on the prednisone, but only 40mg this time, and hopefully for only a couple weeks. It's only been a week and I have insomnia, night sweats, mood swings (my poor boyfriend) rapid heart rate, and weird dizzy/nausea spells in the afternoon. My face seems a little bit fuller, but I think I'm being overly critical since several people have told me I look like I've lost weight in the last week. (it could be due to my flare up making me lose weight) My suggestion is that although this drug is horrible and makes you think you are losing your mind, it does help. Try and breath through the mood swings and remember it's not you. Ask your doctor for a tranquilizer if you have too. (The first time I was on prednisone, my dr. prescribed Xanax because I was so bad. It helped a lot) As for the weight gain, it's hard, and I'm trying to snack on carrot sticks and fruits instead of a whole bag of cookies. One good side effect I have noticed is that my complexion if the clearest it's every been. It's really incredible to be honest. Please know you aren't alone, and although you might not look like how you used to, your loved ones (hopefully) understand that this is a side effect and see you for how you've always been. It sounds sappy but sometimes we need to be reminded of that. I know I do. Good luck to you.

I was on 10 mg of Lisinopril for 2 weeks. After quitting, major side effects of the drug gradually subsided (including ringing of the ears, headache, sleeplessness, nausea, fatigue, general flu-like symptoms, panic and anxiety). I'm now 2.5 weeks off the med and was feeling fine but suddenly had a flare up of sleepless night followed by 2 days of nausea, dizziness, irritability and depression. This spell came just after I played an aggressive soccer game. Does vigorous exercise trigger recurring spells?
Has this happened to anyone? How long should I expect symptoms?

glad I found this site. I have Crhons which I have had for a number of years. Had been complain about heartburn and pains for a while and consultant suggested Omeprazole. Before taking it I have been having a flare up. But knew the symptoms and was relatively calm about it. After taking the Ome, I have had severe stomach cramps, terrible runs, weird dry retching and nausea, all in the small bowel. Terrible panic attacks. This drug is awful

My 7 year old female Siberian Husky, Niceah is suffering with her second serious flare-up of IBD. She was taking 20 mgs. of prednisone every 12 hours for several days. We are now down to 12 mgs. daily and working towards 12mgs. every other day. She is lethargic and her body and belly have swollen frightfully to the point where it is difficult for her to lie down without grunting and sighing. She pants heavily. She drinks and eats constantly. Her nose is dry. Her tummy grumbles all day and night. I have been boiling chicken breast and mixing it with sweet potato and Enzymes & Probiotics. I am currently working with a holistic advisor concerning Niceah's diet once she has weened off the prednisone. The side effects of this drug are frightening and I am so worried that something more permanent and damaging will occur. Has anybody experienced this?? If so, I would appreciate any advise. Robin. copher370@aol.com

It's been about 10 years since I took one shot of Lupron Depot after my surgery for Endometriosis and it was a huge mistake. I am now 39 years old with Osteopenia and the verge of Osteoporosis. Many of my joints hurt, but mainly my hips. I had the worst flare of my life a couple weeks ago and couple barely walk for two days due to the pain. I feel like I'm 90 years old! It's not fair, I was always active and in good shape. The slight amount it helped with my Endo will never be enough to make up for how it's ruined my joints! Just wait for a few years and have a bone scan - you'll see!

I have Crohn's disease and have been on birth control since before my diagnosis. I use to have flare-ups of the disease every now and then (I was on Mircette). Then last year, I was put on Nortrel and my disease started acting WAY up. I was put on the NuvaRing two months ago and I am having even more flare-ups now. Is there anyone who has a digestive disease and have had their symptoms worsen with the NuvaRing?

My daughter had just about every reaction mentioned above. She was being treated for an acute flare of SLE (Lupus in the worst form.) Not only did she lose her kidneys (19 yrs old, second year in Pre-med at Baylor University. She began seeing strange "black ghosts" while in CCICU. The nurse talked to the Doc, he says oh, its only "ICU Psychosis". What??? She wasn't hallucinating, just strange vision. The came the pressure in her head. No one bothered to call in an Optho, so they did Lumbar Puncture after Lumber Puncture. They released us with the pressures still high. Suddenly, my baby sat up and said "Mother is my right eye open?" It was...I jumped into action, got her to a local doc who sent us running to Houston...my daughter lost all of her sight in her right eye and most of it iin her left, she has no peripheral vision or color in the tiny bit of vision she has. The depression is killing her. Her doctor says "yeah, it happend...200 out of 1000. Can you imagine..all he had to do was has a doc use his little light,look behind her eyes and my precious daughter would be simply waiting on a kidney and then back to medicine. Please don't let this happen to you or a loved one...insist that they call in an eye doctor. Our lives will never be the same.

So far i am a 14 year old boy facing prednisone and have been on this drug over 4+ month periods at 10 mg first time and 100 second time. I have chrons's disease and it is hard to treat when it has a flare, so they have to put me on prednisone. I have experienced some of the worst side effects imaginable along with many other suffering victims of this drug, and they include: Headache, Severe Acne, Flu-Like Symptoms, High Blood Pressure, 50+ Pounds Gained, Moon face, Stomach Pains, and Much More. After i have been weened completely off i have notice these: SCARY Heart Palpitations, Out of Breathe, Feels like something is beating in my stomach, and feels like my heart drops to my stomach like pacing.

I have Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA), was diagnosed in Feb. 2008. Have been ill for several years and finally it came to a head in Feb. I had a blood transfusion and then in the hospital 6 days later with a hgb of 4.0. I was so toxic and my blood so screwed up I nearly died. I was given another transfusion then (total of 5 pints of packed red blood cells) and started on Prednisone. For 3 days given liquid Pred injections, starting at 1000mg, tapering down to 250mg., then on the pill form at 100mg. Sweat poured off of me dosing down. I was off work for 2 months. I am still tapering but am now at 1mg. DR. added another drug, Danazol, after getting to about 10mg because my blood started going crazy again. My side affects with Prednisone have been, Euphoria, no depression, LOTS of hyper brain activity, thoughts running a 100 miles an hour but body at slow speed.Visual problems and a feeling of being highly drugged. 2 to 3 hours of sleep each night, compulsive behaviors and a lot of pacing back and forth. Couldn't hold my concentration because my mind wandered so much. Extreme Tremors in my back, hands and head. Wanted to talk constantly, if no one was around I talked to my Chihuahua or the TV. My cheeks puffed up and became hard and had a fat pocket puffed up on left side of my neck. My dog thought I was crazy, she was tired of the lights being on at 3 or 4 in the morning. Legs looked skinny but didn't gain weight until I got to about 60mg. Gained 25 lbs total. Tapering caused bad spasms in my calves, feet and hands. Thigh muscles would get extremely weak each time I went down a dose. At 50mg I started getting sleepy and could hardly stay awake. Went back to work at 35mg and couldn't remember how to sign on to my computer. Some memory problems since I was in the hospital, couldn't remember how to spell words I knew as a young girl. Started having hip pain about 3 months into the Pred, that hasn't stopped. At 10mg feet, knees, shoulders hurt deep in the sockets, muscles below my neck knot up, may take a while to totally get off this. Read on a couple of blogs where people cut a 1mg tab into 4 pieces to taper off the Pred. because of side effects. Had thrush in the beginning and break outs of shingles. I hope to God I never have to get back on this drug again, it is so HARD on the body but it did do what it was given for, to repress my immune systems. My next step is Spleen surgery, hope this is a cure for me, am sick and tired of being sick and tired. Wouldn't advise anyone to take Pred unless it's a life or death situation. It's prescribed too liberally and people have multiple problems, worse than I have experienced. I've probably forgotten some things, but there's enough I've mentioned to give you an Idea it's not good, but if Pred is all you have then you do what you gotta do!! My puffy cheeks have went down though, now my hair has become curly but at least I have hair and my chihuahua stills loves me!!!

Started taking prednisone about 3 months ago for a serious flare-up of my Sciatica. My Sciatica was so bad that I couldn’t even stand up. After a couple days of prednisone, I was able to walk, but still had pain on my left side, from my back down to the tip of my big toe. Symptoms started getting better, but then the side effects started. Gain 40 lbs, can’t sleep, muscles are so weak it’s hard to walk, blurred vision… one day (laying on my bed) I noticed I couldn’t even see the clock on the cable box anymore. Lumps started appearing. One on my wrist and one big one on my upper arm. I cut my finger 5 days ago and it still hasn’t closed up completely yet. It even still bleeds. I know on the side of my pill bottle it says “This medicine may lower your ability to fight off infections”, but man! It sucks when you have a little cut that just won’t heal. Anyway, I’m sick of the side effects and they only seem to be getting worse. I’m stopping today! I would rather fight through the pain of my Sciatica than to deal with all these side effects. I just hope (and pray) that the side effects go away without doing (if not already) major damage.

I just received a kenalog injection a week ago when I went to the doctor for sinus problems. My regular doctor was not in,so I saw a different doctor who is an allergy specialist.He spent a whole 60 seconds with me and stated that I needed an injection of kenalog.I didn't question him,as I knew that kenalog was a steroid and I had taken oral steroids before with few side effects. The injection itself was not painful,but the next day,I felt terrible and have ever since.I ache,I feel very nervous and have been crying for no reason. My blood pressure is up.I have weakness in my muscles and heart palpitations,and a constantly upset stomach.I also have had a flare -up of irritable bowel syndrome and yet even with the stomach and intestinal pain,I cannot stop eating.I am also constantly thirsty and have excessive urination.I have a pins and needles sensation in my hands and feet and I have blurry vision and confusion and forget things easily.I have trouble typing,as I have to spell-check everything.I am going crazy wondering how long these side effects will last.I am the primary caretaker of my mother,and I now cannot take care of myself.Why do they not tell a person of the possible side effects? I would never have let that nurse give me the shot had I known that it could cause such horrid side effects. And my sinuses are no better.I have an infection and now need antibiotics,which is what I told the doctor in the first place.I don't know what to do,I feel like I am going to die.

From Indiana,
I was put on the Dexpak for Rhuematoid Arthritis flare up. I started it on the 10 th of Sept. 2008 on a Wed. By Sat my pain level was better but the side effects were in full charge. I had shortness of breath to the extent that my voice being high pitched. Sun. I awoke to my vision being very distorted and the shortness of breath. I made it through the day and on Mon everything was really bad. I ended up in the ER. Hardly able to breathe and distorted vision. I was treated as if I were having a heart attack. Then when all the blood test started coming back I was asked how long had I been a Diabete.I'M NOT!!!
My blood sugar level was 416. I was given two insulin shots and watched closely and when the level got down to 295 I was sent home.
I missed a week of work and still battling a blood sugar level that is high.
I was taken off the DEXPAK. But put on medicine for diabetes and just praying everything returns to normal.
After 1 week my vision is better, but not where it was before. Blood sugar levels still elevated and may have to go insulin.
I would highly recommend not taking this drug,and in my opinion it needs to off the market.

I have Crohns and had a flare up so I'm back on 40mg of Prednisone. I've been on 40mg now for 3 weeks and I start to tapper off in another 3 weeks. Well every time I start the prednisone again I get new side effects. This time, my gum are bleeding all the time and the pain in my knees are horrible! I still get the regular side effects, ie: Mood swings, joint pain, sleeplessness, sweating, swelling of my legs and hands, wanting to eat everything under the sun, moon face and my hair falls out! I wish the drug manufactures could develop a drug that would not be so hard on our bodies. I have to struggle with the pros and cons with every flare up. Do I want the weight gain, mood swings and hair loss or do I want to look good and be very sick! I'm 37 and was 16 when I found out I had Crohns.

So far not too bad. I have a flare up of proctitis and my doctor prescribed prednisone (20 mg 3x a day). Side effects are occasionally feeling sickly, occasionally a very noticeable heartbeat, a bit more irritable and feeling rather thirsty. So not too bad, I am seeing my doctor again in 3 days time and will take it from there.

I'm 36 and have been on this med for about 1.5 years. I've had some mild sporadic side effects on going but thought they were just my failing health! Chest pains, tingling in my hands, arms (my left arm bothers me more and scares me of course), my legs and even feet. I have insane muscle spasm/cramps. I have twitches and spasms in places I had no idea were even muscles. Backaches, head and jaw aching, blurred vision, feeling hung over and drugged, tired and require at least 9 consistent hours of uninterrupted sleep if I am to feel okay for half of the day. No energy otherwise, pain in my feet now when I walk, heart flutters and twitches and neck spasms and pain all over my body. I've been in the ER a number of times with them unable to find me ready for the heart attack I think I'm having. I've even been depressed and suicidal with feeling this bad. These symptoms increased in discomfort and My bladder/uterus are enlarged/swollen and morning urination especially is painful even if I have not much to evacuate. I noticed that these symptoms grew more frequent and stronger and the past few months I literally thought I was going to checkout any day. I was just waiting. I thought, oh well, you're on meds for bp, but you got on too late. Your time is up. I noticed also that right after I take my pill I feel worse. So I feel the best (which is not really at all) right before my next pill is due. After reading everybody elses problems with this med, and that it's actually made from snake venom, I am going to as safe and painless as I can, wean myself from this junk. Who in their right mind would give snake venom to people? If you get bit by a venomous snake, these are exactly the things that are effected. Your nervous system, your heart, breathing, blurred vision, etc. My only fear is that having these symptoms now for this long have done permanent damage. I pray not.