Intravenous steroids symptoms and conditions

I was put on Prednisone for my COPD. Right after starting a 30 day script (I don't remember the dosage) I started experiencing SEVERE muscle cramps. Legs, feet, hands, abdomen, ribs, back. It was the most terrible experience I have ever had and I refuse to take it again. I also gained 30 lbs in 30 days. Which I have had extreme difficulty taking back off. I am now, two years later, experiencing great difficulty with my knees. I believe that I will always suffer the side effects of this, yet another, wonder drug. The wonder is how many people's lives is it ruining...

i have a rare form of asthma and am often on high doses of intravenous steroids in the hospital. i get every symptom anyone has noted but I actually steroid induced psychosis (i have no mental health problems generally). I have horrifying visual and auditory hallucinatins.

at National Jewish Hospital they treated this with 1o mg valium with each dose of steroids and Depacote. I can't take Depacote any more because of pancreatic symptoms and the valiun alone helps but doesn't resolve the problem.

Plus I lose my vision almost completely. All the other typical symptoms seem more severe (accordinf to my MD's) than usually experienced so apparently you can be extra sensitive to steroids, i have been tried on Prednisone, Mthylprednisone and Dekadron,

Plus, I have had steroid induced myopathy (where the muscles are eaten away) to the pint of not being able to sit or walk.

I have lost 2 inches of height in 2 years.

and worse of all, my brain seems to just take a vacation - i have amnesia for almost everything that happens.

But breathe first - deal with the rest as it comes.

As far as weight - i have gained 28 lbs in 24 hours (the hospital nurse checked me with three scales) and have lost 39 lbs in 2 weeks -trust me - that is not a pretty sight.

I have had insomnia from November through Feb with psychiatrist doing everything they could to put me under.

If I didn't have a lung disease and was not prohibited from doing almost everything there is to do, I could while on Prednisone clean my entire house cleaner than it has ever been, and then probably achieve world peace because I have never felt so capable of accomplishing tasks (ones that are rote mostly) my family has to watch me to keep me from getting up in the middle of the night and doing something stupid.

And I am a health care professional who usually has excellent judgement. I am a nice person who never loses my temper or says an ugly word but while on steroids I am not only totally unreasonable but verbally abusive at times (many times)

the psychosis thought is the one thing that is really terrifying.