Kidney disease symptoms and conditions

I'm sitting here in tears reading all of your posts because I've also been on prednisone and have horrible side effects. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in my lungs in June of 2002 and, after starting at 60 mg/day then, I have been on 20 mg/day for years now. The very first posting that I read mentioned problems with the femur bone. Besides all of the other problems associated with this devastating drug, in December, 2007, I broke a bone in my left foot with no known cause for it. Then I started experiencing pain standing or walking in my left leg and was diagnosed with a fractured femur bone and after several months of trying to get it to heal (including an ultrasonic bone healing system), it just kept getting worse until an orthopedic surgeon recommended that I have a 16 inch rod put into my leg which I did and it ended up to be one of the worst decisions that I have ever made. After experiencing all of the prednisone side effects for almost seven years including depression, severe fatigue, weight gain, moon face, thin skin, cataract surgery on both eyes, hump on my back, mood swings, etc., the pain and suffering that were caused by that operation brought me to seriously consider suicide. I was also diagnosed with chemical neuropathy in both of my legs also which makes my legs so weak that I have to crawl up any steps and have trouble just standing. I actually have an appointment for this evening to have an x-ray done to see what is wrong with my knees and did not realize that this also is yet another side effect. I never make it through the night without waking up in pain and getting a pain pill and then getting up in the morning is almost unbearable with that "burning" pain. I am now on Cymbalta for depression, Xanax for anxiety, Percocet for pain, and of course 20 mg of Prednisone. I was told that I would have to remain on Prednisone for the rest of my life because of the lung scarring and COPD. After reading all of your comments, I have decided that I would rather put up with any breathing problems (and I don't even know how slight they may be at this point) than to remain on the Prednisone. I have tried weaning off several times but get so fatigued that I can't move and that's dropping one mg every week. I'm affected by the decrease but it gets out of hand when I get to 14 mg and I get so frustrated and depressed at not being able to do anything that I just go back up to the 20 mg/day. If you have been able to wean off of it, would you please let me know how you did it and what you had to go through? I'm 65 years old now but I have two wonderful granddaughters (ages 4 and 6) who I can't do any normal "Grammy" things with anymore at this point and I have to change this condition for them and for me. Obviously, the doctors don't recognize the severity of the drug because they just keep prescribing it and out of a regular doctor, an oncologist, an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist, they can't seem to get together to come up with a solution. I have to say that I haven't considered suicide lately but I do wish that I would just die and be out of this pain. My family and definitely my granddaughters and wanting to see them grow up are the only things that keep me going. There are probably things that I'm forgetting but I'm sure that one of you have covered it in our posting. Although my family is so supportive, no one and I really mean not one of them, realizes knows what we all go through because of this drug. How could they know that something that is supposed to help you could cause these problems? My life is a living hell, all because a pulmonary doctor prescribed prednisone seven years ago and I trusted him to only do what was right without informing me of what was to come. I more than sympathasize with all of you. I sincerely appreciate the time that you took to post to this site and so thankful to know now that this knee pain is not something new that I have but another side effect of the prednisone. I wouldn't have known that if it wasn't for this site because I'd be willing to bet that after I would have had this x-ray done, one of my doctors would have just prescribed another medication to take. Please feel free to contact me directly with any comments or especially any help that you can give me. I know that all of you are going through the same thing so if I can do anything for you, even just listen and understand, please contact me also. Sometimes that's the only thing that people can do is to listen and someone who is in the same situation can always understand. I'm here for anyone who needs a hug for the day.

I have been on various doses of prednisone on and off for 9 years for a kidney disease. The doses have varied from 70mg to 5mg. I have just about had enough. I cannot describe how debilitating this drug is. Every side effect on here I think I have had except excessive energy. Here is a small list:
Moon Face
Buffalo Hump
shaking like Parkinson
body aches
EXTREME weakness
heart palpitations constantly
joint pain
something would go on with my knees in the morning....it felt like something was boiling. It would be my guess as to what the "Bends" must feel like....it feels like someone is stabbing you in the knees with a knife.
Sleeping at least 16 hours a day
I could barely make everyday at work. It was so miserable to not be able to wake up, I would push myself in 15 minute increments....
You cannot know what it is like to be bed ridden for weeks and to have no doctor understand or believe what is happening to you. You just seem fat and lazy.

I am emotionally scarred by this medicine, there is not a day that goes by that I'm not terrified of having to take a large dose of this again. I just can't.
There is no quality of life at all. You can't do anything.
On top of that, there is no one to talk to, not even a doctor that understands what you are going through.
God help anyone that has to go through this. I understand.

I started to take Atenolol after my kidney disease caused my bp to be extremely high. I'm on Avapro 150 mgs a day but at my last doctor's visit my doctor decided to put me on Atenolol for a rapid heartbeat. After about a week I began to feel extreme fatigue consulted doctor and he said it's not the Atenolol so I continued taking until my I started to feel pins and needles in my hands and feet. One morning I got out of bed and my left foot was swollen and curled up into a ball, the pain was excruciating. I was rushed to the emergency room where they said I pulled a muscle, I didn't. I asked the emergency room doctor could this be the Atenolol since I only started taking the drug for a few weeks when these symptoms began. He stated no that's not one of the side affects. After looking online I found that it is one of the side affects. So I stopped the Atenolol and after a few days was able to regain feeling back into my toes and slowly my foot. I still have pain and have trouble walking but hopefully I will recover. DO NOT TAKE THIS AWFUL DRUG. Either the Doctors know the side affects and are allowing us to be used as quinny pigs or their receiving some type of kickback from the pharmaceutical companies for prescribing this drug. If you know anyone taking this drug who is experiencing the above side affects stop the drug immediately before it's too late. If I had continued the drug I would have become paralyzed or worse stopped breathing. Another thing they are telling people that they have MS Multiple Sclerosis so they can treat you for yet another disease you don't have.

I was prescribed Levaquin in July 2008 for a kidney infection - 500 mg for 7 days. I experienced insomnia, muscle cramping in my calfs, and aching a chilies tendon while taking the drug. Approximately 5 days post Levaquin I started having generalized muscle twitching (head to toe) which is intensely noticed at rest, severe anxiety, burning sensation, vibratory sensation, and most recently weakness accompanied w/ pain in my right arm. I have seen 4 separate doctors in 3 months and have had blood work done along with an MRI of my brain. All tests came back normal... I am scheduled for an EEG and EMG this coming week - which too will probably come back normal. Between all of my doctors I have been diagnosed w/ a virus, anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and a mild case of Guillain-Bairre Syndrome. Luckily all the doctors have agreed that they do not believe I have MS or ALS. Before the kidney infection I was healthy and RARELY made a visit to the doctors. I have issued a Medwatch Report to the FDA as I am completely convinced that my medical issues are related to Levaquin. I have been dealing with these symptoms now for 3 months and would appreciate any feedback from individuals who have experienced the same side effects and what they may have done to ease the symptoms.

Three years ago I was prescribed Levaquin for an infection. After the Levaquin I was unable to stay up in my wheelchair for more than two hours. I started taking two extra strength Tylenol and I was able to increase that to three hours. I added Naproxen 325 mg and that has decreased the pain and has also increased the time in my wheelchair by about an hour. I am also on a drug called Lyrica 150 mg which has decreased the pain further. I am a quadriplegic so I cannot feel anything below my shoulders but my body responds to pain. I can tell that my body is in constant pain but of course I cannot feel were it's coming from. Ever since the Levaquin I also have a condition called Terry's nails. I looked at this condition on the Internet and is says that Terry's nails occurs when the body is in distress usually with kidney disease or liver disease or cancer. I've had more blood tests than I can count and all of them are normal. My body's sensitivity to pain appears to be getting worse. I'm not sure what can help anymore, have any of you found anything out about pain management?

I recently lost my brother Marty to ALS. Marty asked me to tell everyone about his experience and I promised I would. Marty began taking statin drugs in his early 40's. He took them off and on at the suggestion of his PCP. It began with Lipitor and progressed to Crestor. In Dec of 06 tests revealed elevated muscle enzymes, he was also having pain in his left leg. His PCP called and told him to discontinue the Crestor, which he did. The pain continued and other symptoms began to materialize. Symptoms included muscle weakness, toe drop, fasciculations and continued pain in his leg. In June 07 after many tests he received the diagnosis of ALS. He passed away in August 08 at age 52. He believed as I do that statins caused this most horrible disease in him. He also believed that cholesterol is a symptom not the causal agent of heart disease. Now you must decide.

I've been on Trileptal for about a month now and am up to 900 mg, though I expect to come down from this dose because of the dizziness it causes. I am also troubled by a numb tongue, bad taste in my mouth, and swollen lips. One thing I'm experiencing that I haven't read about yet is an increase in the white part of certain fingernails--the white area at the tips of both ring fingers has doubled. At first I thought this might be due to kidney disease, but now I'm wondering if it's simply due to decreased blood supply to my fingers, which do feel a little numb. I'd appreciate anyone's feedback on this.

I have now tapered to 10mg prednisone every other day and will end 75mg Cytoxan Aug 19th. Just went to the Dr. and she said protein is back in urine (bad) but also rising in blood. (good) I can continue to taper prednisone but will have to have another 24 hr urine speciman to determine wether I have to go on cyclosporine. Was originally diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease, but now she thinks it could be another kidney disease. Has anyone had successful tapering with the addition of cyclosporine? Does the urine protein ever get higher? What about side effects of cyclosporine.

PREDNISONE.... a word that is unknown to the naive and despised by the the knowledgeable. Before i begin i want to tell you that prednisone for lack of better word F***ed me up. So heres my story with the pill. About a year ago i was officially diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease, now remember i am eighteen at the time, and was prescribed prednisone to cure the disease. Now being unaware of the severity of the drug and disease i casually continued life while taking 80mg per day of prednisone. Well this was good and all because it did in fact put me in remission, but the side effects were starting go surface. My face ballooned up "moon face", started experiencing random series of depression, became insomniatic, and unfortunately gained several pounds. Well this was not the end of side effects as for me. I continued with the medication and after 6 weeks of 80 mg i began my 5 week course of 60mg. Then after that i started 4 weeks on 40 mg and began tapering 5 mg every 2-3 weeks afterwards. Toward the middle of 60 mg the drug started taking its toll on my body as my skin lost its elasticity so i started getting gruesome strecht marks all over my body. I also became constipated for whatever reason most probably prednisone was at fault. I became very frightened actually terrified so i started to research about the drug in hopes of finding ways to avoid some side effects. In doing my research i found out very disturbing information regarding prednisone. Along with all the side effects that i mentioned above, prednisone also causes cateracts, glacoma, diabetes via insulin resistance, and osteoporosis. Now these i consider as the more severe permanent side effects as the list unfortunately is much longer. Finding out about the side effects i became extremely paranoid and started a very strict diet to hopefully avoid some permenat side effects. I admit reading about the information on prednisone created my paranoia and/or possible phycosis which ultimately led to my stress which led to my severe depression. Now this wasn't any old type of depression, i was sersiouly in need of some help. Everyone around me could tell something was wrong and really i dont blame then for in fact i felt as if my soul had died, the very essence of my being. Now magin if you can someone taking away your youth from you, sucking the very life out of you... thats exactly how i felt. To add along with the depression my grades became a wreck in college as i dropped several classes, lost a friend, developed problems with my parents as they tired to help me, and disrespected family relatives with my uncontrollable mood swings. A few weeks in of dieting and exercising i lost a lot of weight (15-20 pounds). As far as side effects non had changed i still had to deal with all that was mentioned above especially with the fragile skin that was a real burden as i had even a few stretch marks on my face from sleeping on my side. At this point of my long and what seemed to be a never ending journey i become exteremly weak. My body had no energy to run on as i refused to eat and when i did eat it was either foods that are considered free foods or protein nothing else. Everything at this time had been taken away from me including smoking marijuana (marijuana drops blood sugar as this would cause me to start feeling faint and lightheaded), alcohol (same as marijuana drops blood sugar), and the fact that i was not comfortable in my own skin (literally). I was driving myself insane. Everyday i was behind the computer searching for more and more. I was obsessed and became my worst nightmare. Oh by the way half in the medication therapy i showed 1+ grams of protein in my urine which my doctor possibly thought it could have been a relapse. This news i did not take lightly i had lost it and was prepared of comiting suicide. I cant lie, i really did not want to live anymore i just wanted to end this and suicide seemed like a very real and convienent possibility. If it had not been for my parents talking to me giving me a 3 hour speech and lecture i do not know what i would have done. Suicide at that point became out of the question because i could not do this to my family. So i went and purchased urine dip sticks to monitor the protein. The doctor had given me a 2 week window or chance to get back into remission or else he was going to prescribe me cytotoxic agents aka chemo therapy drugs. This was horrible news to me. So as i monitored my protein i found out of a very interesting trend. I noticed that my protein levels in the afternoon were in fact positive for protein and were usually up and down as far as how much but in the mornings i noticed i was always negative. Now this give me a huge bit of hope because when in researching about MCD months earlier i found out that there is a coniditon called orthostatic proteinuria which affects mostly young adolecent males and is a condition described as for some unknown reason there is protein loss in the afternoon when the person is upright and active then when they are supine or laying down the kidneys do not allow any portein loss. This condition is in fact harmless. I was very happy from then news and i told my doctor, he was somewhat doubting, but i don't blame him he is looking out for my best interest, but sure enough after the 2 weeks had past i went in again for my appointment after testing and i was negative for protein as i had expected. We began tapering after that point and i continusouly monitored my own tests at home and eventually i got off the steroid, actually today is that day after a 9 month period of heartache and distress. You know people say that they went to hell and back in a hard moment in life, well i went to hell stayed there for 9 months then came back. I feel so everyone who as ever needed to take steroids for long periods of time, i know its tough but believe it as it is indeed a potent drug and in most cases a miracle drug. It gave me a second chance at life and no matter how hard it was or how much pain it put me through i cannot complain for it did in fact cure me and thats why i can never hold any grudges. So thats my story i kno its not pretty but what can i say it is indeed mine whether i like it or not.

I just don't know what to say. I had the Mirena inserted in May 2007. INSERTION WAS VERY PAINFUL......almost like having a contraction. My doctor had a hard time inserting it and almost gave up.....so did I. After insertion, i had a period the next week that lasted for 14 days. I went back for them to check it and he could not find the strings. Finally after about 20 minutes of searching he found it. My periods have gone from regular pre-mirena to 8 days on post mirena and in April 2008, I had 2 periods. I thought this was suppose to slow down or stop periods. I have gained 20 pounds in a year, started having migraines again, feel and look like I am 6 months pregnant, am very testy and irritable, cry at the drop of a hat, spot after intercourse, and have palpitations. Now I read that the Mirena can cause thyroid problems. I have kidney disease and do not need anything to deal with. I thought I was going CRAZY until I started reading posts on the internet. I wish I had known all this before I got it. I have an appt. to have mine removed June 28. That is the soonest I could get....If I could take it out myself, I would. Has anybody else experienced palpitations?

I am a 25 year old, who was perfectly healthy prior to recently when I was diagnosed with Nephritic Syndrome and Minimal Change Disease and possibly FSGS (kidney diseases) I was put on 60 mg of Prednisone for 1 month then I was lowered to 40 mg for one month and I am then dropping to 30 mg. I am also taking Fosamax for my bones and a Vitamin D pill because my last lab test showed low vitamin D levels.

I am dizzy constantly and can not live a normal life, I can not drive or do any activities that I had previously done. My chest is so tight and constricted all of the time, my heart rate is so fast and pounds at my chest. I have no energy to do anything, I can barely open a door at times. I am beginning to grow unwanted hair on my face. My abdomen is always bloated. I have pain in my rib cage, and shoulders. I feel very sore throughout my entire body. I do not really sleep at night, so I look very tired all the time.

I have actually lost weight, I have no appetite at all. I am down 10-15lbs.

Now for the Pro- my Kidney Diseases are currently in remission and this has happened much faster than the Nephrologist had thought.

I am very anxious to getting my life back to normal and getting off the Prednisone.

Has any one else experienced increased heart rate, chest tightness, or rib pain?

I wish everyone the best in their roads to recovery!!

I have been taking Diovan for about 6 months now. My BP is normal, Diabetes in check.. Gained 30 lbs. NOT GOOD! I also have a rare Kidney disease. I experience dizziness at times. I have had the same PCP for the past 20 years. You'd think that he would know what drugs to prescribe! Now what?

My 84 year old who is in a nursing home was recently prescribed Lisinopril for BP. He is also suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer, as well as stomach ulcers. He has been severely dehydrated, does not sleep well at night, very fidgety, and has become more confused. He is now close to renal failure and the doctor says it's because of the drug. In many of these comments, I find that the drug is sometimes prescribed for kidney disease. I believe that this drug generic or not should be taken off the market. I feel that doctors are experimenting with some patients just to see what side effects with patients.

My nephrologist (kidney doctor) put me on Lisinopril 20 mg/per day, I have been taking it for about 2 months now because I have stage 3 kidney disease due to Diabetes as well as high blood pressure 150/90. For about a month now I have been itching like CRAZY! I cough to the point of throwing -up every morning, very dry cough! I told my doctor about the itching and cough but he just didn't say much about it.I didn't know about these awful side effects before taking it, Thanks to this site I know that I'm not the only one having these episodes and will contact my doctor to see about a change, I wish I would have known this before taking this med. YUCK!

My daughter is 5 years old and has kidney disease. She started taking Lisinopril over a hear ago, 1mg/day to control proteinuera. About 10 weeks ago, they increased her dose to 2 mg/day to control her BP. This is the only med she takes. She seemed to be fine with the increased dosage. A week ago, she woke in the middle of night screaming that bugs were crawling on her. We thought she was having a bad dream but she was very coherent. She went to the bathroom, drank water, listened to a book and conversed with us. She was not at all unresponsive like kids are when having night terrors. Yet, she continued to see spiders and bees and was terrified for a couple hours. Our daughter does not take a pill, her med is compounded in a liquid and we thought the pharmacist might have mixed it improperly. We lowered her dose for three nights until the pharmacist could get us a new batch. She continued to wake up each night seeing bugs but her fear was not as great. She would still be up for a couple hours but she could force herself to think of other things and stop the hallucinations. She's extremely imaginative and my husband had recently taken her to see Bee Movie so we also wondered if she was just imagining these things. After getting the new bottle, she had a worse night. I should have called the pediatrician but I had a very busy day and didn't think of it. During the days my daughter was completely fine and happy. She had none of the reported side effects of Lisinopril. She could recount the events of the previous night and was beginning to worry about going to bed but she was her typical cheerful self. So, I gave her another dose of Lisinopril and that night was absolutely terrible for her and the rest of our family. She had severe hallucinations and thought bugs were everywhere and stinging her. For 40 minutes or so, it was impossible to redirect her attention. She was terrified even when our arms. It took about 3 hours, drinking lots of water, for her to calm down. I talked to our pediatrician again and he concurred that we should stop the Lisinopril. We did so and last night, she slept fine.

I was a very healthy 23 yr old female. I cant believe that I finally found someone going thru almost what I am going thru. My name is Liane and My life changed on July 7th, 2007. I went to the hospital for frothy urine. They told me it was a UTI and gave me Levaquin for 7 days. I took it for only 5 days cuz ( I was allergic too) then were gonna start me on macrobid. Mean time my hands,face, and bottom half began to swell up. Me thinking it was from my period but this was different. I work in a jewelery store and once my rings that are a size 6 DID not fit at all I panicked. I had extremely bad back pain, high blood pressure. I did not feel same. On July 13th (Friday) I went to a hospital here in southern california and talked to a doctor and she said.."sweetie u don't have a UTI, I don't wanna scare u but I think that U have a Kidney Disease called Minimal Change Disease"!!!! WHAT!!!! Am I gonna die? She says no but come Monday u need to see a specialist and confirm. Now here is a Lasix pill to help take some of the water weight that u have gained away. Its already about 1:30am on Saturday the 14th. She says u will not sleep cuz u will be urinating all night. I said well anything to help me, i had went from a very healthy 5' 7" 155lbs woman, I worked out in the gym 5 days a week with my boyfriend who is a Police officer and bodybuilder for fun, so me swelling up and devastated me. I took the pill. and went to sleep. Nothing happened to me. That meant something was wrong. Later that day Saturday I felt BAD. My face kept swelling, blood pressure kept going up, heart racing. I went to E.R and told them I felt like I was gonna die, I think I have minimal change disease I need a specialist now. They admitted me for 5 days. My specialist came in and saved my life. I had a ultrasound and kidney biopsy and they confirmed what I already knew. I had Minimal change Disease. I ended up being allergic to Dilaudid, and compozine in the hospital. I was released on the 20th of july. and now began my treatments. 3 x's a day of Prednisone at 20mg each, simvastatin 20mg once a day for high cholesterol now, lasix 20mg once a day, and omeprazole 20mg once a day to prevent ulcers from the Prednisone., I hate the Prednisone. I broke out so much on my face. And its not pimples it bumps. I wake up every morning at 5a.m with nasty heart burn. then wake up every 2 hours after. Doctor told me to take all my meds at once and it helped a bit but still not completely. I too feel bloated in the mid section. I still suffer from edema in my legs down to my ankles. During the day gets worse but once I put my feet up and elevate them I'm OK. I have bad mood swings I don't know how my loved ones put up me. One minute I cry, 20 minutes I'm happy and wanna go out for a walk. This drug is gonna help me but then Do I really need to put myself thru this? But there is not other way. Just thought of sharing my story.

I took Carafate pills for a bleeding ulcer about 25 years ago with no apparent side effects. I have been taking Carafate suspension this time for another condition for the past three weeks and have developed severe pain in my right side, extreme belching (and I do mean extreme), and constipation. I read today online that the suspension has aluminum and shouldn't be taken by people with kidney disease. I have stopped taking the suspension and most of my symptoms are gone (still some pain in the right side but rapidly diminishing). Also, I am an older person and have avoided aluminum most of my life for fear of dementia. My father did this and was mentally clear until close to his death at 88. I wish I had been told about the aluminum in carafate suspension so that I could have made an informed choice about whether or not to take it.

I am currently on Prednisone for Minimal Change Kidney Disease. I started at 60mg a day and my symptoms from the Kidney issues (swelling in my ankles and legs) went away within about two weeks. I had a lot of energy at first on Prednisone and trouble sleeping. I actually enjoyed the added energy. I also got headaches those first couple weeks and jaw pain. I wasn't really upset about the drugs until my face started getting puffy at about 4 weeks. I was reduced to 40mg at that time. I definitely noticed an increase in appetite and have just recently started counting calories to avoid potential weight gain. My weight so far has only fluxated about 5lbs. I am currently on 30mgs of Prednisone and can not wait to be off. I do have some slight acne on my upper back and notice a little extra weight there (maybe that camel hump thing someone mentioned). I am nervous these things will only get worse so I'm hoping my doctor will reduce the meds more rapidly after my next appointment. Overall it seems the Prednisone has done its job, but I'd still like to be off. I have been on a total of about 2 months now.

While coming off I have noticed heartburn (severe at times), mild depression, loss of energy, and I've been very bloated throughout the process.

I would only take Prednisone if absolutely necessary and get off it as fast as possible. Good luck to you all.

Was on Prednisone 2 years ago for respiratory problems 30mg. Gained 25 pounds, fat face, felt tired, etc.

However 2 years later, after weaning off Prednisone my muscles ache, joints are most always stiff, esp. hands plus my feet feel numb and my short term memory has not returned to normal----does any one else out there have similar problems. What can be done?

I have a kidney disease - minimal change disease - which was diagnosed in 2000. Started out on 60 mg of prednisone every day, got close to completely tapering off and the disease symptoms returned. Increased the dosage, tapered again, and finally was off the medication about 10 months later. Had all the same symptoms that everyone has shared. It was horrible. Thankfully I went into remission for 5 years. In September 2005, the disease reared its ugly head again. I started taking 120 mg of prednisone every other day for one month, then 100 mg for one month, then 60 mg for a month. Now I'm taking 40 mg for a month and the taper will hopefully continue. I still have some side effects, gained 15 lbs., moon face, a little difficulty sleeping, water retention in my hands and legs but it seems like it's manageable this time around. Maybe taking the prednisone every other day is the difference.

I was on Pred for about 9 months(FSG Kidney Disease) and came off about 3 weeks ago. The problem that I have been having for the past three weeks is moderate to servere pain in my joints and muscles? This includes area's like my feet, shoulders, knees and chest. How long should these problems persist? The only thing gettying me by now are pain killers.

I was diagnosed with a kidney disease when I was 14, and was put on prednisone on and off for a few years. After being free and clear for four years, my kidney problem is back, and I am back on the prednisone, 60 mg a day for the past month. My doctor said I can wean myself off and go to about 40 mg a day for the next two weeks, but this is when I used to have relapses in my condition. I am looking for ward to getting off of the prednisone though, my face is so swolen, and I feel like I look like a bobble-head. My cheeks are so full, and I have the worst double-chin. At first, the prednisone gave me so much energy, which was fine with two kids at home, but now I am just irritable and tired. I am starting to gain weight in my stomach now too. This time of year is the worst too, because the prednisone reall effects my immune system. I have to worst cold, and I had to get a flu and pneumonia shot.

The worst part of the prednisone is the swollen face though. There is no way to hide your face. The weight gain in m stomach can be hidden with a bigger shirt, but I can't seem to hide the ound cheeks. I wish I knew how to apply my make-up to hide it, but I can't It's awful!

Hi. I am 13 years old and have been constantly on and off prednisone. I was diagnosed with a kidney disease when I was about 7 years old, and ever since, i have been having much trouble. Prednisone reduces the swelling in my kidneys, but provides me with the worst side-effects. Such as, moon face, acne, moodswings, not being able to sleep, increased apetit, and much much more. I have gained over 20 pounds, and you know how hard that is when at this age its the goal to be small. I used to be very small, and now i feel as if i will never be the same. I have been through this before, and if you are wondering, you always end up losing the weight, and go down even lower than your starting weight. I may be young, but trust me, I've had a lot of painful expeirences with this drug. Lets only hope my side effects go away this time.

Been on high dosages of prednisone since january. the highest 80mg to 10mg. being treated for a kidney disease, vascullitis. this past week i felt like my energy has been drained and some times anxious, also unable to concentrate. unfortunate this week we had the psat's, which was hard for me to concentrate on. i would have been off of prednisone in June but i came down with shingles causing my dosage to go from 20mg back to 60mg. i am also taking 2 grams of cellcept and two blood pressure medicines. i am happy to say i am in remission.