Methotrexate symptoms and conditions

I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years,controlled reasonably well with a combo of methotrexate, naproxen and enbrel. I do a 10 day course of prednisone several times a year for bad flares. I absolutely hate taking prednisone because it turns me into a crabby, edgy, insomniac who can't stop eating. It makes me bloat and that REALLY makes me nuts because I've done so well at weight watcher's, I don't need that nasty, upset stomach over full bloat feeling. And the "roid head" headache thing ? I'm on the phone all day at work so that's bad, too. The insomnia is the worst, really, because I just lie there awake. When I stop taking it I return to normal within 2 days. I only do it when I am absolutely desperate - I already lost some tendons in my left hand to arthritis related damage so I tend to use the prednisone when the fluid builds up in the right hand or if I'm really too sore. I'm also aware that long term prednisone usage is a one way ticket to osteoporosis / osteoarthritis, so I really have to feel like I cannot deal before I take it. It's a hate/hate relationship.

I have no idea if these are side effects from Remicade or not- because doctors always dismiss it as "probably just you". Definitely HEADACHES. I would occasionally get headaches before, but since being on Remicade the past year, I get really bad headaches. Neck/scapula pain/strain. I have woken up with immobile neck 3 times now in past 2 months. It's getting ridiculous. The doctors just say I need PT or to stretch. But I really wonder what's up and why I've never had that in my life until now. Also flushing with inital infusion, but that really is no biggie. I definitely feel STUPID. I've heard of "chemo brain"- does the same thing happen with Remicade?
I am 31 and taking this for inflammatory condition NOS. I have an autoimmune/inflammatory eye condition NOS that left me with significant Retinopathy. I did Prednisone, Methotrexate, Humira, Cyclosporine, Tacrolimus, Cellcept all for a few years- and nothing helped except steroids. Which obviously you shouldn't take long-term. Plus I HATE them, they make me fat, hairy and psycho! So Remicade has been a god-send in some ways. But I am a mother of 2 and love my husband, and worry that I may not go blind but will die young from side effects of this medicine. But why should I worry? Every health care professional says there are "NO" side effects. What's the deal?

I've been on Prednisone for about a month now and have experienced the racing heart. I've been thru so much lately and hope we can help each other here....for the asthma and other reactive friends - try an ALCAT test. This will tell you what foods/meds you have an intolerance to. They send you a kit and you may be surprised what happens to your body when you consume something that your body doesn't like. They have also just given me a script for Methotrexate because my RA numbers are high...I've done my research and so far am refusing to consume that toxic drug. Has anyone tried Minocycline (or other drugs in the cycline family) for joint pain, RA??? I hear it works and at least those side effects aren't deadly.

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 was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis at the end of 2007 and have been on prednisone since then. I started on about 105mg a week and am currently trying to reduce it but it is really hard as the moment the dosage goes down I lose all mobility and cannot even get out of bed. I am only 23 years old and really feeling the disease to the extent that I cannot even cope with my life. The prednisone has really taken its toll on me and the side effects are crazy! I just want to go back to my old self as I am finding it sooo hard to get through a single day. My side effects include:

Insomnia, tooth sensitivity, depression, anxiety, mood swings, moon face (my face is so swollen that I cant stand looking in the mirror anymore, dizziness, temper, feelings of uselessness, nightmares, night sweats, water retention, and to top it all off the arthritis is getting worse and I am in constant pain. Is there anything anyone can suggest then please help me!

I am 16 years old and i have an orbital inflamatory psedotumor myositis, which causes me to see double. It is a condition the doctors are kind of just playing a gussing game in how long i will have to take the steroids. Everyone is different., i have been to many doctors and they have described it to me as an autoimmune disease within my eye and not my whole body. I was put on 60mg of prednisone. I have been taking it for over 3 weeks now. I was sapost to be symptom free within 2 days, but it took me 9 days before i noticed a difference in my vision. I am going on my fourth week now and still see double but not as bad. The prednisone has been absolutely awful. i handled it farley well the first 2 weeks and since then it has been pure hell. I do get bad mood swings,and i really don't mean to act the way i do. People i was once really close to don;t want to be around me anymore. Mostly i think i am frustrated with the acne it has given me. I am completely plastered now all over my face neck and chest. It is really embarrassing. I just wish other people realized how frustrating it is. Its like i wake up every morning and take an UGLY pill. I am really self conscious to begin with and was actually feeling pretty good about the way i looked until i had to start this medication. It really does suck. I can't even imagine what some of you are going through right now after reading everyones stories. My heart really does go out to everyone who has to deal with this, and i will pray for all of you. If any one has the same diagnosis as i do or knows anything about it and how long it takes to be treated please let me know. I am begging to worry because i don't think the prednisone is going to work for me. the doctors are thinking about putting me on methotrexate which i am also concerned about but it is not sapost to make you break out which is really all i am worried about right now. I have already back down from prom after working my but off to pay for my dress,and i really don't want my summer to be ruined. i wake up every day and want to hide in a whole were no one can see me. going to school is really hard to. The girls love to make fun of me and the guys are just kind of turned off from how i look.
How long does it take for the acne to go away after getting off the prednisone.and does it go away as you taper the drug down? also how long does it take before most people develop a moon face? i have a range of being on prednisone anywhere form 2 months to a year. There is a possibility that i will never be able to be off of it.

October 22, 1998 I had resp. failure (with intubation). My new pulmonary doctor put me on Singulair 10 mg once a day, a few weeks after. Within time, I started to have numbing and tingling in my face, arms, and legs. March of 1999 the symptoms worsened and started causing pressure in my face, arms, and legs, and anxiety started to kick in. I was told I had neuropathy and to take mobic. Symptoms getting worse, and went to a rheumatologist in June 1999, and he was suspect of singulair. The doctor thought that what I was experiencing was due to the singulair. He (the rheumatologist) discussed this with the pulmonary doctor and the pulmonary doctor did not believe this to be the case. Not forgetting, in March of 1999, I had a ct of the sinus area, and low and behold 1/3 of the cavity was and probably still is full of polyps.

As time went on, symptoms getting worse, and not one bloody doctor could figure out why I was feeling this way. In addition, at times, I was put on steroids for my asthma (not including my inhalers).

Two years ago, my body went into shock, leaving my left side very different than my right side. Affecting: my head, my face, my eye, my ear, my esophogus, my lungs, my arm, my leg.

I have been depressed and anxious not knowing what the heck was going on with me.

Recently ruled out thyroid, and lupus, and possibly ms.

Last weekend, I reviewed the letter from the rheumatologist (dated 1999) and the ct report from March 1999 (regarding the sinus/ polyps) and made copies to present to a pulmonary doctor that I have recently been seeing.

This past Monday the 10th, I had my appt with him. He knew of my situation from the last few visits (in addition, I had met him this past March for a pulmonary rehab program, and thought he seemed to be knowledgeable and compassionate). While waiting for him to enter the exam room, he had read those reports before entering.

The doctor looked at my hands (red as a beet and swollen) and said "You have Churg-Strauss Syndrome, and get off the singulair."

I had done my homework from a few weeks ago, where I looked up untreated polyps.
Untreated polyps, can turn into vasculitis. There are many types of vasculitis, to include Churg-Strauss Syndrome.

I then cross ref CSS and singulair, and low and behold, BINGO!

I have been suffering for ten years, physically and emotionally because of this drug!

There is also recent updates from the fda (fda.gov) regarding singulair, of which most recently includes anxiety and depression.

I suggest before taking singulair, be aware of the side effects. As soon as a side effect comes up, contact your doctor. Also, be aware of existing conditions (like me, sinus problems and asthma) for this could lead to churg-strauss syndrome.

This info is indicated on the actual disclosure (the paper insert that indicates studies, side effects, etc...) not the handout that is given with the drug.

By the way, I am now working with a new rheumatologist in Los Angeles (Cedar-Sinai affiliated) and a new neurologist.

mdklezmer

I have been on 20 mg Lipitor for years, and as I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, all my symptoms have been blamed on that. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and put on Lyrica because of the muscle aches and depression. My lower back, hurt in a car accident when I was 17 years old, had gotten so much worse that I had 12 steroid shots in my lower spine a couple of years ago. They didn't help my back at all, but my blood sugar went from normal to diabetic levels, and I am now on Byetta to try to lower it.
I am a 56 year old woman who was the math specialist in a school district until last December when I had to retire early. My back pain was so severe that I could no longer go from school to school carting materials. I could barely make it from the parking lot to my office. Mentally I was not ready to retire, but physically, I was (and am) a wreck. I have severe muscle pain in my shoulders, sometimes one or the other, but always present. I have tingling in my right hand, especially in my fingertips, and have trouble gripping and drop things easily. In the last few months the pain in my right thigh and calf has gotten unbearable. I thought at first it was sciatica, but I have had sciatica before, and this isn't the same, although there is tingling, burning , but the pins and needles is so deep in the muscles I have just sat and cried, or wanted to scream. I have wished I could just cut my leg off. And...I am on some pretty heavy duty pain killers for the RA: a small dose of prednisone plus Enbrel, Methotrexate, and Vicodin, and this pain is cutting right through all these meds. I get severe headaches, I went off Lipitor for 5 days and seemed a little better, but then went back on, and it came back.
Since I no longer work, I sleep longer, am exhausted ALL the time, have terrible mental fog, am clumsy, cannot stand for more than a minute or so without wanting to scream, cannot walk more than a few yards...just getting to the car is an ordeal. I tell people that I can only shop in shoe stores and furniture stores...the only stores with places to sit down.
I no longer cook or clean, cannot play with my granddaughter, even holding a book to read can be too much, and I love reading. I feel I am just dying bit by bit as I lose parts of myself.
My doctor is really into lowering cholesterol, and has put me on Zetia in the past few months...and it has been in this time that the pain in my leg has gotten unbearable. He wants my cholesterol to be between 50-60, and has said that the Zetia along with the Lipitor will do that. Is this normal or in any way reasonable??? I am having a full blood workup done tomorrow morning, and I want to go off the Lipitor starting the day after.
I came across this web site tonight while looking up Lipitor side effects, and I am shocked. I have so many of these symptoms, and there are so many I had no knowledge of at all. I knew about the muscle aches, but that's all. I hope someone can help me with what supplements and vitamins I should be taking. I started taking CoQ10 a month or so ago. What else should I be taking for my health? I know vitamin C and fish oil, but don't know how much or anything else. Right now I am just stunned with the thought that all of these problems that have left me unhappily retired, exhausted and in constant pain can all be caused from a drug I have been taking to help me be healthier.

My name is Alex, this is a 7 years since I have been on Remicade, The Remicade works well for me .
The only side effect from remicade I feel like I am not myself and I don't feel like do anything, and I don't perform good at my work, I don't like to think to deep or details work. My job is computer.
I get tired of things so easy.
Overall I am not happy person when I do my remicate.
Dose Anybody has these problem I mentioned????

My daughter is 12 and just started taking Prednisone 5 days ago (40mg - she weighs 105lbs) .. I've been watching her salt intake - tonight she looks a little pale to me - is that a side effect? has anyone else experienced that? She has Ulcerative colitis (2 years this month) - started w/asacol, colazol, 6mp (gave her pancreatits) now is on methotrexate since Nov '07 - was put on prednisone because of a recent flare - to me none of these medications have put her into remisson - always goes 3-5 times a day - sometimes blood - sometimes not - don't know if prednisone will help - so afraid of the side effects -
Dr. said if it doesn't - Remicade will be the next option - after that surgery - only thing - my daughter has never complained of pain - except when she was on 6mp -
sorry for babbling - just so scared...

The arthritis/crohn’s disease drug Remicade, manufactured by Centocor is a deadly drug and should be taken off the market. The drug has caused death and permanent damage to patients across the world. The drug company makes billions of dollars and downplays the side effects including the increased risk of lymphoma and blood problems. The company downplays infusion-related reactions saying that those reactions usually occur within 1-2 hours post infusion. Here’s the truth:

*Centocor has been reprimanded by the FDA for publishing false claims in its marketing literature given to physicians. See FDA website for official document.

*The literature lists syncope (drop in blood pressure), bradycardia (slowed heartrate), pancytopenia (dangerous drop in blood cells..platelets, whit blood cells, red blood cells etc, increased risk of lymphoma, serum sickness. The literature says to call MD if you are “pale”.

*Here is a case of what happened to a woman in her 30’s with rheumatoid arthritis after only the 2nd infusion. She was not on methotrexate at all so this is all Remicade’s fault. Approximately 2-3 days after the 2nd infusion the patient began to feel tired and sore but still worked an 8 hour shift that day. By 12 midnight the patient’s entire body flared up…every joint was literally swollen and she was vomiting violently.. She could barely get to a phone to call for help. Her blood pressure dropped to 50/40 and all of her blood counts plummeted. Her Sedimentation Rate (which measures inflammation had always been below 2 and it spiked to 29!!!) Remicade caused the opposite of what it was supposed to do. It also increased greatly her C-Reactive Protein which is also a measurement of inflammation and can cause cardiac inflammatory processes as well increasing the risk of cardiac damage. The nurse in the triage area told the patient that if she had not called for help SHE WOULD HAVE DIED !!! She ended up in the hospital for 5 days in an isolation room. She was in excruciating pain and had to be given Oxycontin every 12 hours and Dilaudid IV every 2 hours to control the pain. For the first 2-3 days she could not even walk or go to the bathroom without assistance. She was given high doses of prednisone to decrease the inflammatory process and get her pain under control. A hematologist performed a bone marrow biopsy which revealed an abnormal population of plasma cells that can develop into myeloma or lymphoma. The hematologist said that the patient would have to be monitored lifelong to watch the pre-cancerous cells. The patient was out of work for 3 months and was forced to change jobs because of her fatigue level and short term memory problems. She also suffered post-traumatic stress due to her near-death experience and total upheaval in her life. She is a healthcare professional. Even 4 years after the reaction her blood counts are still abnormal and she has still had short term memory problems and vision problems.

I have been on it for two months due to severe psoriatic arthritis. I'm taking the max infusions every four weeks, methotrexate injections and prednisone. I'm tired, sleepy, sweaty and somewhat nuts a lot. However, after last week infusion, I have some type of rash-little red dots that feel like pin pricks that itch somewhat. I feel like a thousand fleas are attacking me all at one time! Has anyone had this type of feeling? PLEASE reply-it is driving me nuts.

i will have my first treatment remicade this coming may28 2008,tell me if its a good idea????

tony k.

It saddens me to read all the horrible effects this drug has caused. My husband took Levaquin back in August 2007and after 2 days starting have aching muscles, joints, drenching night sweats, high fever, rash. He took this poison drug for days(for a swollen lymph node in groin) and the side effects would not go away. He too was a very healthy 43 year old who worked out 4-5 times a week and very physically fit. This went on for months. He was tested for TB, AIDS, Lyme disease, I think every infectious disease and lymphoma, all came back negative. In Oct. 2007 he was hospitalized for 6 days and we were told that he had a very rare disease called Still's Disease. (google it and read about it please) I with all my heart and soul feel that LEVAQUIN brought this disease on. There is very little known about Still's but it's scary to think that doctors are giving this poison to patients. My husband has been on daily injections of Kineret, Methotrexate and Predisone since October and thank God these meds have given him relief. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE LEVAQUIN and tell all you family, friends and co-workers about it!

I was using Restasis, as well as Methotrexate, to help relieve the discomfort of dry eye and scleritis; however, I believe after six months of using Restasis, there has been progressive redness and extremely painful episodes. I believe I have discovered that the Restasis was actually exacerbating the scleritis!! I discontinued the use of the Restasis, and magically, my eyes, which have been continually red and terribly painful for at least six months, have cleared! Not sure yet if it was actually the Restasis that was causing my scleritis to worsen, but if my eyes continue to stay clear, I will not use the Restasis again.

I have been on Fosamax since 2003. In 2004 my left hip starting hurting so bad it would wake me up during the night. I had dislocated my left hip in 1994 so we put the pain down to complications from the accident. The x-rays were fine however so she sent me to a Rheumatologist to see if something else was going on. He told me I had Inflammatory Arthritis (even tho there were no markers in my blood) and put me on Plaquenil. After 6 months, the Plaquenil had done nothing but the Rheumy wanted me to stay on, and truthfully, I was afraid if I went off, the pain would become worse. Next came wrist pain so severe at times I couldn't lift a glass without wincing.To make a long story short, the joint pain has continued to migrate throughout my body. My thumb joints (where they join the palm) are so painful I can't undo jars or bottles, the small bones in my fingers ache all the time. I also get shooting pains in the long bones of my left leg and both arms. Back to the Rheumatologist last week. He said the Plaquenil was not working so he gave me an RX for Methotrexate 20 Mg once per week. This drug is one of the first-line chemo drugs for Cancer and it's effects on the body can be devastating. I have been crying since last Wednesday and had just decided yesterday to start taking this medication. I sat down at the computer to just test the drugs I am currently taking and one by one entered the drug name with "and joint pain". Plaquenil came up with only good things such as "less joint pain" etc. Mobicox also came up with good things. I entered Fosamax "and joint pain" and the top 15 hits were unbelievable. It was my problem in each and every article. I am dumbfounded. I have been seeking Dr.s help with my pain for 4 years, a GP, a Rheumatologist (2 actually) and an Orthopod, not one of these people ever mentioned a problem with Fosamax! What is going on. I am NOT going to be starting the Methotrexate and I feel I have been given dangerous medications over the past four years which I should not have been taking. I was a Personal Trainer and aerobics instructor for 12 years - now I can barely get through a yoga class without modifying the stretches because the pain is so severe.

Thank goodness for this site. I have made an appointment with my GP but I am stopping the Fosamax today (it was my day to take it). I pray I can regain some of the pain-free movement I used to have. In closing, I do have to say that I have regained some bone mass on Fosamax but...was it worth it? Was there another way I could have done this? Who knows. How long does it take for the pain to lessen after dropping Fosamax?

I have active Rheumatoid Arthritis and am currently on Methotrexate, Celebrex and Vicodin to alleviate the symptoms. My rheumatologist at the beginning of December gave me a flu shot due to low immune side effect of Methotrexate and also gave me an injection of Kenalog (80 i think) for the pain. She told me it was a cousin to the cortisone shots I had in the past but that it was much more effective and with a lot less side effects. I did feel better after a few days. But now 2 months later a large apx 3" long by 1 1/2 inches wide jagged edged discoloration has appeared the entire area is indented almost to the bone apx 1/2 inch deep in the center. This occurred during one week time. last week was not there, this week it is. Very worried looks just like some of the melanoma pictures on the internet. Glad to have found this site. I am seeing a doctor tomorrow morning will update this site once it is diagnosed, hopefully it is from the Kenalog shot - it is in the same area, left arm starting just below the ball and joint of the shoulder.

I'm a 22 year old who was diagnosed with dermatologists a couple months ago. I've been on different doses of steroids ranging from 5mg to 60mg for 5 months now. i was on 60mg the longest and just went down to 40mg. i go down to 30 mg next month. so far my side effects are moon face, swollen areas around my neck and collar bone, weight gain like 15 lbs, always have to wake up in the middle of the night and pee, my knees get shooting pains sometimes at night, light hair by my ears like sideburns, tired, helps with my muscle weakness a little, my eyesight seems blurry sometimes, chest always feels tight. I'm also on Methotrexate, Bactrim, folic acid, and Fosamax. it might be a reaction form all these but i think its mainly from the Prednisone. i cant wait to get down to the lower doses. i look like a different person and even tho all my family and friends know its still embarrassing. i fell like a whole different person. i cant wait to be normal again.

I started taking 60mg of Prednisone two months ago and one week ago it was lowered to 40mg a day. I have gained 10lbs in that time, have the moon face, acne on face and chest. My face has grown black fur on it. My mood swings are terrible. I feel like a time bomb waiting to go off. I feel like I am always angry. My anxiety level feels like I am about to jump out of my skin. My doctor has agreed to start tapering me off of the Prednisone as now I am also on Imuran, Cytoxan and Methotrexate. Does anyone know how long does it take for these side effects to go away after you are off the Prednisone??? Do any of them lessen with a lower dose???

I have been on synthroid for about 6 months now. Some of the side effects I have been experiencing are numerous.I have hair loss, sometimes I get so ill that no one can stand to be around me, my weight has gone up about 30 pounds, my cholesterol levels went sky high so now I'm taking Crestor, I'm bloated most times, I have episodes where my face flushes and gets so red that it feels like its on fire, and now I've just started experiencing burning and aching of the legs, I'm tired a lot too! My doctor said I would lose the weight but every time I go for check ups and get on the scale it just keeps going up. I would like to know if anyone else out there is experiencing the burning and achy legs because I have been tested for everything and they can't find out what is going on. They of course say it's not the medication.It seems to never be. Does anyone feel me??

Along with Prednisone, I am on Methotrexate and now a slightly enlarged spleen that has reduced my red platelets to only 75,000

If my Doc takes me off of these pills for my RA, what kind of pain will I be in and is there any alternatives to Prednisone and Methotrexate. I've been on these for 5 years now.

Yesterday (about 36 hours ago) I took my first Fosamaz, for some minor bone thinning. A few hours ago, I felt like I had pulled something across my back and it has gotten worse. The pain seems to have spread especially to my knees but also my elbows and hands. I have rheumatoid arthritis and take methotrexate, plaquenil, and naproxen. Normally with my arthritis, I might ache SOMEWHERE (for the most part pain is controlled), but now I'm aching EVERYWHERE, it hurts to move. I just thought about looking up possible side effects online and found this site. This feels almost like the flu, but I don't have a headache--yet, anyway. I just took a muscle relaxer to help--I hope I didn't make it worse.

I am 21 years old and was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my hands, fingers, and wrists. My doctor put my on 60 mg of prednisone at first and then had me slowly go down to 20 mg a day. I have since been trying to go off of it myself. I can't stand the side effects any longer. I have this constant charlie horse pain in my hips and legs, i am so hot and constantly flushed, i feel so depressed ( i am normally a happy all smiles kind of person ) i have done nothing but cry everyday for the past week because I just feel like so many people don't understand or believe anything I am saying. I thought maybe some of this was all in my head until I found this site. Is there any other medications out there that don't have all these terrible side effects? I feel as though the pain from the arthritis is far less worse than this.

My hair started to look real unhealthy, and then began falling out in large amounts, even if I would just run my fingers through my hair.

My mom has been on predisone off and on for the last 19 years. First for asthma for 5 years weight gain of 100 pounds. then got off of it by going to national jewish hospital in Denver. Still put on it over the years Now the last year has been diagnosed with sjogrens syndrome and put on predisone as well as methotrexate injections. They started coming down and she had some heart trouble so back up and she kept telling drs her chest hurt all the way to her back this went on for 6 months 6 times in hospital and ER they kept saying it was her heart and rib cage. Well finally 10 days ago finally took a back exray and she had three fractures in her spine. So she has had a broken back for the last 6 months which was caused by the predisone. Had surgery 4 days ago but is now in nursing home for a while and the sjogrens is showing up in her lungs and was told this week that the treatment is predisone. She has so many things wrong that I now feel like the predisone has probably caused most of her health problems. Predisone should never be used for long term use it is to dangerous and so very painful.