Oral prednisone symptoms and conditions

I had a cortisone injection into my left knee on Friday, June 5th and immediately started to react. Within an hour, I had extreme redness and heat in my face, neck and upper chest. Wheezing, hives in throat and mouth and behind my ears. Extreme headache that came on suddenly and started in the back of my head and stretched to the front. Dizziness, chest discomfort. I went to the ER and was given a nebulizer treatment, benadryl IV and prednisone because the doctors at the ER felt that I must have had an allergic reaction to some medication that was mixed with the cortisone injection, because they said that to be allergic to cortisone is very rare. About 20 minutes after they gave me 60mg of oral prednisone, they started my benadryl IV. I felt such a hot rush to my face, my ears were burning. Eventually, the reaction calmed down and they sent me home with a prednisone taper and benadryl every 4 to 6 hrs. Sunday morning, I took 60mg of the prednisone and within 20 minutes I knew that I was in trouble so I took 50mg of benadryl and on the advice of my doctor, called an ambulance. In the ambulance, I was given oxygen, a nebulizer and more benadryl IV. After that morning, I knew that my problem was the steroid. I hadn't had any sleep since Thursday, I had been nauseous ands been battling chest discomfort and a very bad headache. I spoke with my doctor on Monday and he wanted me to take Atarax,25mg, every 3 to 4 hours. I saw him on Tuesday and I went to an allergist on Wednesday. She started me on 50 mg of zyrtec twica a day and 25mg of Atarax at night to see if this would help the reaction that I continue to have. She said that it could be several weeks, at least, that I will continue to react, until the injectable steroid is out of my system. It had been 13 days, and Im still reacting.

I am a part-time professional singer and attorney. I developed an odd cough-variant asthma this winter at age 42 -- it had scary breath shortness and wheezing plus lots of phlegm coughed up. I had never before had the shortness/wheezing/asthma, though I have always had allergies and occasional bronchitis following a cold. The asthma/allergy specialists put me on Advair 500 twice a day with each attack, plus an oral prednisone burst/short taper, nebulized (not just rescue inhaler) albuterol (beta 2 agonist), and antibiotics (a different one each time). I also take Claritin, Rhinocort and Astelin for my allergies. I had four attacks of asthma this winter that were treated this way; after the fourth, they put me on Advair 250 maintenance for a month. With each attack, I would get hoarse, have trouble sleeping, and get odd muscle cramps I never had had. The hoarseness was worse each time, but I was able to sing through it at my regular gigs. I attributed the side effects to the prednisone. With my fifth attack, they told me to ramp up the Advair to 500 and do all else the same, but as an experiment to see how this would alter those side effects, I decided to treat it with everything but the prednisone. The hoarseness, sleep trouble, and muscle cramps were all much worse. I found this site, noted the recommendation of several other singers to try Asmanex instead of Advair, and asked the docs about it. They agreed that all these symptoms could be related to the Advair and gave me Asmanex 250 twice/day instead instead of the Advair, plus all the other meds for the attack. The symptoms went away within a week, although it took a little longer for me to get over the asthma attack this time. I am extremely grateful to this site and all the users posting comments. I can sing again, sleep again, and exist without weird muscle cramps during treatment of my asthma. Thank you very much.

I was involved in a MVA about 4 years ago. I was prescribed oral prednisone for my back and neck pain. I took the recommended pack but about 3 days into the regimen I began having EXTREME pain in my joints- especially knees, hips, and ankles. I was not even able to walk by myself. My doctor never even suggested that it could be a side effect of the prednisone and told me that I had to finish the rx or it would be possible for me to have major reactions such as heart failure, etc. I was so scared that I finished the rx. My side effects included weight gain, mood swings, increased appetite, etc. but the worst was the joint pain. I survived the treatment and swore that I would never take the drug again. Well, never say never. My back pain continued and I went to a pain management doctor who recommended spinal injections. He said that the prednisone injections should not have the same side effects as the oral med so I received the injections. He said that he used a reduced amount of the prednisone during the procedure. I had great results with a reduction in my back pain for several months. I just this week had another injection and now I am in experiencing the same horrible pain in my joints as I had the first time with my oral rx. Is this normal? I have contacted my dr for pain med but I know that I am just covering up the side effects. Any one else have similar situation? What do you do when the treatment is worse than the ailment?

I was put into the hospital in March '06 after using a carpet protectant that I purchased at the pet store. The chemicals in the product burned my lungs and I spent about 3 weeks in the hospital and was given prednisone for 10 -12 days. I remained in the hospital after my lung function increased because of the sever pain in my knees. My husband was going nuts trying to tell the doctors that he read on the internet that prednisone causes problems with knees and joints but they didn't believe him and kept running tests. They eventually switched the steroid to solumedrol and the pain decreased. I was sent home with less pain which eventually went away....but not for long. 7 months later, I began to have knee pain, which continued to get worse each day. The 1st Ortho told me that I tore a ligament and that the dead bone on the MRI will grow back. I didn't like that answer and eventually went back to an orthopedic surgeon I saw a few years prior for an injury I had while doing gymnastics. He took one look at my MRI and diagnosed me with AVN in my right knee. I got my 1st total knee replacement in August '07, a manipulation in October '07. While recovering, I noticed that my left knee was hurting and thought it was from using it so much and compensating for the right one......but I was wrong. I got an MRI on my left knee and once again, I have AVN. I got my 2nd knee replacement in January '08, a manipulation in February '08 and a 2nd manipulation in March '08. I'm now 29 years old, with asthma (from the carpet spray) 2 fake knees and have had the worst 3 years ever while going through all of this. I now have pain in my 1st replaced knee......under my knee and toward the inside. I go back to my surgeon tomorrow and am dreading another surgery.

If anyone has any questions, I'll try to help you as much as I can.

J.

What side effects should one expect who has been prescribed 1000mg (one thousand) oral Prednisone.

I too have been injected previously with Kenalog shots for allergies. I never had the site indentation that most of you are commenting on. But I can tell you that the menstrual cycles did change considerably. Kenalog is a steroid, and like oral prednisone it is hormonal. It is just like taking birth control pills, you have the irregular or heavy periods, the excessive hunger, hair growth where you don't want it and weight gain. And as far as my allergies are concerned it never worked. I have excessive sinus disease that has been aggravated by living in a dry windy desert climate. After my second sinus surgery in 2 months the holes in my sinus cavity are starting to close up again. So yesterday my doctor tried a new therapy of injecting kenalog right into my sinus cavity. However it was not injected directly. A small piece of spongy foam was placed into my sinus cavity and the medicine was injected into the foam so my nose would absorb it naturally without the tissue being directly injected. I don't know if it will work or not. I have experienced some unpleasant side effects already, higher blood pressure and increased heart rate. Although the heart rate did come down after a few hours. Any kind of steroid causes this problem. I was hospitalized in January with a severe asthma attack and was given steroids thru a I.V. It was the only drug that opened up my lungs, however by the second day my heart temporarily went into v-tach because I was getting too much too often. As soon as it decreased I was fine. So dosage is a major concern. I can tell you from experience that Kenalog last realistically for about a month even though docs tell you it's good for 3. I would not have multiple injections for any reason. But when you are in pain and hurting and you have inflammation in your body, unfortunately steroids of some kind will always be the drug of choice. I have recently started acupuncture and will see if that helps my sinus problems. I have taken up yoga too to help my breathing. I highly recommend these alternatives to drug therapy. I have been on every kind of asthma and allergy drug out there and I do not trust any of them anymore. But ask the doctor lots of questions and refuse the meds if you are not comfortable. if your doctor is herding you in and out of his office or not willing to explain the meds completely then refuse it and go to someone else.

As a Doctor myself I think drugs are NEVER the answer except in EMERGENT issues in Heroic life saving... YOU however and all individuals are and should be MORE accountable for your own health and STOP DEMANDING the Drugs and look to LIFESTYLE changes in DIET and EXERCISE to achieve the GOALS so necessary for quality and quantity of life.... The tools are at your fingertips ... The almighty internet ... And your OWN imaginative mentation is your TRUE limitation... So TAKE control of yourself and BE accountable .... Sorry so blunt but MORE tough love and Educating people is whats needed.... NOT more drugs....

MDG

I started prednisone last week because of an allergic reaction I had to I dunno what (yet). I started with a solumedrol shot, followed 12 hrs later by a kenalog shot, followed 12 hrs after that by oral prednisone q 24 hrs. The 'fog' is fucking horrible; I can't think straight. I'm at the end of a medic class and have finals this weekend - and I'm scared that I'll be in the middle of a fog during the exams and will fail miserably.

It's unlike anything else I've experienced. It's not a drunk or stoned feeling, it's literally like I've lost cognitive ability and cannot process information. For instance: I wanted to make some tea and forgot how to turn on the kettle.

Does anyone else experience wild mood swings? I'm not normally a tearful person, but the past few days have seen me crying uncontrollably for no reason whatsoever - and this morning, I started laughing whilst I was crying and just couldn't stop. My family think I'm losing my mind, and were I not taking prednisone, monteluklast and fexofenadine I'd agree with them. As it is, I feel somewhat reassured that it's the medications that are causing these symptoms, but holy cats, is it ever weird to feel this way.

I feel so bad for you folks who are faced with the prospect of long-term cortico-steroid therapy. If any of you would like to talk, please contact me at ****** .

Good luck, y'all!

Hi, i was suffering from MCD and put on Prednisone 60 mg per day in May 2007 and after 4 weeks my Doctor asked to take alternate days and then taper by reducing 10 mg per week and it was stopped without much of side effects. But it was the beginning what i feel as in Nov 2007 again i had relapses and this time i was on 80 mg dose which i completed for 4 weeks and when it was on alternate days i started with my right hip pain which i reported to my doctor and was suggested not to go for any pain killer as it is due to Prednisone.
When pain increased i was advised to go for hip MRI and today after MRI the technician informed that my hip joint is damaged......yet i have not got the detailed report of MRI. It all caused by this drug as i have never fallen or got any other impact. Now i am on bed as i can't move and as others i am also getting swelling on face, water retention etc.

Anil

I just recently found this site and am very thankful I did. Has anyone ever even heard of someone being prescribed 1000mg oral prednisone for 7 days, followed by 500 mg oral prednisone for 7 days for a one day occurance of optic neuritis. It happened to my father and he died 3 weeks later. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can help me make sense of this dosage.

After having sinus surgery (lasted more than 3 hrs) my ent dr placed me on singulair. once i recovered from the sugery, it was incredible. i had been sick for a year. my pf was down to 30%, i was on a rescue inhalaer, nebulizer, advair, and sometimes oral prednisone. the efffect was immediate. i felt good for the first time in more than a year. i weighed about 135 lbs - at 5'6, i was slim. After a year, i had gained about 15 pounds, and had urination at night every 1-2 hrs, then i started having stomach discomfort - consistant indigestion. i went to the dr who ordered lab, and gave me prevacid and told me to come back in a week. the next a.m. i took the prevacid and when i started to eat breakfast, i started vomitting and did not stop. i experienced muscle spasms starting in my neck, down my back, leg that were non-stop for 3 hrs. i went to the er, had all kind of tests, mri, etc. the drs never gave me a dianosis, but my daughter thought it was the singular so i refused it while in the hospital. after recovering at home for a few days i went back to work. no more muscle spasm, no more frequent urination, stomach discomfort is only about 20% of what it was, but i am about 30 pounds heavier than when i started the drug. i eat only 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day, but cannot lose the weight. i have an active job, walk a lot, but cannot lose the weight. i am on asmanex and have not been to my allergist in about 6 months. doing very well!!!

A side effect not mentioned yet:

The first week of January of 2005 a buldging disk piched my C5 nerve and I lost about about 50 percent use of my right arm. To reduce the inflamation I had a choice of going on oral Prednisone or cortisone injections directly into the disk. My doctor recommended Prednisone as it was non-invasive and I went with the Prednisone. I took 60 mg. a day for 3 days then 50 mg. for 3 days and so on over an period on 18 days. While I regained most of the use in my right arm, I am still struggling with the damage to the nerve and the disk. I wished I had elected to the cortisone shots since I experienced many of the bad side effects already mentioned. However, in addition and one that is on going is the impact on my sex drive in terms of maintaining an erection. I am 49 and have never had a problem prior to my experince with prednisone.

Has anyone else experince this side effect and does it go away with time. Just wondering?