Steroid use symptoms and conditions

I am on prednisone frequently for respiratory infections as I have a chronic lung condition. I was just hospitalized for a week and on 80 mg per day IV. I have tapered by 5 mg every 3rd day. I have a rash in my hairline and actually in my hair. I have blurry vision, insomnia, cravings for food, weight gain, puffy face, swollen stomach, and pain so bad in my left hip joint that I can hardly bear weight.
In Aug, 2008, I had my right hip replaced from avascular necrosis caused by steroid use for my lung condition. I am worried that AVN is now also in my left hip. The steroids take the swelling down in my lungs so I can breathe, however they are destroying my bones. I am so scared of another hip surgery. I realize that I need to be thankful that my joints can be replaced, but it is a horrible side effect of this drug.

My son is 10 and 1/2 months old. He was recently diagnosed with viral rhinitis (runny nose) and bronchiolitis. He was given and antibiotic and albuterol liquid. I was hesitant to administer the medicine because I had a negative experience with giving it to my daughter when she was a infant. She became extremely hyper and gained weight at a remarkable speed. You could tell she was on steroids obviously. My son seems to be having night terrors or something. Yes we are still working on the sleep all night pattern. But since he has been taking the albuterol, it has been horrible. We were told by friends to just let him cry at night. Originally he would cry himself to sleep and it would be short lived and bearable for us. Now on the medicine he awakes screaming at the top of his lungs. If you put your hand on his chest, his heart is beating so fast and his breathing is rapid. I haven't given the medicine consistently because of my fears. I am a nurse and I only give it to him if symptoms are present. If a listen with my stethescope and hear wheezing or feel as if he is forcing air out during expiration, I'll give a dose at night. I hate this drug for young ones! It seems like more harm than good. I think me and my son's doctor will have to have a long talk and come up with another plan. The money shouldn't drive you! My 1st born is now 14. As she remained on the med even to this day, I have still not liked it. Now she dances quite a bit and uses her inhaler maybe 1-3 times per month. When she was around 10 or 11 she was very chubby as a result of the steroid use, despite being physically active. @ age 10 she wore a womens 16. It took many years and limited use of the drug to get the weight off. If there are other options discuss them with you physician and get your kid off this drug. It seems dangerous to me!

UPDATE: Our nightmare with SINGULAIR has not ended! After reading "conerned citizens" report discussing the possiblility of Singulair causing asthma blew me away. My son was put on this drug for food allergies not asthma b/c they thought of his two anaphylaxsis episodes in 5 days. 1 food related the other unknown (maybe outdoor mold?) He had no prior issues with breathing.

He has been off of it for almost 2 weeks however over the last week he has slowly developed some breathing issues. After getting off of it, he still has his ear infection from the second day of being on it and last Friday after playing some basketball began to seem like he was winded so I brought him in. He was having trouble breathing. I called the Dr. and he said it could be excercised induced asthma. He is a very active boy who runs non stop and has NEVER had breathing issues before Singulair! It seemed to pass after a few hours. The next fews days he coughed a few times when playing and I thought what the heck is happening to him. Monday at school they didn't go outside so he was fine b/c he didn't run around. Tuesday, they came to get me b/c he was having trouble breathing and one of his teachers whose son has asthma said I think you better give him an inhaler. I called the Dr. ASAP and he approved us to borrow another child's. He freaked out and wouldn't let us give it to him. After 2 epi-shots in the previous weeks, he wanted nothing to do with that. At school the next day, we made him take the inhaler if he wanted to go out to playso he did. He didn't cough but a few times. No excercise at all. Then last night, he got really bad. He started to cough and couldn't stop to the point of gaging and it seemed as though he had developed a ton of phlem and kept trying to swallow. We ended up in the ER where we were told that he has asthma! I am so furious! I don't get this at all! If this report is accurate and my son got asthma by going on it - this will be devastating. We kept him home today from school and took him into the Dr. b/c he continued to cough all night. He is now on Flovent, Albuterol and has an enebulizer. I'm probably the only one of all of us who child did not have asthma to begin with.

Has anyone who did not have asthma before singulair now have any issues? Please let me know!

I received radiation for breast cancer in 2001 and a month after the radiation treatments I was hospitilized with radiation penumonitis. I was given 120mg prednisone. I had horrible mood swings, kissing ulcers, and lost 15 pounds - the doctor's couldn't belive it. I lost muscle mass in my right leg and had to have physical therapy to be able to walk again. It took 6 months to work my way down to 2.5mg at which time I was hospitalized again with cryptogenic organizing pneumonia aka BOOP in my other lung. I was put back on 60mg prednisone. I have been on various drugs to combat the side effects. I finally got off prednisone in May 2005 but the end of June I got pneumonia and another inflamed lung. I went back on 10mg prednisone which I am trying to get off of now. I have been experiencing depression since going back on my latest dose, but am not currently medicated for it. I have returned to my normal weight and continue to do weight training to combat osteoporosis due to the prednisone as well as strengthen my leg. I worry about the long term effects of long term steroid use.

My husband takes prednisone for bronchiolitis obliterans residual from two bone marrow transplants for leukemia. On and off this steroid for nearly a decade now. The emotional roller coaster; the poor management by some of his previous doctors; the easy bruising; the effect on his sleep and his mood stability. This is a horrible medication that saved his life. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Before his last crisis where he had to go back on it, he actually told me that he'd rather die than start it all over again. He changed his mind, but what a toll it takes! Weight gain and the devastating effect on his body, his self image and his self esteem is the absolute worst. Before the leukemia hit, my husband lived in the gym lifting weights and staying trim effortlessly. He missed the exercise as a coping mechanism during his treatments. When he was physically able to exercise again after two hip replacements, two shoulder replacements and leukemia in remission - he developed the lung problems and started thsi prednisone cycle of submission. He is still trim but lives with this globe of abdominal fluid and weight that seems to have migrated from the rest of his body to his navel. Years ago all of this abdominal girth seemed to resorb back into his body leaving just stretch marks when his steroid use decreased. Now despite a decrease, it remains stubbornly in place and seems to be growing. It profoundly affects his breathing as well. If he eats too much at all, he can't breathe well. He has tried calorie reduction, Atkins, glycemic index diets and nothing seems to work. He can't get aerobic enough to tackle the weight. I have searched for a personal trainer or a nutritionist or anyone who might help my husband with an indvidiualized plan. Any ideas how best to xupport him?

major depression from 40mg a day