I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease over thirty-one years ago. I...

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease over thirty-one years ago. I have taken Predisone many times over the period of my illness. My Crohn's Disease has been very aggressive and I have lost all but 250 cm of my bowel. Prednisone has been the only drug that has been able to help but at great cost to me. I am now disabled from the disease and the side effects of the drug. The most devestating side effect is the weight gain. I am now 80lbs heavier than when I was diagnosed. The moon face is very difficult to deal with. Everyone says they know it's from the meds but that doesn't help when I look in the mirror. The fat deposits in my abdomen are very embrassing to me as well. The sweats, blurred vision, nervousness, hyperactivity, exhaustion, acne, slepplessness, shaking, joint pain (so bad I can hardly walk when I am on the meds), mood swings, depression, swelling (water retention so bad I can hardly bend my legs), the muscle wasting in my thighs, the conective tissue damage making it hard to heal from surgery, difficulty concentrating, bone weakness ( I break ribs very easily) and so many more...all this is too much to pay to control a disease. They really need to find better drugs now. If you can try something else instead of Prenisone I strongly recomend that you do. It should always be a last resort.