I am a 19-year-old female pre-med student who has been taking thi...

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about what you are going through :)
It sounds similiar to what I went through.
I was on prednisone for ten years on and off and it was absolute hell. I got all the usual side effects but it also made me go psychotic and i too lost my boyfriend.

I have been off it for three years now and am still experiencing side effects. I have very sore joints. I also still have water retention in the torso area but my face has gone down. I also get crazy mood swings still but they are not very often. Unfortunately I also have what is called adrenal insufficiency where my adrenal glands for some reason stop producing enough of their own cortisone. This occurs when it is that time of the month and results in me twitching violently. Basically the prednisone screws around with your hormonal system and causes problems when your body trys to return to its natural cycle.

I have been struggling to find a solution for months now. In desperation I have started to take Vitex which stimulates the pituatary gland and which hopefully will fix my hormonal system. By the way it is a herb not a drug.

I had Ulcerative Colitis and was put on the drug when i was 20. It basically ruined my life.

If I were you I would try to find a good naturopath who knows how to deal with your disease and then get off the prednisone.

Unfortunately I did not know what I know now. A good naturopath can deal with the disease through natural means. Prednisone just suppresses the immune system. It does not stop the disease.

If you get off the prednisone then be prepared for your adrenals to get upset. They now have to produce their own cortisone and they are goign to find it hard at first. You may feel sick and shaky for a while. Do not panic. My naturopath told me to take lots of magnesium and a protein and vitamin supplement to deal with it. I took Rejuvenex and Ultramuscleze.

Also get another doctor. Mine would not listen to my complaints about what the prednisone was doing to my body. If I had got another doctor perhaps things would have been different.

If you want to talk to me about things then my email address is paperworkfairy@gmail.com

Good luck

I am 24 was on prednisone for ulcerative colitis and similar to you everytime I would decrease the dose I would have a flair. I had to go up to 60mg everytime to try to get it under control. I was a miserable mess. I also have a long term boyfriend which I thought would leave me but his father has been off and on it for several years due to rheumatoid arthritis so he knew what to expect. I ended up getting really depressed because I wouldn't go anywhere or do anything with my friends because I knew that I was so bitchy and I didn't want to lose all of them also. If you have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's then I would suggest to your doctor to start you on Imuran. I have been taking 75mg daily and after it built up in my system, about 2-3 months, I was finally able to get off prednisone. My mood has improved, my hair is no longer falling out, my social life is back to normal, and I have not had a flair since March which is great for me. In terms of your boyfriend, you really need to give him information regarding the drug so he understands that it is not your fault. You will come off the drug one way or another because it is too unsafe for someone your age to be on long term and you will become your old self again after a little bit of time. I hope that something that I have provided has helped. Good luck with everything!

I also want to tell you that since you are probably experiencing the moon face that it does go away. THat was another reason I was so depressed I felt fat and ugly and felt that I needed to explain to everyone why I look so different. I am now back to the 115lbs that I was prior and my face is completely normal. It did take about 4 months after being off but I just wanted to tell you that it does go away.

I feel so sorry for you. This is a horrible drug. The body is not meant to deal with a synthetic hormone. You should take the advice of the post that said to find a good naturopathic physician who can help you with natural means that will not destroy the body. The reason drug companies make these synthetic versions of natural substances is that they can patent them whereas they can not make money from something like good old hydrocortisone. Prednisone is a poison. Dr Tom Cowan in San Francisco is helping my husband get over this. He has prescribed several things. You could contact him. It is still a slow process, but there are ways to beat it. My husband says that he is a victim of western medecine. I wish you well. But please find a doctor who knows about how to work "with the body" to make you well. And I will pray for you.

I am taking prednisone and the side effects that they dont tell you about are terrible
glaucoma
insomnia
diabetes
kidney damage
vitamin deficiency
low potassium
low pretien
depression
mild to severe mood swings
I know how you feel, I havent been on the drug very long. Off and on it for an=bout 3 months, but I know what your sayimg. The mood swings are horrible, I feel sometimes I might be better iff to turn around and bite myself in the ass just to get some aggression out. My husband has been wonderful through it all. The weight gain is really bad for me though..and I hate it, but what can you do right. I googled the side effects of prednisone and there's alot more side effects that I just cant remember so try that and maybe you will find the answers you need somewhere there.
Take care and I hope everything works out for you