Hello EveryOne out there...OK OK.... Now Why have I been out o...

I was recently ill w/ Fifths Disease that I caught from my daughter. My doctor who I like prescribed 40mg of Prednisone for 7 days. It really helped at first but the side effects were bad. I was euphoric while ill and then as I started to feel better 3 days into it, I started having insomnia. I also gained 1 pound per day of water weight and I had one moment that I felt faint. So I quit taking it 2 days early, and started experiencing unexplained depression. I've now been off it for 4 days and am still swollen. This stuff is poison; I think if it is ever prescribed for me again I will refuse. I can't believe how bad it has messed up my body in the short time I took it. That's how I found you on; trying to look-up info on how long until it's out of my body. Oh and come to find out the CDC only recommened Ibuprofen for my condition. I could've avoided it altogether. I really feel bad for you. My mom has Rheumatoid Arthritits and has been on Prednisone for 25 years. It has wreaked havoc on her already poor health. She has the moon face - can't lose weight no matter what she does and we think it gave her Type II Diabetes. It raises blood sugar and after being on it for such a long time we think she developed it and now that she has diabetes she can't keep her blood sugar down because of the Prednisone. It is a terrible drug. I also know a couple of heart patients on it that feel worse because of it. I think it is over prescribed and in too high of a dosage. By the way I live in the Kansas City area, so it sounds like this happens everywhere. Hang in there and do your best to get off it. I really sympathize with you. Best of luck now and in the future.

I absolutely understand what you are going through. I know what it is like to be angry at doctors and I know what it is like to be angry at yourself for not doing research. For now I hope you will be able to focus on getting new doctors and treating the original symptoms correctly. You did the right thing by speaking your mind. I will be praying for you.

But the doctor never ever soo me he just proscribed the medication over the phone with walgreens he dont know if i have MS or any other stuff he is just a neurologist who was sopposed to do the mri scan free for me since i dont have insurance.Every other optic neurologist told me do not take the medication since is 1000mg of prednisone a day and it is a huge dose i never went to do the mri because i was to scared hope you understand

But the doctor never ever soo me he just proscribed the medication over the phone with walgreens he dont know if i have MS or any other stuff he is just a neurologist who was sopposed to do the mri scan free for me since i dont have insurance.Every other optic neurologist told me do not take the medication since is 1000mg of prednisone a day and it is a huge dose i never went to do the mri because i was to scared hope you understand

Prednisone Side Effects
The side effects associated with prednisone use...

Enlarge ImagePrednisone’s side effects are legendary in both the medical and patient communities. Patients usually ingest this non-synthetic corticosteroid drug orally. However, doctors administer prednisone in the form of intramuscular injection, too. Medical professionals prescribe prednisone for many medical conditions.

Prednisone turns into the steroidal product prednisolone after the liver has processed prednisone following administration. Its most common use is as an immunosuppressant that acts on almost the entire immune system. This makes it very useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases like severe asthma, severe poison ivy dermatitis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.

Doctors also use prednisone to treat the symptoms of many kidney diseases such as nephrotic syndrome, and to avoid and reverse tissue rejection following organ transplantation. The usual adult dose at the beginning of treatment ranges from 20 to 80 milligrams per day. The dose for children may be 1milligram per kilogram of body weight, with a maximum dose of 50 milligrams.

The side effects of prednisone include adrenal suppression, which can occur with periods of prednisone use to surpass seven days. Adrenal suppression refers to the body’s inability to synthesize natural corticosteroids, resulting in a dependency on the prednisone taken by the patient. This is why doctors do not recommend the cessation of prednisone when the patient has taken it for longer than seven days. They reduce the dose gradually over a few days in the case of short-term prednisone use, and over weeks or months in the case of long-term treatment. Stopping prednisone treatment abruptly can cause the life-threatening Addison’s disease, in which in the body no longer produces sufficient amounts of adrenal steroid hormones

The short-term side effects of prednisone use include high blood glucose levels. This happens most commonly in patients that are already has diabetes mellitus or is using medications that increase blood glucose. Other short-term side effects of prednisone include insomnia, euphoria and, in some cases, even mania. Using prednisone for long periods can cause side effects such as Cushing's syndrome, weight gain, osteoporosis, glaucoma and type II diabetes mellitus. Upon withdrawal of prednisone after long-term use, patients also suffer from depression. Almost all long-term users of prednisone experience a reduction in their sex drive, as well.

Prednisone use can affect the eyes as well. The most common side effects in the context are glaucoma and cataract formation. These usually occur with topical or intraocular administration of prednisone, but they can also appear with oral, intravenous, or even inhaled administration.

Prednisone use of any period can give rise to many other side effects such as unnatural fatigue or weakness, abdominal pain, blurring of vision, peptic ulcers, infections, pain in the hips or shoulders, osteoporosis, occurrence of acne and sleeplessness. Some of the less serious side effects of prednisone include weight gain, stretch marks on the skin, swelling in the face, nervousness, increase in appetite and hyperactivity.

Doctors treat these side effects of prednisone symptomatically, since it is not always feasible to stop prednisone administration even when severe side effects occur. These are situation where they have to weigh the disadvantages of using a drug against the advantages and make an informed decision. One must remember that while prednisone definitely does give rise to many side effects, it is also a life-saving drug.
By Arun Chitnis
Published: 4/16/2007

http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/addison/addison.htm

Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormone cortisol and, in some cases, the hormone aldosterone. The disease is also called adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism.

Cortisol

Cortisol is normally produced by the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys. It belongs to a class of hormones called glucocorticoids, which affect almost every organ and tissue in the body. Scientists think that cortisol has possibly hundreds of effects in the body. Cortisol's most important job is to help the body respond to stress. Among its other vital tasks, cortisol

helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function
helps slow the immune system's inflammatory response
helps balance the effects of insulin in breaking down sugar for energy
helps regulate the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
helps maintain proper arousal and sense of well-being
Because cortisol is so vital to health, the amount of cortisol produced by the adrenals is precisely balanced. Like many other hormones, cortisol is regulated by the brain's hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, a bean-sized organ at the base of the brain. First, the hypothalamus sends "releasing hormones" to the pituitary gland. The pituitary responds by secreting hormones that regulate growth and thyroid and adrenal function, and sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. One of the pituitary's main functions is to secrete ACTH (adrenocorticotropin), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands. When the adrenals receive the pituitary's signal in the form of ACTH, they respond by producing cortisol. Completing the cycle, cortisol then signals the pituitary to lower secretion of ACTH.

Aldosterone

Aldosterone belongs to a class of hormones called mineralocorticoids, also produced by the adrenal glands. It helps maintain blood pressure and water and salt balance in the body by helping the kidney retain sodium and excrete potassium. When aldosterone production falls too low, the kidneys are not able to regulate salt and water balance, causing blood volume and blood pressure to drop.

Hope this helps someone out there.....

Just wanted to share my experiences with tapering off prednisone. I have an as-yet undiagnosed complex anemia that has the doctors perplexed so they decided to load up their bazookas with corticosteroids and aim them my way to see if I would flinch. I call it "that evil drug" in part because I feel it is not the correct med for my situation.

I was told I might experience euphoria and a bit of weight gain as side effects. My prednisone pals have concluded that doctors won't tell you the side FX, because if you knew you would not allow them to give it to you. I'm sure you have done your homework and read up on this much prescribed drug.

I took Prednisone for 3 months (60, 40, 30 mg in month long doses) The first month was great, all the feelings of euphoria, omnipotence and basic "prednisone bounce". This length of time is safe, because your body is still self-producing the corticosteroids naturally. People with poison ivy and skin ailments will see their symptoms clear up immediately in a month's time and can quit the dosage over night. After a month (and I see your sister has been on it for years) the body quits self-producing and allows the more powerful and perhaps efficient prednisone to take over, shutting its own natural hormone factory down completely.

After 3 months, when I started feeling more than a little psychotic, my surroundings became surreal, I didn't recognize myself in the mirror, (beyond the moonface bloating) and I found myself screaming at a clerk in Walgreen's about the price of Tampons, I knew it was not the drug for me. Everyone reacts differently, so your mileage may vary. :-)

It took me 5 months to taper off it completely with the help of an understanding doctor (.5mg tapering every 2 weeks) You probably know you cannot quit cold turkey and need to take a gradually declining dose to allow your body to "remember" what functions the drug has commandeered since your beginning dosage. The doctors warned me "you could end up in the hospital" if I just quit taking it. I assume that meant some major league failure of my system as a whole and did not go there. The tapering process really tested my endurance. Every 2 weeks I went through the exact same withdrawal process as the week before. Pains; mental and physical, extreme fatigue and in general, not a happy time. I assume it is like any other addiction, that the body must kick the habit/re-program to do without. Most of this occurred in the morning on rising, (the time when the body gears up for the day and makes its demands on its own systems) and I found if I could "will" myself out of bed and get moving (no small feat) I could make it through the day. The symptoms slowly diminished over the 2 week period, as the body stablized/learned to do with a little less of "that evil drug", until the next .5 mg drop, when it started all over again.

Gather your friends and family around you for support, it is not an easy time. I have spoken with others "kicking" prednisone and the 20 mg mark seems to be the part where your world seems to come crashing down around you. If you can keep reminding yourself that all the morbid thoughts you are having are the drug talking, you can get through it. I was reduced to weeping and depression and did not see an end in sight. Luckily, a friend recognized it as the 20mg mark and held my hand through it all.("it's the drug, it's the drug, it's the drug") Some have none of these effects and swim unscathed through the taper.

As if to add insult to injury, because the drug has been suppressing your symptoms (read that last part over carefully), your symptoms can return with a vengence after their long sleep. Almost like a pendulum swing, they may come back stronger than before. I think the body can re-adjust over time and these will reach an equilibrium again but do not be surprised by the fierceness of their return. OR (more bad news) new symptoms that were unnoticeable before, flaring up after being suppressed, to a new level of your awareness.

Still seeking a diagnosis, I went to another doctor at Stanford, thinking him the higher authority. After many tests (2 bone marrow biopsies and looking for a donor among my frightened family) I was convinced to take a short term dose of Dexamethasone (10 pills for 4 days once a month) A rose by any other name is still a corticosteroid. I experienced the familiar depression and easing into psychosis after 9 months, even though the doctor was encouraged by some fluctuation in my blood numbers. When he revealed to me he planned to keep me on this regimen for years (not something he told me up front) I bailed. My tolerance for this drug is nil and instinctively feel it is not addressing my malady. Luckily this short term megadose did not require tapering and I am better for it only one month later. Hurrah!

Something else he did not tell me up front, is the loss of bone density caused by prolonged use of steroids. I stumbled across a N.Y.Times article that suggests preventative measures like taking Calcium and Vitamin D, and weight bearing exercises to limit bone loss. I can FAX this to you if you like or a search on "steroids" or "osteoporsis" in their Personal Health archive would probably bring it up. The author was Jane E. Brody.

In re-reading this, I realize I am not giving you very good news and information you may have already encountered. The best medicine I had was knowledge of the drug and its idiosynchrosies, stories of similarities to my plight and in some cases stories of those that had even more horrific experiences than I (Grandmother that tried to commit suicide at the 20mg mark by jumping into a neighbor's pool on Thanksgiving day and subsequently admitted to an instituion for psych evaluation)

Best of luck to your sister and don't hesitate to email me if you need any more of my limited expertise ;-)

As and addendum to whats happening to me here.....My face is now swollen up to the so-called classic "Moon Face" !!! Totally puffed up and looking horrible....!! Not to mention a plethoria of other terrible symptoms of withdrawal!!! Gawd! When does this all end?? I am at 5 MGS a day now!!!
~SDR :o( :o(

Thanks for posting the site concerning grapefruit. I was unaware of how harmful it could be while taking certain medications.

Addendum here to my orginal post.....dated
November 2th
2007
1:34 AM

I am at 4 mgs A Day now... In fact, I have been at 4 mgs a day for four days... (reducing by 1 mg every seven days)
I feel like I am (my brain) is dying/melting away slowly...by increments daily. It seems to get a little worse every day in fact. I dare not rest or sleep during the day. Every time I do, I wake up with complete brain fog! Actually, the brain fog comes and gets to me every morning by 9 am anyway and I feel like I'm losing my mind all morning until about 2pm when it starts clearing!!....Its scarey for me to go thru everyday here!

I tried to split the dose I need to take (maybe three mg in the morning and 1 mg in the afternoon) and was unable to do so because of frightening heart palpitations, nausea and dizziness this morning. I thought I was dying because my body felt like it had been beaten with a meat tenderizer all night long . (flu-like symptoms~ I wanted to die and lay there, completely exhausted until I forced myself out of my bed.)
Every day its the same thing. A NIGHTMARE that I am unable to wake up from!!
I am fairly quiet all afternoon and then all evening long until about 11 pm. I Look and 'act' completely normal in spite of symptoms boiling barely under the surface. Then the 'hot-flashes' start around 11 pm. Then, By say 0330 am the chills join in with the hot flashes until about 0630 am. Around that time, my head feels like its expanding from the inside like a huge balloon thats going to pop....and I feel like I can't breathe....then the 'antsiness' begins and I feel like I am vibrating all over inside like a million ants are crawling all over just under my skin and skull! Then 'That Pacing thing' starts up and I am unable to sit or lay down! I *must walk/pace all over the house and/or outside....for hours and hours on end ~until about noon hour when the cycle starts all over again. THIS is what this damned Prednisone has done to me since it was prescribed Sept 14th 2007 !! There's no guarentee that this behavior pattern will stop once I am off the drug completely either!! I feel like I am getting sicker and sicker by the day here. Anyone else out there have anything even remotely like this ?? and then get better after they stopped the prednisone?? HELP! :o(

I feel your pain...I've been on high doses for months and my life is worse than it was when I had cancer and was getting chemotherapy. They should make prednisone surviver support groups.

The most dangerous drug ever known and invented! You just can take it if it's question of life! I had been taking it for RA for 3 months and stopped gradually. It does not matter! I developed extremely high blood pressure, weakness, panic attacks, depression! Practically it ruined my normal life! Doctors have no clue how to deal with its devastating side effects. DO NOT TRUST DOCTORS! They will naver tell you the truth how dangerous this DEVIL's prednisone is!!!

The most dangerous drug ever known and invented! You just can take it if it's question of life! I had been taking it for RA for 3 months and stopped gradually. It does not matter! I developed extremely high blood pressure, weakness, panic attacks, depression! Practically it ruined my normal life! Doctors have no clue how to deal with its devastating side effects. DO NOT TRUST DOCTORS! They will naver tell you the truth how dangerous this DEVIL's prednisone is!!!

I had to take prednisone off and on for 10 years for Poison ivy (really bad poison ivy by the way). I started when I was 3 and stopped when I was 13, and I don't remember weaning off of it. Ever since I have stopped I have been having the same problems, but they get worse over time. I have a lot of back pain in the adrenal area, and feel very stiff, I have no sex drive and have low testosterone, my chest hurts sometimes and my heart speeds up for no reason and sometimes beats so slow that I have to remember to breathe, depression, foggy thinking, hands sweat all the time, my hair is falling out, and many other symptoms but those are the worst. I finally educated myself about what might be going on, because all the OBG/YN doctors I went to knew nothing. So I went to an Endocrinoloigst and found out that I have secondary adrenal insufficiency, caused by the steroids. Now I have to take steroids and salt pills for the rest of my life, but at this point and am willing to do whatever it takes to not feel like I did before. Most doctors don't know anything about this and they will tell you, "oh you just have anxiety, or depression". They are wrong, but it's all they know, and they will try to give you medication to treat the symptoms instead of treating the disease. Those are just symptoms of adrenal damage. If you have these problems, go see an Endocrinologist and tell them everything that is going on because they just might be linked to one thing. Also tell them in which order the symptoms came up. If you get the right doctor, you can feel better. This is my story, and I hope it helps someone else. Don't wait until it's so bad you can't function anymore, and remember you have to educate yourself, because know one else is going to do it for you. Ashley

I totally understand what you went through, i myself have been on prednisone for 12 yrs, the side affects you have experienced and the permanent damage also has made my life difficult. It makes me upset that there is nothing i can do about the damage it has done on my bones, i have developed bone loss from taking prednisone and wasn't told to take any calcium or vitamin D but now that damage has been done my doctor is now telling me to take these vitamins, a little too late i would say!! I feel as if i was poorly informed about what the risks were in taking the medication. I experience heart palpitations and feel like i can't breathe properly at times. But what can one do about this on going problem ? How many more lives will be affected and damaged? well thanks for sharing cuz i thought i was the only one who suffered by this.