I have two experiences with Prednisone to share: I am a 52 year ...

I have two experiences with Prednisone to share: I am a 52 year old woman, married, no kids. One year ago I came down with a serious case of shingles on the top and inside of my left eyelid. What started out as a bump that looked like a pimple or a bite on a Friday afternoon (and I don't have acne), spread across and under my eyelid by Mon, morning, up into my eyebrow and down the side of my nose. My eye felt like there was glass in it every time I blinked. I got to the doctor on Mon, the dermatologist on Tues and the opthamologist on Wed. All confirmed shingles. I have never felt anything to excruciating in my life! The dermatologist prescribed a 3-week descending dose of Pred starting with 6 pills a day. I was also given Gabapentin (a nerve blocked), Acyclovir, a muscle relaxant, pain medication and two separate eye drops, one of which was also low-dose Pred. After the 3 week course of treatment was done, I had to continue for another week, but with lower doses. Side effects: I did not notice any side effects except that my appetite was seriously jacked up! I ate anything and everything -- and then some! Food was my best friend and I hogged everything in site! In hindsight, when I try to assess myself and any changed, I guess I do have some attitude issues in that I am quicker to anger, quicker to react and respond and seem to "snap" a lot quicker.... Oh yeah I am also on antidepressants.... I now have one droopy eyelid due to the nerve damage from the Shingles and permanent damage to the cornea and tear ducts.... However I am not really sure how much of that is due to the Shingles and how much is due to the Prednisone. My 89-year old mother was hospitalized in August for emphysema and chronic lung disease, she was down to 81 lbs. They treated & released her and she was on a descending dose of Prednisone for a week. She needed to gain some weight & gained 3 lbs! This was very good.... She is still smoking and her doctor will NOT insist she quit (I think they have given up). They put her back on a 2-week course of Pred again last week. Her appetite is back up Yeah! but she has some serious attitude and anger issues. We are only 1 week into the 2 weeks and I don't know how our family is going to stand taking care of this evil old woman during this Prednisone treatment, and afterwards. I'm sorry I ever let the doctor put her back on it--- however she is gaining weight and getting (falsely) stronger, which she needed.