I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years,controlled reasonabl...

I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years,controlled reasonably well with a combo of methotrexate, naproxen and enbrel. I do a 10 day course of prednisone several times a year for bad flares. I absolutely hate taking prednisone because it turns me into a crabby, edgy, insomniac who can't stop eating. It makes me bloat and that REALLY makes me nuts because I've done so well at weight watcher's, I don't need that nasty, upset stomach over full bloat feeling. And the "roid head" headache thing ? I'm on the phone all day at work so that's bad, too. The insomnia is the worst, really, because I just lie there awake. When I stop taking it I return to normal within 2 days. I only do it when I am absolutely desperate - I already lost some tendons in my left hand to arthritis related damage so I tend to use the prednisone when the fluid builds up in the right hand or if I'm really too sore. I'm also aware that long term prednisone usage is a one way ticket to osteoporosis / osteoarthritis, so I really have to feel like I cannot deal before I take it. It's a hate/hate relationship.