PredniSONE and chest pain

I am so relieved to have found this site... i have been miserable for almost 2 weeks, i broke out with hives last week and never found the cause but with that and some breathing problems they put me on prednisone. I have been miserable since, i couldn't eat drink sleep or do anything else at all pretty much and i have had diarrhea, and a ton of other symptoms... i feel bloated acid reflex muscle aches headaches dizziness chest pain & pressure very weak feeling mood swings and depression the jitters and heart racing and from what i read and researched this is all from the steroid prednisone.... thankfully the doctor ended my dosage sooner than it was prescribed and last night i took my last pill... i now am just wondering when or how long will it be till i feel myself again and can have a good nights rest?? I will never use this medicine again!! I am just soo relieved to have found some answers on here.

I was put on 20 mg twice a day to combat my Crohn's Disease. A few days in, I began having trouble sleeping because of a heart beat that was making my whole torso and head throb. Exactly one week in, I woke up with a bad headache and nausea. I got out of bed and my heart started racing. I couldn't take my pulse at the time, but my estimate is about 150 beats/minute. The doctor accelerated my tapering in response to this episode. Right now I am taking 30 mg a day, but I still experience a heart rate in the 130's and chest pain several times a day unrelated to physical activity. I will say, however, that all the symptoms of my Crohn's Disease have really been diminished by this drug, and so far I am willing to accept these side effects.

I was prescribed the 4mg methylprednisolone pack along with 50 mg tramadol for acute tendinitis in my wrist. I took the first 3 days of the prednisone and only 2 doses of the tramadol over the three days. For a total of 60 mg of prednisone.

The first day I had hot flashes and insomnia but attributed it to the tramadol because I had never taken it before and had taken the prednisone several years ago for poison ivy with no adverse reactions. I didn't take the tramadol the second night and then took it again last night along with my daily dose of prednisone. I had extreme difficulty falling asleep, heart burn, hot flashes; and tossed and turned all night trying to fall asleep. At around 2am, I began to have difficulty breathing, tightening in my chest, confusion, and racing thoughts. It felt as though my throat was closing up on me. My anxiety progressed to the point that I was pacing back and forth. I woke my husband up and told him to prepare to take me to the ER. After calling my insurance's 24 hour help line, it was recommended that I go to the ER. I had an x-ray, blood work, urine drug screen, and echocardiogram. Luckily, everything was negative. The ER doctor told me that I likely had a reaction to the prednisone and commented that some people will experience these symptoms when taking it. He stated that he had a similar reaction when he took it and it felt like he was climbing the walls, which is an accurate description of my experience that night. He recommended that I either stop taking it altogether or call my primary care provider and cut it down. He prescribed me xanax and administered some to me at the ER which greatly helped. The next day I stopped taking the pred but am still having dizziness, chest tightness, hot flashes, and mental dullness. I have decided to never take this medication again. Fortunately, I don't have any of the physical sx that some have experienced, and my heart goes out to you. I think the mental symptoms were traumatic enough for me and can't imagine having both as I would be a basket case. I have mood swings, some melancholia, and am very fatigued.

I think it is imperative to research any medication that is prescribed to you before you take it. Many providers will say that side effects are rare, but my experience is that side effects are more common than rare. My prayers go out to those of you who are going through what I am going through. I hope that it clears our systems quickly because this is no way to live. I'd rather put up with the pain of tendinitis or carpel tunnel than to have these symptoms.

I have been on Prednisone for about two weeks now! I hate it!!! I have never liked medicine, i don't even like to take Advil. They gave it to me for something called a idiopathic pseudo-tumor behind my eye, thought that it was an infection at first but the antibiotics didn't work.. I'm on a pretty high dose, i was on 80mg for 9 days and now I'm on 60mg so far has been 3 days. I have had all sorts of bad side effects from it! WAY bad anxiety attacks, heart palps, bad night sweats, dizzy, confused, like everyone else the brain fog feeling, bad knee aches, hungry all the time but i haven't really gained wait but am bloated in the stomach. After taking it for only 4 days i almost went to the ER i felt like i was going to have a stroke or something, my legs felt like they were turning into jello, and i got really light headed, I was about to freak out! I think that it dropped my potassium levels or something, i ate a few bananas and that made me feel better. It is starting to get better now that i dropped to 60mg but i still hate it, and I'm starting to get really bad chest pain (heartburn or gas?!?) not too sure but its starting to become unbearable.. I get to go down to 40mg next week and then 30mg for a week then to 20 for a week and so on! I'm a bit nervous now cuz i thought that depressing would make it better but everyone is saying that it get worse. I hope that it don't get much worse cuz i don't know how much more that i can take! My eye looks great so the meds did the job, but i still don't know if i would ever take this again knowing this much about it! I'm glad that I'm only going to be on it just a little over a month but even that seems way too long! good luck everyone take care of your selfs! oh yeah I'm only 23 and this stung really makes you feel old, i feel at least 40 it hurts to get up or sit fast!

I was given 20 mg of Prednisone for 10 days for a rash and joint pain.
The pain went away and I felt great the rash got a little better. Two days ago I took my last pill. I woke up that night and my knees gave out. By morning I was great! Next night I woke with knee problem again had to slide down the stairs to the living room. I got to wondering if the knee thing could be associated with the Prednisone. I got on line and read all this terrible stuff. I am so Horrified! Today I am in pain like my body is bruised and my face is swollen a little. I have acid reflux as well. Non of this is typical for me. My knee thing is ok again, but I am just appalled! I have no MED insurance. I hope this isn't the beginning of worse things I am not taking that drug now. The Dr. didn't say I needed to taper...

I hope I have not damaged myself by taking this drug! My heart goes out to all of you! My question is - Why are the Dr.'s prescribing this terrible drug?

Hello EveryOne out there...OK OK....

Now Why have I been out of touch since Sept 14th.... 2007???

I have been VERY VERY ill.....

Y'See, I went to see this new Doctor (Quack) for continued pain in my chest (sternum) area....that I have been having trouble with all Summer. (Severe Costochondritis/Fibromyalgia) By Sept 14th, this Quack who claims to be a Doctor had given me this prescription for Prednisone pills (20 mg each)....with orders to take mega doses of this toxic poison in order to combat the pain I was suffering. I was so desperate to get out of pain that I went ahead and filled the prescription and started taking the pills that eventful Friday night. I made the fatal mistake of trusting this Doctor!!!

If I had any sense God gave green apples I would have researched this a little before taking this medicine!! I would have run like all heck in the opposite direction!

I had been taking these reccomended large doses for approx two weeks back then per Doctor 'Quack's' order.... I have been hooked after the first week....and now currently desperately trying to get off of it with only marginal success!!

I have been on this Prednisone crap for some 49 days, currently and desperately trying to get off of it....with terrible side effects!! I have experienced every side effect known to the Devil himself and even discovered some new ones that I never knew was possible!? Case in point! I can't sleep night after night without terrible withdrawals all night long!!! I am forced to contend with them every night here. Not to mention I fight the withdrawals all days long too. I have this inept doctor and I am sorry I even went to him in the first place...!

The withdrawals I am now getting are harder to deal with than the original chest pain itself!!! Not to mention even eating the so-called 'wrong' foods sets off even more withdrawals almost immediately. I am now extremely sensitive to light and the sun~ not to mention.....noise....and stress....

I am much sicker from this Quack Doctor's so-called "HELP" than I ever was before....

I don't mind saying his name and trying to steer everyone away from this jerk Doctor here in Las Vegas who takes advantage of people in pain when they are desperate by feeding them toxic poisons and passing the poison off as something harmless thats gonna help them??? Just ask me who he is and I will tell you. I have no qualms about it....

Bottom line is I have spent this last month trying to get off this crap and I just found out that the withdrawals may bother me up to a YEAR after I take my last dose of this crap poison!! I have been going thru H***!!! A nightmare I would LOVE to pass onto this Quack who pretends to be a doctor!

I am down to about 7.5 mg per day now from about 180 mg that he gave me originally Sept 14 2007. Believe me this was not easy thing for me to do. I went "Toxic" on this drug weeks ago and it has affected my ability to process, think and reason properly. I feel like part of my mind is now missing or went on permanent vacation!! Dizziness,feeling like I'm gonna pass out, Brain Fog and Mass Confusion is the order for the day~depending on the time of day???

"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"

I want to SUE this Doctor for making me this sick!!!!!

SDR

GRRRRRRRRRrrrrr!!!!!!!

Was prescribed prednisone 10mg dose pack. Took my first days worth and by bedtime my heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was going to pop out of my chest and burst. I went to the hospital and per the doctors there, SVT is not a reaction to prednisone. Anyways, left hospital with a clear bill of health, heart was in good condition.
Now, If it wasn't the prednisone that caused this rapid heart beat, what was it? I really think that the prednisone was the cause but as long as I'm not sure, I fear this will happen again out of the blue.

I began a new dose of Prednisone yesterday. I was diagnosed w/ RA about 3 years ago. I have been on Embrel (didn't work) and am now on Humira and Methotrexate. I have been having extreme difficulty the last month and finally returned to my doctor for relief. (I have been on Prednisone before and had only the headaches) I was prescribed a higher dose this time (60 mgs 2 x daily) and have been battling with a racing heart that beats so hard it hurts. I have now taken my second dose and cannot walk more than 10 feet without feeling like I am having a heart attack! While it is helping the RA pain in my joints, I am so scared to move and so uncomfortable when I do, I am not sure what is better. The disease or the cure? Has anyone else battled with the racing heart? Oh and I also have high blood pressure and the Prednisone is making it higher even with my meds!
My only other instance with this effect was from a steroid injection about a month ago. That episode placed me in the ER receiving medication to lower my heart rate.

Hi I have Lupus for the past 12 years nad I am treated for the past year with Prednisone. At times they go up to 40mg and than taper it down. Currently I am taking 7.5mg daily and I experience dizziness and chest pain and night sweats. For the depression I take Trazadone, which helps me to sleep at night. Anyone would like to correspond with me, please do. Thank you.

Chest pain, perhaps heartburn (or gas?) so bad that I can barely breathe...this only happens when I attempt to stop taking prednisone altogether. This time I tapered down from 50 mg to 25 mg (for a week) to 0 as of Sunday.

I had been taking prednisone to combat an allergic reaction to poison sumac. I began taking 50 mg/day for a week, doubled it for another week, cut back to 50 for a third week, quit cold turkey and the rash "caught fire," so I started up again. This time I'm determined to stay off, but I wonder how long I have to put up with this horrible chest pain!