PredniSONE and cold turkey

Following a deadly allergic reaction to Celebrex, I was given an injection of prednizone, and prescribed 60 mgs. of Prednizone per day for a week. By the third day, my anxiety and what they call "steroid psychosis" was so bad I thought I was going mad. I suffered horrible insomnia, crying attacks, paranoia, fear...you name it. On the fourth day, my knee swelled up horribly and walking was nearly impossible. I stopped taking Prednizone cold turkey on the fourth day (which you are NOT supposed to do, but my doctor didn't tell me that). It has been over 6 weeks since the episode and I am still suffering knee and joint pain, gained 26 pounds and have a red face and horrible acne. My knee has a horrific bulge still. I had an MRI on the knee, and they say that I have fluid buildup on the joint. I have no idea how long it will take to get this drug out of my system, but I would caution anyone to seriously reconsider taking it unless it is life threatening. I believe my allergic reaction could have been treated with just benadryl alone.

I was on Entocort and experienced terrible anxiety, racing of my heart, and would cry at anything. Doctor took me off Entocort cold turkey and put me on anti-anxiety medication which is not really helping. Another reason he took me off Entocort is that i had colonoscopy it showed that I did not have crohn's and colitis like they thought I had. What I was wondering is how long after stopping Entocort will my anxiety and racing heart go away does anybody know. I was on it for 4 weeks.

I was on Entocort and I have such bad anxiety, racing heart, that the doctor has put me on anti-anxiety medicine just so I can function and had to stop Entocort cold turkey due to side effects. Also they took me off Entocort because colonoscopy showed no crohns or colitis.

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?

I have read some of the board and would like to know if anyone else has had prolonged side effects after being off Prednisone for almost a year. I think Prednisone caused all my current health problems. Was on the higher dose 5 day plan for a severe inner ear infection. I stopped taking it after the third day cold turkey, which I know was wrong because of blurred vision and stomach distention so bad I thought I was going to burst (almost the same as when I was pregnant). The first 4-6 weeks of stopping it were pure _ ell. So many withdrawal symptoms. I went to my doctor and he said I couldn't possibly be having all those symptoms from the Prednisone since I was only on it three days (but it is the regimen where you take the higher doses/multiple pills in the beginning and then it lowers the dose each day). Every few days it seemed I was having something new happen - heartburn, sweating, headaches. Then my thyroid function began acting up (hypothyroidism) and glands seem to swell with my monthly cycle. I started having a daily dry throat. All my symptoms seem to be on my right side: blurred vision, dry throat, swollen lymph glands, ear pain, groin swelling. It is one month shy of a year when I originally took the Prednisone and nothing has decreased, only new symptoms appear. My doctor keeps treating each symptom individually and won't look at the whole picture. I tried acupuncture and it didn't help. Any suggestions/comments?

Hello,

about a week ago I admitted myself to ER because of terrible breakout of hives (never had them before) but was covered from head to toe.

Doctor prescribed PREDNISONE 80mg for 4 days, and gave me an IV with the drug a week ago Saturday night (don't know how much was there), 12/29/07, I took my daily dose 80mg Sunday noon. I only slept about an hour or two. By new years eve 12/31, I have started getting cold chills, feeling unbearably cold, then the next day 1/1, I felt like I was 100 years old, all my joints were stiff, I couldn't get up from bed, couldn't sleep much but there is still more.

By Wednesday I have felt even more stiff and hives were not going away, I went to the doctor (my stiffness went away after couple hours in the morning) he prescribed more PREDNISONe for another week, luckily I have stopped taking the medication after 5 days of 80mg, plus whatever they gave in in an IV but I still have what I think are side effects from taking it.

Ankles are still sore, I cannot sleep because an extreme numbness sets in my left hand middle to index finger, it is no numb it hurts like an elephant is sitting on it, that is why I am still up at 4:30 in the morning. When I am up it just tingles. Not sure what to do but can't sleep at all for last 3 days and getting really tired.

If I knew what Prednisone does I would never take any of it, I'd rather deal with hives oh and they still didn't go away, I have had them for about 10 days now, they did stop itching. Honestly I felt very very sick a day after taking it, I didn't associate this with Prednisone, until I found this website. Please if you can stop taking it or see for yourself how much you should take 80mg is definitely too much, for me at least.

Did anyone have to deal with joint stiffness, and numbness how long does it take for it to go away. My wife says to to ER again because I can't sleep I am just very uncomfortable with the numbness and rattle in bed, but guess what they could shoot me up with more Prednisone.

I was just wondering...I've been weened off Prednisone the last month or so and today is my last pill. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
However, I've noticed that my joints hurt and my feet oh the pain. Is this normal. I feel like my muscles are weak. walking up a flight of stairs is painful. Anyone know how long this will last or if this is something I will have to live with.

Hi, I am still taking Prednisone. I have been trying to get off of it since September and am now down to 2.5 mg. a day. Yes, I agree with you it does NOT take massive quantities of Prednisone to do internal organ damage. I can no longer eat normally anymore since September 14th, 2007. (I can drink all the water I want, however) I am slowly starving to death, I think. IF I don't completely lose my brain functioning first?! If I eat anything like dairy or any carbs like pastas or breads of any kind or simple sugars, juices of any kind, or candies or cookies, crisps or the like, I go into massive withdrawals and brain fog!! Any holiday foods I must stay away from. I can no longer eat tomatoes or Mexican, Chinese, Italian, pies, ice cream, coffee, tea with sugar or milk, etc etc....The list of 'no no's are endless!! And this thing won't let me cheat! It knows if I eat the so-called 'wrong foods'. My Neuropathology doctor says I now have "Leaky Gut Syndrome"!! What the he** is THAT?!
I feel like my brain power is melting away to nothing and I am going through daily life in a haze. This is a very real and frightening feeling for me to experience!! I tried "jumping off" the 2.5 mg Prednisone on Tuesday the 11th and was in full horrible withdrawals by Thursday afternoon! I cannot even begin to tell you what horrible symptoms I experienced!! I had to reinstate the 2.5 and my Doctor said I just could. NOT 'COLD TURKEY what I had left, but must taper the final 2.5 over a period of the next several weeks!! I don't know whether I'll have a brain LEFT by that point or I may be a dithering, slobbering idiot by that time?! When I go to sleep and then wake up, I notice that I have MORE brain-fog than ever!!! Not to mention I have constant diarrhoea all day from drinking magnesium (Natural Calm) in the mornings to keep from pacing and being a nervous wreck?!
HELP ANYONE?! Am I ever going to get my brain back to normal?! And be able to eat normally again?!
Shaun

I also would like to encourage everyone with Prednisone issues. I met the creator of this site from postings and replies on medications.com. At the time I was researching Prednisone concerning dosage levels and how this drug effects all major organs. She done a fantastic job with assisting in this matter. This all came about after my father passed away after being prescribed a MASSIVE dose of this horrible drug.. It is my belief that it does not take massive dosages of Prednisone to cause organ damage. So please if you are suffering from any of the mile long list of side effects, check out 'Sirvovors of Prednisone' before it is too late.

Was taking 20 mg for 6 weeks for asthma. After first week had occassional joint pain. After 2 weeks the pain in my shoulders, hips and knees was severe enough to cause problems walking. My knee joints starting sweeling. I was told to cut off the pills cold turkey 3 weeks ago, which I did. However, my right shoulder and my knnes still have pain. My left knee continues to hold the same swelling. Is this normal after 3 weeks?

I was given a prescrip for 60mg a day of pred from a hospital ER in NYC. No tapering instructions were given, either. 4 days in I developed severe joint pain in wrists, knees, shoulder, etc. Day 6 I stopped cold turkey. Saw an allergist specialtist on Day 10 because this all started as a reaction I had to something still unknown. Yesterday on day 12 with no decrease in joint pain I started the pred again at 10mg at the doc's request. Pain got better a few hours later but then started again in my wrist which had previously cleared up. Took another 10mg before bed last night. Still lots of wrist pain. Today it's unbearable. Doc says to only take 5mg next time in am and 10 at night. I can't stand this pain! Advil won't make it decrease at all. Seems like I got relief when I started up the pred again but seems like I have a reaction to taking it again.

God Bless u Guest 14258
I'm so very sorry u r going thru this. I was on pred. for 4 yrs. and was taken off of pred. on June 10th of this year and it was cold turkey. I was not advised of the emotional trauma I would suffer nor did they tell me of the physical withdrawal. Many times I could have easily packed a suitcase and run away, didn't matter that I had been marrred for 23 yrs. I never did that. although u go thru many feelings of despair. Find a doctor, anyone that will help u deal with the withdrawal of pred. and get your husband to listen to u or both of u go and talk to someone. This is not your fault and it is the pred. How long had he been on pred.? How many milligrams did he take a day? Print out some articles , anything and let him read them. I've never heard of such a dramatic change, but with pred., anything is pssible. I got to the point I didn't care about anything, couldn't get interested in anything. Now, things r so much better and I'm getting back to my old self. Did your husband gain alot of weight? I sure did. It's coming off now. Please don't wait too long to get him some help, anyway u can. Take care of yourself in the mean time. God Bless

To trailblazen,

Your low blood pressure seems to be a definite side-effect of Prednisone withdrawal. When I came off of Pred, I not only felt super weak but I also experienced body tingling, especially in my legs and arms.....bad, bad!
I hope to God you are not quitting cold turkey, don't ever do that! Your doctor should be lowering your doses slowly by 5 mgs a week or so. In your case, stopping the intake of this Steroid all the sudden could be quite dangerous because you have been on it for a looooong period of time. If your doctor reduced you dose little by little you should not worry about your withdraw effects. Stay calm and keep an optimistic attitude. It took me 2 months before I started feeling normal again! Hope this helped you ;)
Gypsi

I am so happy to have found this site...your stories are so helpful. I am 28 years old and I was put on 60 mg's of Prednisone for 7 days for a neck injury by a neurologist. After taking about 5 days of it, I wasn't sleeping AT ALL, was very jittery, heart palputaions, had foggy thinking, difficulty with memory, and was sparking panic attacks. My doctor said "STOP IT COLD TURKEY". I questioned that knowing that this is a drug that you should be weaned off of and he said that since it was such a short course, I'd be fine! A day or two following that, I landed in the E.R. hyperventilating and basically thinking my toughths were those of an insane person. I was discharged after 2 days, and well, it's been a week since I"ve been off and I can't sleep without a pill and still have all the same effects...is this normal and someone please tell me how long I have to live like this. The dr's all say the drug is out of my system by now! HELP! Please respond!!!!

To Guess #11926

How long has it been since you quit Prednisone cold turkey?
You also said you r having a hard time, what are your SYMPTOMS now?

not much of a problem with a two week taper from 100 down to 5 mgs. i tend to like it better than immuran. but we must avoid cushings, moon face, hirsutism, avascular necrosis. never, ever, go cold turkey!!

My Doctor prescribed prednisone for Gouty arthritis which I have had sporadic attacks of in the last 4 months. I had an attack last week and took 20 mg of Prednisone for 4 days then 10 mg for 3 days and then cold turkey. It seems to have done the trick with the gout but today I had excruciating pain deep in my thigh and shin bones. Also I felt like one of my legs was kind of asleep.I think I'll try and avoid taking it in the future.

Everyone talks about how important is NOT to stop Prednisone cold turkey BUT nobody says a word of the consequences or symptoms of stopping cold turkey!
Could anyone be so kind and tell me what are the actual symptoms one might experience by stoping Prednisone cold turkey?!

Prednisone- what can I say.
I was on 40 mg 3 times a day, then cut to 40 mg 2 times a day. This lasted for 2.5 months before they started to slowly get me off of it. I finally got off of it after 4 months. This was pure hell.
FIRST OFF to any of you that goes cold turkey on getting off of it, DON'T. NEVER DO THAT!!!!!!!! If anything get off of it SLOWLY!!! If you are at 20mg a day, cut / break them in half, take 15 mg for a couple of days, then 10 mg for two to three days, then go to 5mg for a couple of days. The higher the dosage that you are on, the longer it takes to get get off of them. REMEMBER, I'am NOT a Doctor, this is some of my insight on this 'demon' drug.

How long to get it out of your system, well it will depend on the dosage you are taking and how long you have been taking it. With the high dosage I was on and the lenght of time, about 5.5 months, I'm STILL affected by the 'demon' drug and it has been 2.5 years since I got off of it.

One VERY IMPORTANT point to make if you are going to be taking it over a lenght of time is: If you have a wife / girlfriend, family, and friends, let them know right away. They don't know or realize what it is and what you are going through. For your family if they don't understand have them talk to your Doctor.

I have MANY side affects from this drug and will go through more of it some other day, but right now I'm having 'wife' problems because of this stuff. I sat her down three times during the couse of taking the 'demon' drug but she did not or could not believe it. (note: for the first month on it, I average 1/2 hrs of sleep per night. This IS with taking a stong sleeping pill.) To this day, my wife is not really even talking to me because of the way I acted when I was on the 'demon' drug. I don't remember any of it, and try to explain what it is like to not sleep for weeks. SHE doesn't understand that, she just says that it was me and my fault.
There is nothing I can say now to change her mind. So now after 33 yrs of marrage, (30 of them were just great) she wants to leave me. So keep that in mind with any high dose long term use. Side effect possibly lose your spouse or friends if they are not aware of what can happen to you.

To those of you on it, God be with you and stay strong. You are NOT going out of your mind, it is that some people do not understand.

Talk to you all later.

Angel

Never stop taking predisone cold turkey you can get secondary addisons Adrenal glands use cortisone and stop or slow down when this drugis stopped cold turkey Your glands will stop prodution and you will have to take predisone the rest of your life Take this advise from one who has been there Check out web sites on Secondary Addisons its all there

I was put on Pred. for severe hives after treatments for cancer (aggressive chemo and radiation) once the burns healed I came down with severe hives all over. I was put on Allegra, Clarinex, Zyrtec, Prednisone (60mg), Singulair, Advair, Atarax, and Preventil twice a day. I began feeling like a junky and the pharmacy would question my refills. I have the moon face and weight gain, with cancet treatments and prednisone total gain is 80lbs. I was ready to give up, between the pills, the massive side effects and the hives. I was intrduced to an awesome high antioxident through Market America. I started taking 4 capfuls per day and within a week stopped all my meds. cold turkey. I got hives worse the first 3 days but I was told that would happen while my system detoxed. My doctor added Plaqunel (to cover his butt) but it takes 3 months to get into your system and it is not a steriod. I still get a few hive now and then when I eat something (Red dye, barley-beer) but after I take my OPC-3 they go away without any medication not even OTC meds.
If you want information on the antioxidants I am taking you can find information at www.4thebetterlife.com or e-mail me at ******. I am also taking vitamin C and B12 with the OPC-3 because they assist with inflamation and histimine levels. I am working on the weight (I still gained and was on Weight watcher the whole time) and my face is SLOWLY returning, its been 2 months. I wish you all the best. I will never go on a drug again without researching it first and looking for more natural ways to take care of the problems and this is coming from someone who had 20-50% chance of living through my cancer P.N.E.T. Sarcoma. I am doing great no and I am cancer free and I am getting my life back after steriods.

I would love to tell you that they disappear immediately.. but they won't. Someone on this message board mentioned "1 month for every week you were on the drug" . So far, that seems about right to me.

You REALLY should have listened to us. Cold turkey is NOT recommended. Here's the deal. Your body makes hormones in the adrenal glands. Prednisone replaces those hormones and the adrenals STOP. Quitting cld turkey means you are now missing vital hormones. I don't know how serious but it can't be a good thing.

A friend of mine did the same thing. He was on 10 for a while.. then just stopped. He was in agony for 24 hours and it was over. He wasn't on the drug very long in total which may be a contributing factor.

TALK TO A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.. relying on the board (as informative as we may be) doesn't replace their knowledge. If you can't trust a doctor.. talk to your pharmacist. They have the same confidentiality and will help you.

I have been on prednisone for close to 3 years at a low dosage of 10 mil a day for PMR, for the last year I have had much of the same side affects mention by others this is a nightmare! I quit taking it on may 9th cold turkey and I feel awful I have rare days 1 or 2 where I feel pretty good,to wake up the next day in horrible pain. Can anyone tell me how long it will take for this horrible medicine to be out of my system for good! ******