PredniSONE and depression

I am 24 years old & was diagnosed with a type of Kidney disease (Minimal Change Disease) in April of 08. My doctor started me out on 60mg of Pred. The side effects of this drug are nothing I would wish on ANYONE! It took a couple of weeks to kick in...and then it was dreadful. I had everything...Moon face, severe hunger 24/7 (I gained 30lbs!!!), the tops of my arms, the top of my back & my stomach were huge!...I would sweat constantly, couldn't sleep at night, constantly tossing & turning...knee pain in the middle of the night to the point that I would have to get out of bed and walk around for an hour or so...depression was the worst of them all for me, very moody & felt lost...all I wanted to do was stay in my house...never wanted to see anyone...it was TERRIBLE!...I've also gotten stretch marks on my sides from the rapid weight gain...I experienced major hair loss...and my teeth have become very sensitive. I was on this high dose of 60mg for about 6 - 7 months before I could start decreasing. I then would decrease my dosage by 10mg once a week until I got to 10. About 2 months after I had been on 10 mg. I started to notice a little change. My face was still swollen but it gradually was starting to go away!...I am currently on 5 mg & and scheduled to start taking it every other day starting in April. On May 1st I will be finished all together!!! I pray every day that I never have to take this AGAIN. All side effects (minus the teeth sensitivity) have gone away & other than the scars that it left on my sides I feel back to normal! I feel for anyone taking this medication...At points I felt like it was the end...but just know that if you can rife out the storm it will get better!

I was prescribed a course of Prednisone to combat an Avelox rash (after 3 doses - Avelox discontinued) for 10 days:

Prednisone:
Day 1-2 - 40 mg AM; 10 mg PM;
Day 3-4 - 30 mg AM; 10 mg PM;
Day 5-6 - 20 mg AM; 10 mg PM;
Day 7-8 - 20 mg AM; 0 mg PM;
Day 9-10 - 10 mg AM; 0 mg PM.

Today would be Day 10, but my doctor gave me a pass on it because it's been messing with my system so bad, so I didn't take the last dose.

The side effects are insomnia, severe muscleand joint aches and pains (it hurts to move sometimes - hurts even just sitting here), depression (That's understandable - this stuff stinks!), indigestion. The rest I can deal with (leather skin, and my nose looks like I have the "gin blossoms" or something - and I don't drink alcohol at all).

I know everybody is different and has different body systems, but in regards to my dosage and the 10 day course time, approximately how long will the Prednisone stay in my system and when will the side effects begin to subside? What is the half life of Prednisone? The bad side effects only really began around Day 7-8. Withdraw maybe? But I was only on it for 9 days? My GP said I should start feeling better in as soon as 1-2 days....

I'd appreciate any and all help with these questions - thank you! And good luck to you fellow sufferers.

God Bless!

I also have had hair growth on my face. I used to take pride that at 52 years old and female, I did not have facial hair. After being diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis, I was prescribed with 40 mgs.a day for about 3 wks, then went down to 30mgs. for 2 wks, 20mgs, for 2 wks, now at 10mgs for 2 then hopefully getting off! The prednisone side effects have been similar to all above. OCD like crazy, moon face, heart palps., leg cramps (actually ankle cramps), blurry vision, and now this white downy hair on my chin and side burns. I have not had any depression, insomnia or weight gain for some reason. My mid life hot flashes have also gone away since being on prednisone.

I have a lung inflammation which I got a few months after moderate radiation to my lung. I was on 60 mg of Prednisone for two weeks, 50 for two weeks, and now 40 mg and working my way down.
I will probably be on it for a total of three months. The main side effects have been weakness, dizziness, very tired, and generally feeling completely not myself. I push myself out of the house everyday to walk as much as I can, but I am weak, without energy, and dizzy the whole time. I can drive, however. When I sit or lie down, I feel much better, but this just discourages me from being active and contributes to my decrease in strength and energy. I also feel it contributes to depression, but the other side effects contribute, on their own. My face is only slightly puffy and slightly red: everybody says I look great, but I know it's the side effects of the drug. It is a powerful drug and can really screw you up, depending on the dose and your sensitivity. I am sorry to hear about all the illness and suffering out there. I wish everyone the best. You're not alone!

Prednisone has messed up my head. I had Bells Palsy (which is paralysis of one half of the face) and can be very scary. I have had some depression before but this stuff made me fall off the face of the earth. I went from someone in control and quite happy to the absolute pits. The depression was quite severe and sudden and I had no ability to stop the downward spiral. It has played havoc with my life. In its defense, it cleared the Bell's Palsy up very quickly but the grief it has caused me through my altered mind state wasn't worth it. Insomnia (eg - no sleep for 6 nights straight) was a trigger and then the mood swings took over and then bang....full blown depression and an inability to focus, work properly or function. I am now on the road to recovery but it has been a pretty turbulent 2 months. Be very careful with this drug....very, very careful.

Hello I am 40 yrs old and got a lung infection which cause swelling in my lungs so the put me on high doses of prednisone via IV for 21 days in the hospital. The drug saved my life and took it at the same time.

After I got out of hospital i was on 60 mg for 6 weeks the 30mg for 6 weeks then 20mg the 10mg. It has been a living HELL over the last 5 months or so.

I told my DR. i have very bad blurred vision and he said it because the med runs my sugar up but I check my sugar and limit my sugar and it around 100 all the time which is normal soits not sugar. Then he said well them you need to see an eye dr. cuz your eyes are going bad. I begged to differ with him and told him if there was something wrong w my eyes then why is is one day I see fine and the next day all blurred and then back to normal!? it this stupid steroid if you ask me plus on day my right eye is bad and next day my left uggh!

The WORST side effect it the brain fog as yall call it. OMG I feel like im loosing my mind and going crazy. The dr. says hes never heard of such with a wise remark and says you know where your at now right? I know where i am and what I say but I feel like its not really happening. Its like im dreaming it. I feel like Im trapped in my head and I lookout blurry eyes.

Before I was a very confident independent person but now I feel scared all the time i feel hopeless and ive went through 3 girl friends over the summer because of the extreme forward attitude the med gives me. I am not the same person I was. I some time just want to die. I'm extremely tire if i do any exercise at all.

Plus I have all the other typical side effect like the moon face and weight gain. I don't even look the same cuz my eyes have huge bags under them and a double chin I never had.

I feel for all of you because i know what your going through.
I saw one comforting post in here where someone said within 2 weeks of completely getting off the pred. he was his normal self.
I CAN TELL YOU HOW GLAD I WAS TO READ THAT!

Please if you have finished the med and have got back to normal don't forget about this post. Please let us know because we need any hope we can get to keep our chins up and not loose hope and go completely crazy or worse kill ourselves.

I have about 4 more months of this LIVING HELL and I will surely let you all know if it get better. If you have come off of it and are reading this PLEASE let us know if we get back normal at least w the brain fog. I can take all the side effect ok except for the crazy dream zone zombie feeling.

I WOULDN'T WISH THIS KINDA HELL ON THE DEVIL HIM SELF!!
Let's pray for each other that the Lord keep out minds strong until we get off the nightmare drug call Prednisone.

side effects:
brain fog, blurred vision, puffy eyes, depression, confusion, dizzy, moon face, buffalo neck hump neck, hopelessness

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 ml prednisone a day for PMR . My doctor said with such a low dose I shouldn't experience many side effects. WRONG! The first month was great. No pain and I felt better than I'd felt in years. Then the side effects started...every known side effect hit me. After being on the drug for two months I told my doctor I couldn't stand the side effects any more and to please ween me off. Two weeks ago which was end of third month I was completely weened off the drug. I still have blurred vision so bad I can't function...I can't work, I can't drive, I can't read. I can barely see at all. My question is will my vision improve? So far its seems to be getting worse and my vision was great before prednisone.

Depression was bad when I was on drug but seems to be even worse now that I'm off.

The only side effects that have diminished are appetite even though I haven't lost one oz of 40 lb weight gain while I was on prednisone and muscle cramps are not quite as bad. I am sleeping a little better and hot flashes aren't as bad..

Male 28. Was diagnosed a couple of months ago with Ulcerative Colitis and was prescribed Prednisone. A large dose to start with then tampered off for 4 weeks. The first week I felt great, better than great, fantastic. The only downside was difficulty sleeping. The following 3 weeks, without any exaggeration have been among the worst I have ever experienced. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me, so I was constantly tired and generically felt depressed, also knee ache, eye pain, inability to think clearly (quite a problem when you are an Engineer), lacked energy or strength – and the Acne. Never before have I had Acne like this, and I used to suffer quite bad during my teens. Its just so aggressive, every few hours there seems to be new ones appearing. It seems to occur when ever I step down the dose. I think having this bad skin has really added to my depression over the last few weeks, it has been especially difficult considering I have been in the process of starting a new job. To top all of that my UC seems to be worst than ever! I’m worried that when I go back to see the Doctor next week he is going to put me on some equally-annoying medication or maybe another course of Prednisone if I’m lucky.

Does anyone know of some natural alternatives that are good for UC, very reluctant to put anymore man-made chemicals into my body.

I'm 15 years old and i've been taking prednisone for a few months, and from what i've read i'm on a really high dose. i was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and another autoimmune disorder concerning my muscles at the same time. my doctor told me prednisone was my only choice; it was either that or i would lose the ability to walk. he told me there'd be side effects, but i had no idea it'd turn out like this or i would have fought harder for another course of action. i started out on 30mg twice a day, and since then was weaned down to 20mg twice a day and now i'm down to 30mg once a day. i've been looking up a bunch of information trying to figure out if there's a way to lessen the side effects or any hope at all that they will get better. apparently there isn't much. after reading a bunch of these stories i gotta say i'm not feeling great about this. i totally understand everything everyone is going through. i'm sure you can imagine what it's like being smack in the middle of high school with a huge puffy face, acne so bad on my face, chest, back, neck, and shoulders that wearing a bra could put me in tears, and mood swings so bad i've lost friends over it. everyone knows how brutal high school can be, where appearance and attitude are everything. and i try to tell my doctor about it and he literally looks at me like i'm a whiny teenager and says "you're just going to have to deal with it." and people like my mom and my closest friends don't get it either. nobody understands how beyond frustrating it is. i'll get into the worst moods and not have a reason for it, but i'll stay angry for hours or burst into tears over someone looking at me the wrong way. it'll get to the point where i have to isolate myself from other people because the abrubt mood changes get so bad. as bad as i hate to admit it, the pain from the arthritis is gone now and supposedly my muscles are doing better too. developing arthritis caused me to have to quit cheerleading, something i've loved doing for 6 years, because the pain got to the point where i couldn't get my arms above my head or bend my knees. however, i'd almost rather deal with the horrible joint pain than deal with the side effects of prednisone. if your doctor gives you and alternative method, take it. i've always been confident in the way i look and really outgoing and happy and now i sometimes catch myself thinking about suicide. that's shocking to me because i've got so much going for me, but this medicine makes me miserable. and when i complain about it, anyone i'm talking to just looks at me like i'm being a cry baby. my mom does too, she'll say things like "you just have to do this. i know it's not what you want but to be honest i'm sick of hearing you bitch about it."
i feel a little better knowing other people feel the same way - like nobody gets whats going on with them. the prednisone does give me days of really great euphoria and days when i feel like i could run a marathon, but waking up in the morning to the acne and huge face puts me to tears every day. i have to pee all the time, usually getting up at 2 or 3 am. i don't sleep well anymore and i do sweat all the time. which also sucks being a teenage girl. i'm always hungry, and when i eat i never feel full so i don't know when to stop. my neck and face have put on so much weight that when people see me in the halls or out and about they ask me what happened. mind you these are people i don't talk to, just ones i know from classes or whatever. and it's pretty bad when teenage boys i've never really talked to ask what happened to your face. kind of a blow to the ego, or whatever is left of it at this point.
i'd like to know if, as my dosage gets lowered, the side effects will diminish and when i'm off the prednisone completely if they will disappear altogether. any help there?
or if there is any way to help the acne or puffy face

my doctor just put me on something called methotrexate or something like that to help wean me off the prednisone, and does anyone know what those side effects will do? or if they'll affect the prednisone side effects?
i'm constantly obsessing over gaining weight and what my skin looks like and what i eat and how heavy my face feels and the occasional pressure in my eyes to the point where i just want to be put out of my misery.
and after reading other people's stories i really don't understand why this drug is still given out as freely as it is. but maybe all doctors are like mine, they just don't get it.
best of luck to anyone who's on prednisone, my heart goes out to you; i'm right there with you
sorry this became like a book it wasn't meant to be this long

I have been on prednisone since I was two years old (I am now sixteen) because I have Autoimmune Hepatitis IIa. I would like to point out that there is still a life worth living being on prednisone, maybe I say this because I do not know life without it, but at least we're alive! Last year I had a flare up of the AIH and had to 6x my dose of prednisone. It sent me into a spiraling depression of constant sleep, crying, hopelessness etc....but I made it through. Just PLEASE keep hope that things would get better, because I know what it's like being on the dreaded drug better than most.

I was on prednisone in 2005 first time ever. It completely ruined my life. I was before the prednisone (for just 10 days) a very calm happy person. After seven days I started having terrible mood swings, blurred and darkened vision, savage anxiety all the time, and the deepest depression i have ever known. I lost a business, a marriage, half my family, my sanity, composure, and ability to work. The doctor better hope to hell I never catch her out and about. Anyway after four years of pure hell I am finally able to work again and feel pretty normal most of the time. This drug does much more harm than good. I had a simple yet severe allergic reaction and was prescribed this terrible drug. Words cannot describe the personal hell I have been through. I think that most if not all doctors should be put out of their misery. I for one have started a movement to take out the doctors before they take us out. This is war and Im not going away that easy. If your life has been destroyed by prednisone do not do anything drastic. Just remember that just because your doctor poisoned you that it does not last forever. You will eventually feel better. It might be after your sanity has been tested to the limits and you lose everything you ever worked for but eventually you will come around. As for me I am starting my plan very soon. I absolutely believe that their is a movement in this country to take out or cripple as many trusting people as they can. The fda, cdc, ama, and others are evil.

Hi everyone, I have just read all thirty pages of posts to try to find some answers to my crazy reaction to prednisone. My thoughts are with you all since I have had an usually severe reaction to prednisone. I was on prednisone for 1 week in October 2008 at 60 mg/day for a sinus surgery. I am still having the following side effects at full force:

Axiety to the point I can't socialize
mood swings
hot/sweating even in freezing weather
whole body shakes
severe migraines
tooth sensitivity
muscle pains
extreme thirst (I drink almost 2 gallons/day)
hungry all the time
moon face
water retention around waist
acne
hair loss
rapid heart rate
dizziness
nightmares
night sweats
high blood pressure
high hear rate

I'm not exaggerating, my parent's can contend to that. I do have a history of having sever reactions to medication and I've had all the gland and blood tests which all check out. I never had a single one of these before the prednisone - I was a healthy 22 year old.

I was wondering if any could tell me when this hell will end - my job and well-being depends on it!

I was giving prednisone for only 5 days (not sure about dose, but it tapered to one pill on the last day) for a bronchitis induced severe asthma attack. I have only had asthma twice in my 50 years, both times associated with a bad case of bronchitis. The "doc in the box" reduced his original dosage due to the 3 corisone injections I recently had in my spine. After reading these posts I feel grateful I wasn't on a higher, longer term dose. I have some of the same side effects listed here including uncontrollable appetite, fat gain around the middle, water weight gain, constantly having to urinate, superhuman energy, heart palpitations, and approximately two weeks after finishing, I began to get a mustache (hairs that were previously white became brown over a two week period). I have read on the internet and been told by my pharmacist that this is temporary. I have also read and been told that the 2mg estradiol I take every day since my hysterectomy causes the body to retain and not rid itself of the steroids as it normally would (estrogen is actually listed as drug interaction with prednisone). The doctor in the box apparently just ignored this interaction and prescribed it anyway. However the main reason I am posting is a very strange possible side effect that occurred approximately 1 week after my final dose. I was awakened in the middle of the night with SEVERE pain (felt like bone pain, not muscle) in my right knee that lasted until morning. By mid morning it was gone. The next night I had the same experience but in both knees. It lasted about 5 more days, gradually tapering in intensity, and then just went away. I do have severe arthritis in my lumbar and cervical spine, having had surgeries to repair injuries from a snowmobiling accident. I have normal arthritis elsewhere for a 50 year old, but have NEVER had issues with my knees. Has anyone had this strange symptom? None of my doctors (internist, rheumatologist, physiatrist - who gave me the injections and prescribed physical therapy for my spine) had any explanation. The only explanation I have is the prednisone because I had taken the Z-pac (antibiotic) with no side effects several times in the past. Weird!

Incidentally, I am off the prednisone for about 5 weeks, am still hungry all the time, still fat, still bloated. Unfortunately the extra energy is gone. Best of luck to everyone on this strange drug. My heart sincerely goes out to all of you on long term therapy. God bless.

I have been weaning off Prednisone for sometime, from 50mg down to 5mg in two week steps, 5mg at a time. I've had quite a few of the physical side effects of Prednisone, though none so severe that I would have considered not taking the drug, as it is helping the neuropathy that it was described for. When I hit the 5mg dose, I really seemed to be having trouble with my mental state. I seemed to switch back and forth from knowing what was going on to wondering if I was starting to go insane or losing touch with reality. Hard one to explain. It seems to occur later in the day when I am fairly tired. Back on 10 mg for the last three days and seem to be tired but not so mentally confused. Don't know if this is all from the Prednisone, though. Has anyone out there had any seemingly similar mental things happen on this drug. Thanks in advance for answering if you have had these experiences, they are scary and am hoping that it is the drug and not something else.

I have been on prednisone continuously now for 15 years. I was put on it in March of 1995 for a lung condition called chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. I was 122 pounds when I first started prednisone. Now 15 years later I am 197 pounds. I am 35 years old with osteoporosis. I have dealt with depression, terrible headaches, stomach ulcers, hormonal imbalance, hair loss, swollen feet and ankles, I now wear glasses when I didn't before, I have thin skin now that looks older than my 35 years, I deal with night sweats, and in the summer out in the heat my very round moon face turns red as a beet. But, no one can get me off the prednisone. I have seen many specialists, and within 1-2 days of starting to wean past 10mg I get so sick I have to be hospitalized, I literally can't breathe or live without it. I hate this stuff and what its done to me, but I have no choice but to take it or I will die. Doctors have tried alternate medications, nothing but prednisone works. If there is ANYONE who has had to be on it as long as I have or have had success in getting off it after being on it for so long, I would love to hear from you.

Interesting earlier post about hearing pulse in ear.
I heard my blood squirting through my veins in/around my ear yesterday.
Didn't start prednisone until today. Figure that one out?

Started with a Pred pak for a sinus infection. Made my heart race and had tach and early heartbeat, which kept me from sleeping. Went to Cardiologist. Several doctors denied that the Pred would cause the rapid heartbeat. Then the Cardiologist did an echo and found a pericardial effusion and some weird spots on my lungs. They suspected lung cancer which may cause the effusion, so I had surgery to do a pericardial window and a lung biopsy. Then a pulmonologist decided to put me on Pred again...steady dosage...because she didn't know what else to do. (Didn't have lung cancer) I didn't have any more funny heartbeats, so maybe the pred didn't cause it after all. But I've gained 40 pounds. My hair has grown faster, and I've gotten some facial hair (not supposed to have that, being a female)...which I call fur. Moon face with cheeks that are hard, muscle cramps, can't sleep, but once I do go to sleep, I can't wake up. Tired all the time, headaches, joint pain-sometimes severe, dry skin, generally bad attitude, with very little patience, low potassium levels which add to my muscle cramping problems, difficulty swallowing, indigestion which I've never had, with painful and burning reflux. And occasionally when I eat, I have the rapid heartbeat again. I go in search of food like I'm going to store it in my thighs for winter. Anything you eat will turn to fat, including protein. Can't wait to get off this stuff which will take until June of next year. Then my doctor says it will be 3 months before all these effects wear off. No one told me I would get fur.

hya everyone,my partner has been on prednisone for over 6months while having chemotherapy 4 bone cancer.He is being weaned off the drug slowly and is now on half dose and is experiencing very bad joint pain,headaches,sweating along with depression and lower back pain.Hopefully after coming off the drug completely these symptoms will eventually go away.We sympathize with all who has to go through similar situations.

Hi I am a 44 year old asthma patient. I have had asthma since the age 2 and have been on & off prednisone since that time. As a child until age 20 I was on predinsone daily. My question is has anyone experienced nerve problems due to long time use? I do have muscle weakness and spasms, but I am interested in if anyone has had nerve problems. Please email me at ****** and refer to prednisone.

Several years ago I saw a doctor at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City, IA and was diagnosed with a chronic disease. Although most researchers and scientists will tell you lifestyle and dietary changes are essential when diagnosed with a chronic disease, my doctor, Dr. Anne L., told me they don't matter. In the spirit of "Do no harm," dietary and lifestyle changes are often the first things doctors recommend their patients change.

Instead of harmless lifestyle changes, I was put me on a lot of dangerous prescription drugs. One of those dangerous drugs was prednisone.

It didn't help my disease, but its side effects have been devastating and debilitating. And these side effects are particularly annoying because I was told this was a drug that didn't have side effects. (And when I learned about the side effects, I wanted to stop using it, but my doctor told me I'd die if I did. So I had to keep using it. Once you're on prednisone, you can't stop taking it abruptly. It really can kill you. So before you take it, you need to be informed. If you later found out its a drug you don't want to take, you can't just stop.)

But this is what I really wanted to say.

Look, prednisone's a bad drug, and most doctors don't prescribe it so casually anymore, but under the care of a good MD, its effects can be managed. Most docs will tell you right away when you go on prednisone about the side effects that most people are concerned about, like weight gain and acne. The fact is, those things actually matter not just superficially, not just for self-esteem, but in terms of people's overall health and even for managing the chronic disease for which prednisone is likely prescribed. If one becomes depressed, this not only affects one's overall general health, but for many chronic diseases, it can cause the disease itself to relapse. And because prednisone itself carries a risk of depression, managing such side effects, side effects that are likely to make a patient become depressed, is paramount.

Certainly most doctors will readily prescribe either topical acne treatments oral antibiotics for cystic acne which prednisone often induces. For the weight gain itself, ignoring the chronic disease for which prednisone is probably being prescribed, doctors often recommend a different diet to the patient.

My point is just that prednisone isn't as evil when you have an average or mediocre doctor.

Now, on the other hand, prednisone really is a bad drug to begin with. So under the care of a bad doctor, it's almost inevitable that you're going to experience permanent side effects and yes, under such incompetent care, this drug could easily ruin your life. That's what happened with me.

So make sure you have a good or at least mediocre doctor if you're using this drug.

And as far as dietary and lifestyle changes, I've been able to manage my disease solely with dietary and lifestyle changes. So I didn't need prednisone in the first place. Regardless, I would never take this drug again and I would not recommend anyone else take it unless you have exhausted every other possible option, unless you know you're doctor is competent, unless you know about the risks and side effects and what to do when they occur.

I never would've taken if I knew about the side effects. It's really quite stupid to use this drug as a first-line treatment, which is how it was used in my case. It should only be used as a last resort, if at all.

If I had never taken prednisone, I would be perfectly healthy today. My chronic disease itself doesn't influence my daily life at all anymore. But every single day the side effects of prednisone are evident and debilitating and will be for the rest of my life.

hi everyone, i'm a 36 y.o. male and have been on and off of prednisone for 25 yrs. my experience has always been more positive than negative with taking this drug. it has helped me to breath better and has made me to feel extra healthy and even physically stronger. but i have my suspicions about this drug also. it has given me a false since of good health and i feel like i want to keep taking it just to feel better. i have only taken the drug after an asthma attack for about 5-7 days. early on the only side effect was increased appetite and occasional insomnia. but the last time i took this drug the doctor increased the milligrams and a VERY UNUSUAL side effect occurred that never happened before. I HAD HALLUCINATIONS! i have never had these side effects before and on the leaflet of possible side effects that came from the pharmacist for the very first time i saw hallucinations listed as a possible side effect. the hallucinations were damn near demonic in nature. the experience went like this... i woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and on my way to the bathroom i passed my dresser mirror and in the mirror was writing on the mirror in a mist! just like it would be when you get out of the shower and take your finger and write on the mirror. THERE WERE LEGIBLE WORDS ON MY MIRROR! mind you this is in my bedroom and the shower was off! at that point i refused to read what i saw in the mirror! it was weird enough what i saw i didn't need to read it. i refused to be fearful at that point cause i realized i was hallucinating and not getting a haunting. when i woke up later i went back to the mirror and of course no writing in the mirror. IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PLEASE TELL ME YOUR STORY PERSONALLY! MY EMAIL IS ******! i would like to know that i'm not alone in this. to make it easier for me to see your response please type prednisone in the subject box on the email cause i receive a ton of emails and spam. and i would really like to hear other stories and experiences of taking this drug with very weird side effects!

My husband initially took Prednisone after getting strange lesions, severe joint pain, severe fatigue and severe stomach cramps/nausea. It worked great he was tapered off and no problems for about 18 months. Then he go sick again (2/08) and has been up and down on Prednisone for 7 months- currently taking 60 mg. daily. Some doctors think he has Wegener's, but testing is inconclusive (Wegener's starts with upper respiratory stuff, which he also had). His mood swings are severe and he's a different person, twitching, hand trembling, muscle spams, malaise, anxiety/depression, very fatigued, insomnia, severe stomach cramps/vomiting. How do you tell which symptoms are the Prednisone and which are the disease process? They want to taper him to make him sick enough to get some test results that show organ damage or something, but everyone chickens out and he ends up getting increased. How long should he be on Prednisone and not be put on something stronger?

hi all. thanks for writing your comments here. it has helped me today, another HORRIBLE day of prednisone hell. i have been seriously ill for 8 months been told ever other week I'm likely going to die from lung disease (i'm 35) and after a painful lung biopsy have been told my lung problems are almost all reversible... after a year on high dose prednisone. i was on 40mg a day for a month a while back and was so out of control from rage and crying and insomnia and panic/suicidality, ravenous appetite, that they lowered me to 30. then after biopsy they said i should be on 100mg to cure me, we settled at 60mg. it's been 24 days. The moon face started about one week in. i've gained 8 lbs. i am an emotional wreck. i have at least one rage filled attack per day where i am screaming and want to kill somebody or destroy something. some days i am so filled with hopelessness and worry i just want to die. my body changes (after just losing 30 lbs and being a work out fanatic my shortness of breath makes it impossible to walk up 2 flights of stairs without resting) face changes, acne, excess body hair (oh my god please make it stop i'm like a chia pet and i'm so afraid it is going to get worse) double chin, puffy eyes and cheeks, absolutely uncontrollable emotions and mood swings, inability to be logical or reasonable. i don't want to leave the house, i'm panicked and scared all the time. i never sleep. ambian gives me minimal relief (just started taking it) i feel like i'm losing everything, except my lung functioning is returning and i'm not going to die from this illness (they assure me THIS week) i understand light at the end of the tunnel, but living like this is unbearable most days, almost impossible the rest of the time. am i alone with the severity of this? or are all the others like me too busy hiding the sharps and crying in a corner to write on this board? thanks for listening :)

figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.
figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.

PREDNISONE.... a word that is unknown to the naive and despised by the the knowledgeable. Before i begin i want to tell you that prednisone for lack of better word F***ed me up. So heres my story with the pill. About a year ago i was officially diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease, now remember i am eighteen at the time, and was prescribed prednisone to cure the disease. Now being unaware of the severity of the drug and disease i casually continued life while taking 80mg per day of prednisone. Well this was good and all because it did in fact put me in remission, but the side effects were starting go surface. My face ballooned up "moon face", started experiencing random series of depression, became insomniatic, and unfortunately gained several pounds. Well this was not the end of side effects as for me. I continued with the medication and after 6 weeks of 80 mg i began my 5 week course of 60mg. Then after that i started 4 weeks on 40 mg and began tapering 5 mg every 2-3 weeks afterwards. Toward the middle of 60 mg the drug started taking its toll on my body as my skin lost its elasticity so i started getting gruesome strecht marks all over my body. I also became constipated for whatever reason most probably prednisone was at fault. I became very frightened actually terrified so i started to research about the drug in hopes of finding ways to avoid some side effects. In doing my research i found out very disturbing information regarding prednisone. Along with all the side effects that i mentioned above, prednisone also causes cateracts, glacoma, diabetes via insulin resistance, and osteoporosis. Now these i consider as the more severe permanent side effects as the list unfortunately is much longer. Finding out about the side effects i became extremely paranoid and started a very strict diet to hopefully avoid some permenat side effects. I admit reading about the information on prednisone created my paranoia and/or possible phycosis which ultimately led to my stress which led to my severe depression. Now this wasn't any old type of depression, i was sersiouly in need of some help. Everyone around me could tell something was wrong and really i dont blame then for in fact i felt as if my soul had died, the very essence of my being. Now magin if you can someone taking away your youth from you, sucking the very life out of you... thats exactly how i felt. To add along with the depression my grades became a wreck in college as i dropped several classes, lost a friend, developed problems with my parents as they tired to help me, and disrespected family relatives with my uncontrollable mood swings. A few weeks in of dieting and exercising i lost a lot of weight (15-20 pounds). As far as side effects non had changed i still had to deal with all that was mentioned above especially with the fragile skin that was a real burden as i had even a few stretch marks on my face from sleeping on my side. At this point of my long and what seemed to be a never ending journey i become exteremly weak. My body had no energy to run on as i refused to eat and when i did eat it was either foods that are considered free foods or protein nothing else. Everything at this time had been taken away from me including smoking marijuana (marijuana drops blood sugar as this would cause me to start feeling faint and lightheaded), alcohol (same as marijuana drops blood sugar), and the fact that i was not comfortable in my own skin (literally). I was driving myself insane. Everyday i was behind the computer searching for more and more. I was obsessed and became my worst nightmare. Oh by the way half in the medication therapy i showed 1+ grams of protein in my urine which my doctor possibly thought it could have been a relapse. This news i did not take lightly i had lost it and was prepared of comiting suicide. I cant lie, i really did not want to live anymore i just wanted to end this and suicide seemed like a very real and convienent possibility. If it had not been for my parents talking to me giving me a 3 hour speech and lecture i do not know what i would have done. Suicide at that point became out of the question because i could not do this to my family. So i went and purchased urine dip sticks to monitor the protein. The doctor had given me a 2 week window or chance to get back into remission or else he was going to prescribe me cytotoxic agents aka chemo therapy drugs. This was horrible news to me. So as i monitored my protein i found out of a very interesting trend. I noticed that my protein levels in the afternoon were in fact positive for protein and were usually up and down as far as how much but in the mornings i noticed i was always negative. Now this give me a huge bit of hope because when in researching about MCD months earlier i found out that there is a coniditon called orthostatic proteinuria which affects mostly young adolecent males and is a condition described as for some unknown reason there is protein loss in the afternoon when the person is upright and active then when they are supine or laying down the kidneys do not allow any portein loss. This condition is in fact harmless. I was very happy from then news and i told my doctor, he was somewhat doubting, but i don't blame him he is looking out for my best interest, but sure enough after the 2 weeks had past i went in again for my appointment after testing and i was negative for protein as i had expected. We began tapering after that point and i continusouly monitored my own tests at home and eventually i got off the steroid, actually today is that day after a 9 month period of heartache and distress. You know people say that they went to hell and back in a hard moment in life, well i went to hell stayed there for 9 months then came back. I feel so everyone who as ever needed to take steroids for long periods of time, i know its tough but believe it as it is indeed a potent drug and in most cases a miracle drug. It gave me a second chance at life and no matter how hard it was or how much pain it put me through i cannot complain for it did in fact cure me and thats why i can never hold any grudges. So thats my story i kno its not pretty but what can i say it is indeed mine whether i like it or not.

I've been on in a little over one day. The 6 day treatment. 5mg pills-6 the first, 5 the second, and so on and so forth. I have been SO HOT! I didn't sleep for very long, and woke up a couple times in the middle of night burning up. For me, the mental side effects have been HORRIBLE. I'm a 20 yr old fairly healthy female. 5'3'' 110 lbs. I have had unbelievable depression.... really really irritable and angry. I've just felt like hitting someone 24/7. I don't want to talk to anyone, I just want to sleep, I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't know how I'm going to take 5 more days of this. I also experienced the extra sensitivity to heat that others described. I read online that photo therapy... or sun exposure will help speed up healing and can be used alongside prednisone. I just really want this all to be over with. I look like I have the plague, and I feel worse than I look on the outside. Every little stress or worry just makes me want to end it, though I know that that isn't the answer. I'm a Christian, and I'm just going to pray about it. God will take care of me. I'm BURNING UP AS WE SPEAK! I've also been extra thirsty and my skin feels so dry!

Hi all,

My first time on this site, it's quite interesting to see how people have very similar side effects. My case is I fought with a Poison Ivy and lost, my left arm shows the battle scars. Before going to the doctor, I tried Calamine, Caladryl, Cort Aide, Ivarest, Aveeno Oat Meal Baths & Tee Tree Oil. All failed to help, so off to my doc I went. After what I told him I tried using, he told me to stop. He noted those things do nothing to help Poison Ivy rashes to go away, he prescribed for me to take 20mg of Prednisone 3x a day for 4 days, then knock it down to 2x for 4 days and then 1x for 4 days. He also prescribed Cortisone Cream and to buy OTC Doneboro to soak my arm, it smells just like vinegar..I wonder! I have been taking Prednisone since Monday, so far the only side effects that have shown up is Insomnia and coughing. I do have A LOT more energy than I used to have, my job is enjoying my spitfire mode. The question is, what will happen once I am off this stuff? I've read and heard a lot of nasty things about this drug and I guess I will find out in another 9 more days, I've never been on Prednisone before, I do watch for changes in my body. Making sure I am not growing a beard or mustache, that my boobs don't expand (even though it would make my husband VERY happy). I am sorry to see many on here are having a bad time with this, maybe some of you should get a second opinion. Some doctors today are babied by pharmaceutical companies to push drugs, with some issues some of you have you may want to research your health problems more. Never take the word of your doctor as concrete, they are human too and make mistakes. I believed one fertility doctor until I researched my condition to find out I would never be able to have children, they milked my health plan until I faced them with my findings of medical research sites and online articles by universities. Never again! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Don't be fooled, research for yourself. I will keep you posted as to my next 9 day countdown.

Alison

I was put on Prednisonsone for Uveitis, inflammation of the eye. He started me on 20mg at 9 pills a day, then each week it was lowered to 6 pills then now i'm on 3 pills and then next week it will be 1 1/2 pill and i'll be off. I got the puffy face, my feet swelled, everytime i hate my stomach bloated and hurt, my face and neck turns red, i stayed hungry although i fought the temptation of eating for not wanting to gain a lot of weight, which I don't think I've gained any. But now I wake up in the middle of the night and severe knee pain, it feels like my knees they are in some kind of device that is crushing my bones they hurt so bad. i caught a bad cough and it's been around now for about 2 weeks and won't go away, i told the nurse about it and she says, i probably just got what everyone else has gotten, just a bad cough, well what's if it's some kind of infection? I look like a chipmunk, my face is so puffy. When i get off these prednisone in another week I WON'T BE going back on them, no matter what the case. I'm in more pain being on them and have more side effects while on them than the problem i was having with uveitis. I think some co workers thank I'm over reacting, but they're not here they don't see all the pain and frustration i'm going through while on this drug. The leg pain just started this weekend and i Know i can't deal with waking up everynight like this in severe pain. Everyone just makes me feel like i'm over reactin and it's nice to know that somebody out there is going through the same thing. Any comments will be great.

I felt so powerful at times and then useless within a couple hours. Crying and bouncing with joy. Anxiety, insomnia, depression. scary feeling, but felt no physical pain and was able to recover from illness.

My mother was put on Prednisone 3 weeks ago because of severe muscle pain (15 mg at first and increased to 60 mg). After she starting taking it she began to have weakness in her muscles/joints and was unable to walk by the end of the week. She also had severe water retention and could not catch her breath. Most of all she was very weak all the time and could not seem to sleep at all. She wound up in the hospital and was classified with a type of Congestive Heart Failure due to the excessive dosage given by a pain doctor. She had to be admitted to a Rehabilitation Center where they have now cut her down to 10 mg a day and she is trying to take Physical Therapy to walk again. She is fighting with depression and overwhelming feelings of anxiety. She still cannot sleep and wonders if she will ever by back to normal again. Just a month ago she was living a normal life and because of the pain, was given this medication. I wonder if the benefits outweigh the horrible side effects she has experienced. After reading some of the responses above I see others are having similar side effects.
Any encouragement from someone with a positive long term outcome would be beneficial at this time to her. She feels very helpless in her situation.

I don't have a new side affect with Prednisone but just want to share my feelings. I was diagnosed with Temporal Arthritis since last July 2007. I started taking 60 mg of Prednisone for 1 month. Didn't notice the side affects then. Weaned myself off through my doctor's instructions. But relapse occurred when I was only on 2 daily. With Temporal Arthritis, you get delibating and horrendous head pain which is caused due to inflammation of the main artery in the temple. I am back to 3 daily.
Besides my moon face, I am bigger. I really don't have a lot of the other side affects you all talk about. I am sorry you all have to go through that.
My depression is better. My sleep is horrible. Now I am going to a sleep study to see if I have Sleep Apnea.
I consider Prednisone a wonder drug. Although the side affects are horrible, I have to admit, I feel much better, most of the time. I do have inflammation in the neck. Not sure if that is pred or temporal arthritis, but am seeing a rheumatologist for that.

Teena

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?

My daughter is a chronic asthmatic and has been on Prednisone for over one year. Since then she has experienced headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, depression, extreme anxiety, mood swings, blurred vision, aching... just about all of the side effects listed. Of particular concern to me are the mood swings, which at this time we are considering having her evaluated. I didn't realize that this drug could do soo much in terms of her behavior. Please help me to understand what is going on with her. She is 12 years old.

I agree, for me this is a horrible drug! This is the 2nd time my allergist prescribed it to me (last time was this past summer and I had severe panic attacks and thought I was losing my mind) this resulted in me returning back to my GP and him putting me back on Paxil (which I had been off of for a year). I was extremely reluctant to use this again but thought i might be able to manage it this time (with the help of Paxil).

My allergist prescribed Prednisone to me 2 weeks ago (5mg 3x's day for 3 days then, 2 2x's day then 1 for 5 days) I made up until the last 3 pills. I had severe brain fog and felt like I was floating through space. I couldn't even remember driving to work and parking my car! Extremely fatigued (I have diabetes (which is under control, but I had to keep checking my bg because I thought my sugar was dropping to low). Now, within the last week of taking the Prednisone I have experienced aching in my kidneys and I think I have a kidney infection.

Can Prednisone do this to you??

I am calling the doctor tomorrow. Today is the first day without Prednisone and I feel like I am totally out of it - really spaced out, dizzy, panicky and a bit nausea.

How long does it take for you to get Prednisone out of your system?

I had a kidney transplant a year and half ago, and had to take Prednisone as one of my post-transplant med's. I was on it for about 2 months and I went through a lot of the same side effects mentioned by other people, increased appetite and weight gain in odd places, sleeplessness, and acne. Then recently I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and was again prescribed prednisone for three weeks, but this time the acne is so bad it looks like a rash, and it's all over my back, chest, neck especially, and on my face. I can deal with it because I realize it's what I need to do, and I am grateful that there is a drug that can treat the symptoms from the allergy, but I am wondering how long it will take for the acne to clear up once I finish the 3 weeks? Does anyone know how long it takes when you've been on it for that amount of time? Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks.
Megan

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!!!!!!!

In June I found out I had actue renal failure. One of the many medications I was given was prednisone. After a few weeks I grew so weak, tired and in a lot of pain. I even had to take a medical leave from work(4 months).
I was told to expect the moon face, hunchback, the acne..However, my sypmptoms worsened to point I didn't want to eat(lost 30 lbs) could hardly move and had to be hospitalized(almost went on dialysis). They flushed me out for a week at the hospital and avoided dialysis.
Once out of the hospital I proceeded to keep the weight off, but the side effects just mounted. I had thrush in the mouth(the worst feeling), sleeplessness, I had every side effect listed and I mean all with the exception of hallucinations and depression. The miracle was that what I was expecting weight gain, moon face did not happen.
Around September my doctor started weaning me off prednisone b/c I told him I cant take it anymore. Wouldn't you know it the minute I started getting weaned off the medication I got the moon face and acne. I cant beleive how much acne I have and the moon face and extra chin that came along with it are not cute. In 3 days I gained 10lbs and feel like I'm gainiing everyday. This might bring on the depression that has yet to occur. Why is this happening now that I'm being weaned. I started at 80mg a day and now I'm down to 30mg and next week down to 20mg.
I know this drug did its job and I pray that I dont have to be on it at all once the weaning process is over, but this is hell. I really feel doctors should tell you everything that you can expect. I didnt know enough about this drug(I know there is the internet I should have used it) and had I known then what I know now I seriously might have asked for some alternatives. This drug may be a miracle in the medical community, but for those of us who have to take it, its hell. Does anyone know how long it will take for the moon face, acne, and weight gain to go away?

PLEASE REPLY! ok i wrote on this board about a month ago, and i was complaining about all the horrible side effects i was having.....however things have gotten much much worse since then, and i must admit that i have been bad. very bad. i am secretly winging myself off of the steroids b/c I cannot handle the depression and not being myself anymore... I've been on Prednisone for a year now and started winging myself from 15mg when I last wrote on here to now 10 mg... my hair is falling out in HUGE clumps, and I am NOT overexaggerating when I say I am going bald... does anyone know if this could be from tapering the drug, or would you say it is probably because of my condition possibly returning from tapering the drug too low???? I just want to know if IMMENSE hair loss is affiliated with steroids...I have not seen anyone else mention anything.

I have had a severe case of polymyalgia rheumatica and was initially put on 60 mg of prednisone a day. It was wonderful! Within hours my pain level dropped almost in half. From there the pain has gradually improved even more. I went to 40 mg per day to 20 mg per day to 15 mg per day. Have been on the 15 mg for 2 months now and want off as soon as possible. Yes, I too have the moon face, camel hump, slight weight gain, nausea, digestive problems, cramps, depression, etc. Not fun! My question is - does anyone experience burning/stinging in their face, arms and legs from the prednisone? I wonder if it is the polymyalgia rheumatica or if this is a side effect from the steroid. Thanks for your comments.

I am a 19-year-old female pre-med student who has been taking this nasty drug for exacly 1 year now.... The amount I am on continues to change, for my disease keeps returning and leaving remission. I finally get down to 10mg from 40mg, and have to go back up when symptoms return!!! This is SO discouraging. The worst part is, no one understands the physical and emotional agony this drug brings on. I'm 19 and feel like I'm 90. My body aches, my weight is constantly fluctuating, I bruise from simply being poked (being a clumsy person, I look like I am beat!!), my bones feel as if they are about to break, and I am SEVERELY despressed. Being in college and taking rigorous classes, this is just too much for me to handle anymore... My 5-year relationship with the love of my life/best friend is falling apart because of my horrible mood swings.. don't blame him for leaving. I feel as if this drug has ruined my life more than the disease itself...Does ANYONE know if one's body and mind returns to "normal" after FINALLY being off this drug??? I pray to God the answer is yes... I would appreciate someone's reply and/or insight, because my Dr. fails to tell me about ANY side effects until I mention something. PLEASE REPLY!!!

I am a 22 year old female, 5'4'' and 120 lbs. I was recently diagnosed with asthma and was put on Prednisone for 4 days - 60mgs, then 40 mgs. I experienced blurred vision, mood swings (nervousness, depression), headaches, fatigue, and nausea. The day after I stopped I got a very sore neck and shoulders, and was so tired I didn't want to get out of bed. I now feel pretty much back to normal, but the whole experience was very scary while I was going through it because no one really warned me about these effects. I would burst out crying suddenly, and the vision thing was scary because you feel like it will never get better. I felt so unlike myself that I stayed in bed pretty much all four days I was on it and the day after I stopped. I hope I never have to take it again, and I am sorry for those who must take this drug long term. On the positive side, it does seem to have helped my asthma symptoms, although some of them returned after I stopped the medication.

In January I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis). I was put on 60 mg prednisone and an array of other meds to help with pain, inflammation, water retention, and stomach problems from everything. I've lost some vision from the TA. I've experienced the weight gain, the moon face, stomach problems, depression, fatigue, muscle weakness, lack of memory and concentration, and generally feel miserable. The brain fog is awful! I don't trust myself doing much of anything these days!

When I was first put on the prednisone it completely took away all my TA and PMR symptoms. I could walk and get up and down again, didn't have the headaches, and didn't hurt all over.
My doctor tried to taper my dosage about 6 weeks ago and all my symptoms returned and increased as I went down on the prednisone. He upped me back to 60. That time the symptoms didn't go away. They lessened but were still there.

He's trying to taper again, and I'm down to 30 mg now and feel worse and worse. My sed rate has been normal, so the doctor thinks it's from the prednisone. Does it mimic all the TA and PMR symptoms? I also am having a lot of hand and feet cramping.

Does anyone else have these two illnesses? I would be interested in your experience. I want off these meds! Anyone found an alternative approach that's helped?

God bless!

I was on Prednisone for a month. The sleeplessness , yet being so sleepy was awful but not nearly as awful as the weight gain and depression. I am curious how long this stuff stays in your system? I am a week and a half off and I feel a little better but I am wondering about when the headaches and weight gain will disappear? Thanks

I have been on prednisone for just over a week at 40 mg for Crohn's Disease. I have been experiencing constant body tremors, exhaustion, restlessness, the inability to focus, depression to the point of being suidical, mood swings, muscle aches and pains, extra stomach pain (not from the Crohn's), as well as the usual side effects, like enlarged appetite. I am only 16, and when I was 10 or so, I was on Prednisone at 60 mg a day for about 6 months with out these side effects. When I was younger, I only experienced the "moon-face", "buffalo-hump" (a small lump that often forms on the back of the neck), extreme weight gain (50 pounds in a month or two), and extreme stretch marks.

after 6 days of 50mg prednisone, have developed severe muscle aches, horrible constant headache, bad depression, extreme fatigue . Am still feeling this way a week after stopping the prednisone. While on prednisone for 6 days, felt euphoric and no pains, wonderful mood. Then crashed second day off the prednisone. When will these symptoms I am left with go away?

I get really depressed and moody. I've had muscle pain in neck, shoulders. Kinda nervous and restless at time.
I've had a small area in the middle of my vision that's noticable when something moves quickly in front. It sometimes leaves an after image.
Anybody else get that?

i take it for SLE too....and depression is starting to hit me too. I was crying for two days in a row and my boyfriend thought i was going crazy coz i was screaming at him for no real reason. i think its driving him up the wall coz he doesn't seem to understnad what is going on with me. Till yesterday i was feeling like nothing could comfort me and today i feel like the sun couln't be brighter.

Well where do I begin!!! I have been taking this drug for over three months now. I have mood swings, gained 30 pounds, have a moon face, acne on my face and chest, cannot sleep at night or very restless, I have the sweats, increased appetite, sore throat, shaky, depression. I thought medicine was to help you feel better. Right now I feel worse. I wish I had never been given this prescription for the treatment of Chrohn's Disease. Next time just cut out my intestine....

I gained about 10 pounds since going back on prednisone last summer and followed the South Beach Diet which seemed to work as it has kept my blood sugar undercontrol and eleminated alot of the cravings. I have just recently gone back on Zoloft for the depression and it has lessened my appetite - which is one of the side effects. However, I have found that weight training which I kept up from when I did physical therapy, has had the most benefit for keeping things under control - not to mention the good mental benefits that come from working out. Lately I've had to drag myself to the gym but it is always worth it.

I have been on prednisone ( for lichen planus) for about 6 weeks starting with 20 mg twice a day for a month. Now I am taking half a pill once a day... My face and neck are SO swollen I have gained So much wait I have mental and emotional breakdowns all the time I can't sleep ( so the doc prescribed seroquil) now I don't know if I am coming or gong. I will be so very full and still shoving food in my mouth. My knees and legs hurt badly I have had a horrible headach and my teeth and mouth hurt and now 'm growing facial hair at 27 yrs old. HELP ME!