PredniSONE and joint pain

I am 50, pretty healthy, but have had a new condition of inflamed and severely painful joints and muscles limiting activity. Doc put me on 60 mg prednisone for 3 days, then 40 mg 3 days and 20 mg 3 days. First day was ok. Since then I have been a raving lunatic! I read the post about the person chasing their cat around and had to laugh and relate. I flipped off the neighbors workers because they were backing up a truck and it was noisy! It is all I can do to keep myself in check. I have canceled/rescheduled all unnecessary appointments until next week when I am finished. I "sleep" about 3 hours a night. Last night I peed the bed. I eat constantly. I have to work and concentrate (teach college) and that is so hard. I imagine my students must think I am on meth. I can't take it any more. I have 1 day left and I am not going to take the last one. I hope that this regimen will have calmed down the inflammation and if it recurs I will seek alternatives. AM NEVER going back to prednisone unless it is life or death situation.
Good luck to all those out there who have to take it long-term. Bless your hearts.

i went 2 the specialist yesterday that put me on the prednisone due 2 me having crohns as the joint pain in my ankle has been so painful and his now told me that the prednisone has giving me arthritis im really upset about it im 25 and im in a lot of pain the specialist said 2 go home and rest my ankle for the weekend its been 2days and its still not better iv got 2 go back and see him on Monday and if it hasn't improved which i doubt it will his going 2 change my medication he wanted 2 up the dosage of prednisone to 30mg as im down to 10mgs now and i told him that i have received every side effect possible 2 the prednisone and its just starting to reverse and there is no way im going to le you put me on a higher dosage i want 2 come off this drug as quick as possible and he surgesseted another medication that will help with the arthritis in my ankle but it will make me nausea i told him id rather that then all the symptoms iv been having in the last month then be put back on the prednisone

I've been on Prednisone for about a month now and have experienced the racing heart. I've been thru so much lately and hope we can help each other here....for the asthma and other reactive friends - try an ALCAT test. This will tell you what foods/meds you have an intolerance to. They send you a kit and you may be surprised what happens to your body when you consume something that your body doesn't like. They have also just given me a script for Methotrexate because my RA numbers are high...I've done my research and so far am refusing to consume that toxic drug. Has anyone tried Minocycline (or other drugs in the cycline family) for joint pain, RA??? I hear it works and at least those side effects aren't deadly.

I will be on prednisone for the rest of my life so my Pulmonologist says. I have an auto-immune disorder called allergic broncho pulmonary aspergillosis. I thought I was alone until I read all your messages when it comes to leg, and joint pain. My doctor acts as if I am crazy, and that it is not a side effect of the medication I am taking. It has gotten worse the longer I have been on the drug. I rarely sleep, and I have an appointment with him tomorrow. If anyone can suggest something that helped them I would love to hear it. I have tried everything, and the only relief is when I take pain medicine which I do not want to be on forever.

Was on Prednisone for 11 days for an injury to my neck. I knew nothing about the drug except what my doctor told me that it would reduce inflammation in my neck and help with pain.

Well, it did nothing for the injury and pain in my neck. BUT.... I had HORRIBLE menstrual cramps and got my period 8 days early. I've had my period for 9 days now AND terrible pain in my upper left leg. I thought the pain was related to my leg and as the days went by I realized it was in my left hip! It's so bad I can't lift my leg without extreme pain. I KNOW IT'S FROM this awful drug.

I've been off of it for 4 days and the pain is still with me. I called my family dr. and was told Prednisone doesn't do that. BULL!! The paperwork I got with it from the pharmacy show "Changes in menstrual periods" "muscle/joint pain" "bone pain".

I wish I knew this BEFORE I ever took it.

Does anyone know if these symptoms and problems will go away after stopping it? I called the pharmacy and was told it will take 2-3 weeks for it to get out of my system!!

Has anyone had problems that eventually went away after stopping the drug?

Thanks and I hope everyone else is okay soon! This drug should be off the market. I received no help for my neck pain at all!!

A year ago I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and began taking 50mg Prednisone per day. The worst side effects in the beginning were weight gain, moon face, facial hair, hump-back neck, bruising (for example, just by my knees being together while I sleep,) excruciating joint pain and water retention to the point I felt my skin would split open. And poor vision which could have led to glaucoma, but an eye specialist put me on eye drops to reduce the pressure to normal levels. I've felt horrified and embarrassed by the change in my appearance but relieved that my sarcoid was being treated.
I feel confident in my case that Prednisone was the necessary treatment. My pulmonologist, opthamologist and regular doctor all agreed on a course of treatment. But I really advise people to get a second or third opinion before they take it. A friend of mine was prescribed a weeks course of Prednisone for a severe sinus infection. Luckily she didn't have any side effects but I really question if it was necessary. I'd also like to stress that if you're on Prednisone and experience worsening vision, please see an opthamologist who is a glaucoma specialist because it can lead to blindness if not treated.
And lastly, sorry this became a novel! I have been tapering off and I'm down to 20mg. But recently I've noticed my hair is thinning so much. I lose a ton when I brush it and it clogs the drain when I shower. Also my skin is shedding. When I shower and use a loofah sponge like I've always done and I lose layers of skin like a snake. I would really like to know if my hair will start to grow back when I'm finally off the Prednisone or am I going to lose it completely??

I HAVE BEEN ON PREDNISONE FOR 10 YRS. I AM ON 5 MG FOR 4 YRS. I AM HAVING SEVERE PAIN IN RIGHT HIP. I CAN'T LAY ON RIGHT SIDE AT ALL. WHEN I WALK OR BEND ITS FINE. BUT TO LAY ON BACK OR SIT OR RIGHT SIDE I HAVE SEVERE PAIN. I SAW THE DR TODAY HE SAID THE TOP OF THE FEMUR IS SOMETIMES EFFECTED BY PREDNISONE. LIKE BLEEDING OR OSTEOARTHRITIS. HE GAVE ME NAPORSIN. DOESN'T WORK STILL HAVE SEVERE PAIN. I HAVE POLYMYOSITIS. THE PAIN IS SO BAD IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE OVER 6 MONTHS. GOING FOR XRAYS. I AM A NURSE AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT.

I have been on various doses of prednisone on and off for 9 years for a kidney disease. The doses have varied from 70mg to 5mg. I have just about had enough. I cannot describe how debilitating this drug is. Every side effect on here I think I have had except excessive energy. Here is a small list:
Moon Face
Buffalo Hump
shaking like Parkinson
body aches
EXTREME weakness
heart palpitations constantly
joint pain
something would go on with my knees in the morning....it felt like something was boiling. It would be my guess as to what the "Bends" must feel like....it feels like someone is stabbing you in the knees with a knife.
Sleeping at least 16 hours a day
I could barely make everyday at work. It was so miserable to not be able to wake up, I would push myself in 15 minute increments....
You cannot know what it is like to be bed ridden for weeks and to have no doctor understand or believe what is happening to you. You just seem fat and lazy.

I am emotionally scarred by this medicine, there is not a day that goes by that I'm not terrified of having to take a large dose of this again. I just can't.
There is no quality of life at all. You can't do anything.
On top of that, there is no one to talk to, not even a doctor that understands what you are going through.
God help anyone that has to go through this. I understand.

They think that I have either crohns or ulcerative colitis. I have tried antibiotics, lialda, mesalamine enemas, with no improvement. After another colonoscopy they put me on prednisone at 40mgs, 30, 20, 10, then 5 decreasing weekly. Well the first week was okay. I had some of the side affects, insomnia, extreme hunger, and crazy. I could deal with that. But then when I decreased down to 30mg, my body flipped. I awoke from the middle of the night with burning pain in the knees. So bad I took 4 ibuprofen and threw myself in the tub with epsom salt. I thought okay that was weird because I have never had a joint pain in my life. I saw the gastroenterologist that day bc I was still having abdominal pain. He totally blew off the knee pain and said he had no idea what that was. I thought okay maybe it will go away. A few days went by and nothing. 3 days later and I awoke one morning crying in pain because of my legs. I called the on call doctor who also said he had no idea and go to the er. So I went crying hysterically for 4 hours. Even after 3 rounds of dilaudid I was still in pain. They suggested a Rheumatologist. So I went to one a week later who said I was going through steroid withdrawals. And there is nothing we can do but treat the symptoms of pain. I am now down to 10mgs have been out of work for 2 weeks and am absolutely miserable with severe leg pain, muscle weakness and fatigue. He also adjusted the drop down increments to 5 instead of 10. Anyway I will never take this drug again and I think they rushed to this one. Just wanted to share. I am glad I found this website because I went from a fully functioning physically fit 28 year old to a crippled crying crazy person. I think I was scaring my husband, honestly, until we both read some of your postings which were similar.

my boyfriend has been on prednisone for 4 years and he is terribly snappy and aggravated all the time and short tempered and does not think that he is... i love him so i deal with it but its getting harder because he dosnt feel this is correct every time i ask him something he bites my head off and almost everything i do irritates him gets on his nerves the mood swings are out of this world sometimes and he totally thinks im being a lala in his words...will someone respond to this so i can show him and he will know im not just saying these things
all this

OMG...I can't stand it anymore!! My legs are killing me!!...I am almost weaned off of it...tomorrow I take one 10 mg pill....and then the next day, I take 5 mg....and I'm done. Thank God!! I pray that I have no bad side effects from weaning off of it. I worry that I won't be able to breath again. Then what??...I will not take prednisone ever again!!...I think I would rather die then live on this horrible drug....If only I knew what it was before I started taking it.

A few years back I severely injured my back. As part of my treatment my doctor gave me prednisone. My joints, especially my knees hurt beyond belief. I even had go to my parents house because I couldn't move, it hurt too much. I called my doctor and you know what he told me?!?! it was all in my head.He accused me of trying to get pain pills from him. The joint pain got so bad that I had to be hospitalized. You know what they told me at the hospital. I was having a allergic reaction to prednisone. No S***t!??! anyway, since that time I have not taken prednisone. My concern now is that my doctor wants me to get a cortisone injection. . . I am scared I would get the same reaction. from the research I have done so far, it looks like it is from the same family. Does anybody know?

Thanks
B.

5 days on prednisone for sinus/chest infection--JOINT PAIN ever since!!!! (it has been months now).

SO WHAT DO WE DO PEOPLE????? I'm only 26, I had a cold, and now I have chronic joint pain!

I have crohns and was on a very high dose of prednisone from Jan. - Sept./08 (having a operation to take part of my colon out in Jun/08) and now I am suffering such joint pain in my back shoulders and both arms that I am taking ibuprofen (approx. 8- 10 a day). My general doctor said to me "somethings can't be fixed" and I said to him well I did get my crohns under control, surely there is something I can take to block this pain. I take Calcium with Magnesium, Vitamin D and an anti-inflammatory, Mesalamine, prescribed by my internal specialist. I have not been well for over a year, finally get crohns under control and enjure such pain in my shoulders and arms - it makes me cry sometimes because the pain is so great. I finally realized, maybe this is the after effect of prednisone. Anyone have any ideas if I might be correct. I am going to internal specialist March 12/09 so I am going to ask him if he can help me as my regular doctor seems to brush my pain off. Thank you, D.

I was involved in a MVA about 4 years ago. I was prescribed oral prednisone for my back and neck pain. I took the recommended pack but about 3 days into the regimen I began having EXTREME pain in my joints- especially knees, hips, and ankles. I was not even able to walk by myself. My doctor never even suggested that it could be a side effect of the prednisone and told me that I had to finish the rx or it would be possible for me to have major reactions such as heart failure, etc. I was so scared that I finished the rx. My side effects included weight gain, mood swings, increased appetite, etc. but the worst was the joint pain. I survived the treatment and swore that I would never take the drug again. Well, never say never. My back pain continued and I went to a pain management doctor who recommended spinal injections. He said that the prednisone injections should not have the same side effects as the oral med so I received the injections. He said that he used a reduced amount of the prednisone during the procedure. I had great results with a reduction in my back pain for several months. I just this week had another injection and now I am in experiencing the same horrible pain in my joints as I had the first time with my oral rx. Is this normal? I have contacted my dr for pain med but I know that I am just covering up the side effects. Any one else have similar situation? What do you do when the treatment is worse than the ailment?

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.

Ok here's my story with Prednisone. Let me first give you a little back ground info on me. Born with a VSD, that was repaired at 8 months of age, only after developing severe pneumonia. Was fine as a child growing up until at 18 i developed asthma. i am 29 now and have been on and off prednisone during that time. During that time however I have always been on a metered dosage pack that has always tapered usually within 5 days with no side effects.

Now lets talk present day with me. First off I went in back in early Sept. for what I thought was just a sinus infection, turns out my lungs were so tight, i was immediately put on 80 mg for 5 days straight, and you guessed it no tapering. Those 5 days were the worst five days of my life. I have SVT- taychcardia and the med made it worst, I was running around like I was on Speed or something. Also, I had started to urinate like crazy. Headaches, nausea, muscle pain as well as joint pain. i can not walk without feeling as though my knees, and ankles are going to break. Also, i am not as foccused as I usually am. Ever since that faithfully day in September I have been on this stuff. it has already been 2 months and im on 40mg now. And I cannot sleep at all at night and during the day now i crash once it seems like the prednisone starts wearing off. its horrible. I am going to go see the Pulmanologist Monday hopefully he will have some answers, and Im dreading him telling me i may have COPD, from a protien defiency(sorry for spelling, this med is messing with my thought process). Any who, i cant just stop taking it, i have been warned about that. something has to give or my body may give up.

hope this helps.

this med is good if used correctly but i agree Doctors need to fully warn patients before hand of all possible side effects.

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.

My daughter, 21yo, took prednisone off/on for 4 months, both oral and IV form, with the highest dose of 90mg over a two week period. The risk of bone death (Osteonecrosis, aka Avascular Necrosis) is not disclosed as a risk and 7,000 people a year get this from steroids! They gloss it over under the guise of "bone pain" or "bone fracture" near the osteoporosis risk so you think that by taking calcium and vit D supplements you're protected. What's really going on here is that the steroids cause the bone to die so if you have pain, PLEASE INSIST on an MRI because a regular x-ray will not show ON until it's in the advanced stages..and then you'll most certainly need joint replacement.
I'm not making light of the weight gain, or loss of hair or any of the myriad of other side effects that come with this drug, but when you're told that the joints in your body are dead...and that they'll eventually become brittle and break and cause so much pain it is often compared to bone cancer, then you'll really want to sue someone. But, I've tried that...it doesn't work. Because the drug is FDA approved...the manufacturer can't be held liable.

My daughter has ON in her right shoulder, both elbows, both wrists, both knees, and both ankles. She's considered "collateral damage" by the medical/legal communities because Prednisone is the "gold standard." This disease is a slow progressing disease which is often found as late as 10 years after stopping the steroid treatment. If you find it early enough, some surgical options exist to prevent the collapse of your bones, so if you have joint pain...PLEASE investigate with an MRI

I have Crohns and had a flare up so I'm back on 40mg of Prednisone. I've been on 40mg now for 3 weeks and I start to tapper off in another 3 weeks. Well every time I start the prednisone again I get new side effects. This time, my gum are bleeding all the time and the pain in my knees are horrible! I still get the regular side effects, ie: Mood swings, joint pain, sleeplessness, sweating, swelling of my legs and hands, wanting to eat everything under the sun, moon face and my hair falls out! I wish the drug manufactures could develop a drug that would not be so hard on our bodies. I have to struggle with the pros and cons with every flare up. Do I want the weight gain, mood swings and hair loss or do I want to look good and be very sick! I'm 37 and was 16 when I found out I had Crohns.

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?

I have been on prednisone for 5 1/2 months now, I was hospitalized starting in February until like the 25th of March for a bad exacerbation(sp) of my ulcerative colitis. I have taken prednisone for 9 1/2 months out of the last 17 months. I have experienced everything from growing facial hair I don't want to loosing what hair I do in a short period of time. Most of my hair loss started after I weaned off the prednisone about one week ago, or lets say it got much worse. I also while on prednisone got have got to experience the lovely side effect of pysicosis(sp) and am on meds to couter react what it has did to me. This is a evil and horrible drug, I hate it with a passion for all the harm it has did to me. I now have joint pain, restless sleepless nights, night sweats, tremors, not to mention the rapid weight gain. And to top all this off I am still not in remission, so this drug was used all in vain. Please be careful using this awful drug and if you have to use it, only use it for a few weeks at the time and not long term...the side effects can be horrendous and sometimes like in my case permanent to some extent. I do wonder about the hair loss, it has been worse this time than ever...I hope it stops soon.

im a 20 year old male who was given prednisone to reduce the inflammation around my spinal cord in my neck from a herniated disk. 60MG in the morning for 4 days and 40MG in the morning for 3 days...... no real weening process which im seeing probably should have been administered. while i was on it the mood swings were nuts and i noticed feeling muscle weakness and joint pain along with the occasional burning or tingling. ive been off it for 6 days and now the muscles in my legs and feet twitch and im still crazy in the head with little sleep and sinus headaches that don't quit. how long does this shit go on?

I had been on a prednisone dose pack (not too strong??) about a month ago for a neck injury to take away some inflammation. No side effects to mention and my neck felt tons better. Yesterday I went back to my dentist after 5 days of pain from a root canal. He put me on a prednisone dose pack saying there was some inflammation in the bone, very common, and the prednisone should take care of it. I took my dose yesterday, didn't sleep well (common side effect it seems) but then today my heart is racing and feels like it skips a beat. I have read this happening to folks on much higher doses, anyone have this kind of side effect with 20 mg/day?

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.

Been on Prednisone for 3 years now for ulcerative colitis. At first tolerated the drug quite well. But after a few months started to gain weight, acne. After 3 years of yo-yoing between large and low doses, each increase in dose made me feel worse. I am now at a state of osteopenia and of extreme tiredness and brain fog. I see 80yo with more energy than I. I cant walk up 10 sets of stairs without feeling tired out. I need to sleep 3-5 hours a day just in order to function. As mentioned before brain fog is amazingly bad. I'm a scientific researcher which can no longer work.

Prednisone has introduced to me what panic attacks are, mood swings, joint pain and swelling, extreme muscle fatigue and wasting, blurry vision, in habitual eating habits, depression.

This drug has ruined my life. I would have preferred having surgery to remove the colon and going to the toilet 10 times a day rather than not living as brain fog and tiredness that makes my life a dream-state nightmare.

I just started 80 mg of Prednisone for Vasculitis in my kidney’s. I also have RA. This treatment is being augmented with low dose chemotherapy. The Chemo is nothing compared with the side effects of the Prednisone. It is Horrible. It has so messed with my brain I never knew what an awful existence obsessive compulsives live. I can’t sit still and stop doing things if there is anything left undone! I have trouble with controlling my emotions, responses etc. Thinking isn’t easy either. And I’m awake most of the night. (Not a bad thing since we just were blessed with twins however). But it is really straining my relationship with my 6 year old son who can’t understand why his Dad goes from nice dad to mad dad in a second. I’ve also have horrid muscle fatigue in my legs. For me this is the worst because getting up and moving and walking up stairs is almost impossible. And I was hiking up to 5 miles in rough terrain just a few weeks ago. I’ve actually LOST 10 lbs.

So I am wondering if anyone has any tips, tricks or ideas they have found to combat the muscle fatigue? It would be greatly appreciated if you could share any ideas you have. I’ve been drinking water and electrolyte replacements, (G-2, the new Gatorade) but that has not solved the problem.

Thanks.

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 taken Prednisone 10 mg about two times now and now I think it has effect my joints in my shoulder , hands and hips joints

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in July. I had my colonoscopy/endoscopy the day before 4th of July. Got sick with what I thought was the flu on June 26th. That's when I first landed in the hospital (dehydrated & sick). After the diagnosis I was first put on Entocort and Pentasa (Pentasa is supposed to be a remission drug - keep you from having flare-ups). Entocort didn't work so they switched me to Prednisone. I've been on Prednisone for about 6 months now. Going from 20 mg to 40 mg and then I'm finally weaned down to 5 mg. I get to go completely off of it Jan. 13th. Scared of what other side effects might occur from coming off the drug. While on it I've had emotional problems, acne(never had a problem with it before), moon face, gained 30 pounds, joint pain (I was in therapy for as long as insurance covered. - I recommend water therapy, it helps for some people as it did me), trouble sleeping (haven't slept a full night since I got sick), certain days I'm really really thirsty, I've had sort of what I'd call restless leg (I had this before I was on this medicine but it has gotten significantly worse - mostly at night or when lying down), and dry skin.I have to say though that the WORST side effect is the FOG. It's horrible. I enjoy learning and using my brain and when I'm on this I can't think, I mix up words, and it feels like my brain is covered in cobwebs.I had to drop a calc 2 class and that got me off the track I'd set with my academics. My inflammation rate is down where it's supposed to be as of the last blood test a couple weeks ago. So I guess the Prednisone and Remicade are doing what they are supposed to - but I still don't feel as if the pain (not associated with Prednisone - caused by the disease) has gone completely away even if the inflammation has gone down. And Prednisone's effects are just horrible. Some nights I feel depressed and just want to cry and cry. The past months have been trying because of several hospital stays, switching to many different doctors (gastrointernologists, nephrologist, urologist (kidney stones), primary doctor - and they think maybe I should see a rheumatologist), and Pentasa (it began shutting my kidneys down). I just hope that when I come off the Prednisone the side effects will fade (hopefully quickly but lets be realistic - ill just be happy if they go away sometime in the next few months) and I won't flare up again. Anyone know the best way to get rid of the weight? I'm already drinking lots of water and I go walking and do exercises everyday.

QUESTION: When tapering Prednisone does anyone have a place(s) on their stomach that are sunken in and feels dry compared to the skin around it?

Anyways, I hope that everyone overcomes their difficulties, whatever they might be or concern. It's hard to have a life when you are constantly fighting your own body to stay healthy.There are plenty of situations in life that are already hard enough to deal with without medical issues of your own. Best of luck to all!

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.

I Have ms I just found out. They thought I had a brain tumor and the admitted me to the hospital and started treating me immediately with Prendisone.It has just been horrible do you hear me horrible!! after I weened off of them the moon face became horrible. I have knee pain and they swell. my legs and feet and stomach. I have swelling in my back that looks like a buffalo hump. It is horrible.please help me. I feel so unattractive I just cant help it. I am very grateful that it has helped me. I was numb on my entire right side that is another reason why they put me on it. I am glad that is gone, but I almost think I would rather deal with the numbness than I would all of this. It is really scary because nobody said anything to me about how it was going to effect me. Actually the nurses said that there were no side effects to worry about. well let me tell you it has been one roller coaster; i was pumped full of the Prednisone through an IV for thirteen days straight in the hospital,, then was sent home and was given the pill form. all together I have been on the Prednisone for 26 days straight. I will just be so grateful when all of this subsides.All I want for Christmas is to get this swelling off of me and get rid of the moon face and the joint pain. is that tooooo much to ask my goodness. I am so glad that I found this site. it has really been most helpful. I hope everyone out there has better luck with this than I have. it sounds like allot of people have problems. thanks

Hi, I was on Prednisone for a little over a month for Crohn's disease. I had minor side effects while taking it: couldn't sleep, no patience, dehydrated, dry eyes. It is the side effects from AFTER stopping prednisone that concern me. I''ve been off Prednisone for 3 weeks and I think I am losing my hair and getting acne-that I didn't have before or during taking Prednisone. Anyone experience side effects that started after stopping the med?

My doctor prescribed me Prednisone on May 3. I'm on 10 mg. I start out on 3 tabs 2x a day for 4 days, then 2 tabs 2x a day for 3 days, then 1 tab 1x a day for 2 days. I was put on this for a sudden attack of joint pain/stiffness/swelling of my elbows, wrists, hands, knees, ankles and feet. I was in extreme pain. So far this drug has given me no side effects other than needing to urinate a little more often than usual. My pain is gone, as is the swelling. I'm almost scared to go off this b/c of the fear of the pain coming back. My blood tests came back on Friday and my doctor told me that I had Rheumitic (sorry, I know that's spelled wrong) inflammation and if the pain did come back after I stopped the Prednisone that I'd have to do more blood tests. I just turned 30 and I'm scared to death what else might be wrong with me.

Hello- I was Dx with Sarcoidosis in February, 2007. My lung specialist put me on 20mg Prednisone, increasing to 40mg within two weeks. My Sarcoid symptoms were from enlarged lymph- extreme trouble breathing, middle and lower back pain, kidney pain. Within a week of being at the 40mg level my heart rate and BP became so erratic that he had to start weaning me down. Initially I had extreme energy which felt good after suffering from fatigue but was short lived due to the cardiac problems.

The Prednisone has resolved much of my inflammation for the Sarcoid but I will not go on this again. I have been weaning now for over three weeks. Down under 5mg of Prednisone and it is almost unbearable. Each time I took a drop my mental symptoms became intolerable. Anxiety, extreme fatigue with extreme weakness, irrational thoughts, blurred vision. Within the last couple of days I could hardly get myself out of bed. My weight has increased steadily, bloating stomach, stiff joints, skin rash.

My biggest complaint is that doctors are not giving us enough information as to how this will affect from a negative side. Yes, it takes care of the inflammation but no one prepared me for these awful side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I feel like a nut case most of the time with no coping skills.

I was put on 1 gram of solumedral a day for 3 days and I am now doing the whole taper down thing for the next 18 days starting at 80 mg a day of prednisone. My knees and lower back were extremely painful the first 4 days. I'm now at 50 mg and the joint pain isnt too bad anymore but i did catch a cold, pink eye, and I feel very spacey. I am taking natural supplements along with the pred, I think they are helping a little. I'm also drinking ALOT of fluid and really fighting the cravings to eat. I hope there are no serious side effects as the doses get lower. I hope everyone that doesnt NEED to take this medicine can some how flush their system of it or for those who must take it, hopefully you can counter balance the negative side effects...Good luck and please share any knowledge you may have...we all need it!

I have been on the "pak" for four days of the seven now. My joints & asthma are MUCH better, but at a cost. I went balistic in the license branch today! It was scary for even me. The only reason the cops were'nt called was that thank God my adult daughter was with me, and got me out of there. I was shaking and my face was blood red. This can't happen again. I have NEVER done anything remotely like that in the past. Either my doc writes me some tranqilizers, or I am off this crap! We had discussed making preg a routine drug for me {low doses of course}, but I am having second thoughts now. True, the joint pain was pretty bad, but I'll just load up on NASIDs instead, and use my inhaler religously from now on. This is the only negitive side effect I have had, BUT IT IS ENOUGH FOR ME!

I have ulcerative colitis and have been on and off Prednisone for 3 years. Usually about 40 milligrams and tapering. I always noticed sensitive teeth and leaky leg veins/ swelling and discolored. That was all really. Then in April this year, during a bad flare, was put on 120 milligrams (accident by Dr or Pharmacist) for two weeks then 80 mg for several weeks then 60 until I could get on Remicade and finally get off the stuff in August. I gained 30 lbs while on a strict no sugar, specific carb diet, from size 12-18, moon face, triple chin, hump on back, big stretchmarks under my arms, fallen uterus and bladder now needing surgery, lost my voice, glaucoma and cataracts, cholesterol went from 189 to 318, leg and hand cramps daily and nightly, now am experiencing intense joint pain in every joint of my body. My legs and ankles swelled up terribly and now I have to wear support hose constantly. Since getting off Prenisone in mid August til now mid October, my face and neck have been returning to normal, friends mentioned last night my face looked more normal (I was hating seeing myself in the mirror or a picture). My teeth are terribly sensitive, even room temperature wine (acid?), hot or cold.

I was diagnose with rhumatoid arthritus recently. the joint pain was very severe in my shoulder and my wrists and fingers. My feet felt like big round balls and i could barely walk. My rhumatologist had just started me on plaquinil but it was having no effect. after complaing about my symptoms that had been going on and getting worse for about 2 weeks he put me on prednisone 30mg a day 10mg tabs. I noticed improvement right a way and have been on the drug for 1 month. today i feel great. and am not experiencing any side affects at this time. The dosage has been prescribed to ween me off the prednisone. hopefully it will work.

I HAD BEEN ON 80MGS. OF PREDNISONE FOR TREATMENT OF SEVERE SORIASIS. IT WORKED WONDERS FOR THE SKIN CONDITION. , I WAS SPEEDING MY BRAINS OUT , AND GOING 100 MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS SOMEWHAT EUPHORIC. I AM 45 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN IN MENOPAUSE SINCE MY LAST CHILD WAS BORN 5 YEARS AGO. AFTER I TAPERED OFF THE PREDNISONE OVER A MONTH PERIOD... I STARTED TO HEMMORAGE. I HAD UNCONTROLLABLE VAGINAL BLEEDING, BLOATING , PAIN, MOOD SWINGS, DEPRESSION, ETC. THE BLEEDING DID FINALLY SUBSIDE AFTER BEING OFF THE DRUG FOR 10 DAYS. HOWEVER , NOW THE SKIN IS DETERIORATING, AND THE JOINT PAIN IS EXCRUCIATING. I CAN BARELY WALK. I AM A DANCE TEACHER, AND THIS IS BECOMING DEBILITATING. I ALSO HAVE A CANCER HISTORY, AND THYROID DISEASE. IT WAS AND IS ROUGH. I GUESS I HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN HAVING HORRID, DISGUSTING SKIN ( AND UNABLE TO GET A PUBLIC JOB) AND BEING EMBARRASSED ALL THE TIME AND DEALING WITH THE VERY DIFFICULT SIDE AFFECTS OF THIS MEDICATION. I AM HOPING FOR A BETTER ALTERNATIVE. THE SUFFERRING IS UNBEARABLE. LIBBY B.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease over thirty-one years ago. I have taken Predisone many times over the period of my illness. My Crohn's Disease has been very aggressive and I have lost all but 250 cm of my bowel. Prednisone has been the only drug that has been able to help but at great cost to me. I am now disabled from the disease and the side effects of the drug. The most devestating side effect is the weight gain. I am now 80lbs heavier than when I was diagnosed. The moon face is very difficult to deal with. Everyone says they know it's from the meds but that doesn't help when I look in the mirror. The fat deposits in my abdomen are very embrassing to me as well.
The sweats, blurred vision, nervousness, hyperactivity, exhaustion, acne, slepplessness, shaking, joint pain (so bad I can hardly walk when I am on the meds), mood swings, depression, swelling (water retention so bad I can hardly bend my legs), the muscle wasting in my thighs, the conective tissue damage making it hard to heal from surgery, difficulty concentrating, bone weakness ( I break ribs very easily) and so many more...all this is too much to pay to control a disease.
They really need to find better drugs now. If you can try something else instead of Prenisone I strongly recomend that you do. It should always be a last resort.

I am the opposite - I've taken lower dosages for bronchittis and now on 30 mg a day for joint pain. I have loose stools, and very rarely hungry. I do drink a lot. I am usually only on up to a couple of weeks but end up loosing about 10 pounds a week. This time I am on for 3 weeks.

Whoa, folks, Prednisone for 10 days? I thought the maximum was 7 days, else dire consequences beset you. I have Lupus and take only 20mg a day. The side effects, when I get off are severe joint pain, muscle tenderness and headaches but then Lupus does eat your joints and skin... Anyone out there knows anything about interval between treatments?

I have been on 60 mg of Prednisone since Oct. for FOcal Segmental Glomuruli Sclerosis. I think Ihave had every side effect you can imagine. I have gained over 50 lbs, I cannot sleep, I have steroid induced - insulin dependent - diabetes, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, hair loss, strech marks on my stomach, legs and under arms. I hae horrible mood swings, and joint pain. And to top it all off - the disease I was trying to fight is still here and all this seems as if it were for nothing. I am finally being slowly backed down off the steroids - but my dr. says it will be May before I am completly off.

I was on Prednisone for 8 months for Ulcerative Colitis, from 40mg on down and had a very hard time tapering off the drug. I am 45yo and still have joint pain in my elbow, knees, shoulder, a 20lb. weight gain, puffiness in my abdomen and face. I am afraid of bone loss and want to know if I should take Fosomax. How long does it take for the drug to leave the body and how can I accelarate the process.

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.

Six weeks ago, I took prednisone for ten days for joint pain and swelling (both hands, both knees, both feet etc. ). the swelling subsideded the fourth day. I lost 5 pounds of fluid weight gain. Ten days after stopping predisone, I had a second onset of swelling and pain with 5 pounds of weight gain. I took 40mg two days and lost the 5 pounds and severe pain. I also lost depression that has been with me 45 years. I experienced elation sustained for the first time since I was 18 years old. I am 63, retired, blessed with a good life within a prison of secret depression. I cut the dose to 10mg per day and saw a rheumatoligist who ordered 15 blood tests today and continued the 10mg dose. the elation continues and is joined by high energy. Is this a gift from God or what? Fred

When I was taking pred. I was always losing my balance and pitching here and there. I was on pred. for 4 yrs. and have been off of it since June 10th of this year. I know how u feel. Low blood sugar can also make u very weak. I have Diabetes and had a kidney transplant over four yrs. ago and that's why I was on pred. Be very careful when u excercise. I have a reclining stationery bike that also has the arm things that u use. I got mine at Walmart. Try to get one of those. It beats falling down, I know. To answer about muscle aches and joint pain, comes from the pred. It also happens when u go thru withdrawal from pred. It lasts just a while, not to long, but it also depends on how long u r on pred. All of u r in my prayers, keep me in yours,

I just started Pred for severe joint pain (Last Tuesday) and I seem to have had a headache since. Is this normal?