PredniSONE and lungs

My Dad is 75 years old has been in and out of the hospital because of exasperations brought on by COPD. He is fine when he gets out of the hospital with 40mg of Prednisone then like many others tapers to 30mg, 20mg then 10mg until he isn't taking any. Then the exasperations start he's back in the hospital and the Prednisone cycle begins again. I have notice he has mood swings as he has become very irritable. He also use to work out with light weights ever morning, he no longer has the desire. He also use to go for walks, in the park treadmill etc. he no longer does those activities either. I also notice his eyes look different. I realize this drug is keeping him alive, but he has become a different person.

You people are freaking me out. I just started today with my first dose of prednisone for my first bronchitis diagnosis. I've been sick for 3 months and thought this would be a good med for me to rid the coughing. I'm starting to reconsider taking any more if all I can expect is long term adverse effects. I took this once before years ago for a severe skin allergy. I got the psychosis initially but then adjusted the dose. Then, I would get euphoric and full of energy, like being on a stimulant. I had no idea the round face thing was due to this, I thought I just ate too much while I was home sick for 2 months. I think I'll try the herbal alternative route. If it works, I'll write again and let y'all know. Thanks for all the comments.

I went on Prednisone for only 3 days as treatment to a bad allergic reaction to antibiotics. I ended up in the ER for treatment of the allergic reaction and they gave me a pred IV. They put me on 80 mg tablets, which I was supposed to take for 5 days, but there was no tapering off called for by the doc. I only took it for 3 days and started bad abdominal cramps and a bad taste in my mouth. Everything tasted extremely salty--and still does almost a week later. After I was off the drug for a day or two I started bad cramping in my chest, trouble breathing even though they said my lungs were clear, and really bad anxiety, which I've never had before. I freaked out while I was driving and had to pull into a parking lot for over an hour, and still had bad anxiety trying to drive home. I felt like I was drowning and had labored breathing. It's been almost a week and I still have muscle cramping in my chest, but it's starting to subside if I stay calm. I now have headaches and am weak generally, but am starting to come out of it, I think. I don't think the docs wanted to admit that lot of this was due to the pred; it is a serious drug that should not be taken lightly. I never knew there could be such extreme side effects to a drug. I am sorry to hear that many of you have had similar experiences, but it does give me some comfort to know that these effects were real and not due to some psychosomatic problem.

I have asthmatic bronchitis. In June 2006 I came down with an infection in my lungs, which also set off my asthma. Between the two I was hospitalized and put on 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and the antibiotic Levaquin. I was cured of the infection and was able breathe normally again but it took a great toll on my body It took me 3 months to taper off of the Prednisone and almost a whole year to feel myself. I was a strong, physically active person before this happened to me and I have not gotten my energy level and endurance back to what I was before I was sick. When I was released from the hospital I went from 160 mg of intravenous Prednisone to 80 mg of pill Prednisone. That step down was too severe and I went through intense joint and muscle pain in my body that it woke me from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. I luckily had an old Vicodin that I took which only made the pain bearable. I should have upped the Prednisone to make it go away but I wanted off. This pain lasted one week with each day getting less. The side effects I experienced from then on were so plentiful that I almost can't remember them all. The physical problems were, thin skin that bruised or ripped and bled profusely with the slightest bump, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, muscle cramps in my legs and hands, sleeplessness, dry mouth and frequent urination. My stomach bloated and got stretch marks. I didn't have any before that. The muscles in my thighs and upper arms atrophied so bad that I could not walk up stairs w/o using my arms to help. My arms were also very weak and I got hemorrhoids; another muscle that was affected. I had a bad case of the drops. I couldn't hold on to anything and broke many glasses. I got moon face that took a couple of weeks to go away after I was off the Prednisone. Because I was on such high doses, my hair died and stopped growing. About 40% of it fell out in one month. It took 6 months to grow back and it all grew back curly. On January 30, 2008 my bronchial tubes closed again due to a sinus infection. Again I was hospitalized with 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and Levaquin. This time I responded much better, because I jumped on the infection/asthma instead of waiting. I stepped down from 240 to 180 to 90 to 60 and decrease 5 mg a day until I was off. This time I did no lose my hair land did not get hemorrhoids. The other physical effects were pretty much the same but much less severe. However, this time the emotional effects of Prednisone were much worse than last time. I was not a nice person. I was short tempered and argumentative and even had to stop myself from resorting to violence a couple of times. That is definitely not who I am. Prednisone stops your adrenal glands from working and adrenaline is you chemical way of coping with stress. I have been off of the Prednisone for one week and still find it hard to cope with the slightest controversy. My brain is still in a fog and I get confused easily. I cannot handle too many questions at once and forget things. My face is still round. Both times, I have found it the hardest dealing with the Prednisone at the very end and even after I finished taking it. I think it builds up and even though the chemical is suppose to be out of your body in 24 hours, it's effects stay a lot longer. I thought I knew what to expect but the second time was different again. It is a horrible drug but my trade off was breathing. Sometimes I think, that if I have to go through this a few more times, the side effects will kill me before the asthma. I wish all you Prednisone users loads of luck and stay positive.

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 started taking Prednisone in late November for inflammation of my lungs, a complication of influenza A. I started at 50 mg daily, then went to 75, then was hospitalized and went to 160 intravenously. After about a week, I was reduced to 120 then 75 by mouth a few days later. After 15 days in the hospital, I was released only to come back two days later with internal bleeding. I was released two days later and my doctor knocked several days off my withdrawal plan. About midway through all this, I started having a constant mild headache. After my second release, the headache started to get worse. The headache became debilitating and I spent some time in the ER where codeine helped. (I'm allergic to morphine which would have been their choice). The codeine helped for a day or two, but when I got to 60mg of codeine with no effect I gave up on the pills. My doctor gave me some sort of anti-inflammatory shot which helped.

I've been off Prednisone now for over a week and still have a constant headache, but most of the time it's not bad and only moderate at times. On average I see a gradual improvement.

I have had increased appetite and energy (in the beginning) followed by face and neck swelling, headache, nausea, blurred vision, internal bleeding and large muscle weakness.

I know that I needed something to stop my lung inflammation, but the cure has been worse than the disease at this point.

Prednisone is a miracle drug that is saving my life. I realize that the side effects can happen and do. I've experienced them too: pockets of fat on my face even though I've lost 25 pounds; loss of hair; Thrush in the mouth and other yeast infections; hyperactivity; insomnia; blurry vision; the shakes; reduction in muscle tone; and secondary infections because of compromised immune system. I have pulmonary fibrosis and waiting for a lung transplant. There is no known cause, cure, or treatment of this terminal disease and most patients die in 1-5 years. Prednisone is the only drug that will at least slow the disease down until I receive that transplant call. I realize that most people on this post are not terminally ill and you can say, "no" to this drug; but just wanted you to know that for some of us it's a miracle drug.
Di

Has anyone experienced numbness or a greasy type of sensation on your tounge while taking Prednisone?

My mom has been on predisone off and on for the last 19 years. First for asthma for 5 years weight gain of 100 pounds. then got off of it by going to national jewish hospital in Denver. Still put on it over the years Now the last year has been diagnosed with sjogrens syndrome and put on predisone as well as methotrexate injections. They started coming down and she had some heart trouble so back up and she kept telling drs her chest hurt all the way to her back this went on for 6 months 6 times in hospital and ER they kept saying it was her heart and rib cage. Well finally 10 days ago finally took a back exray and she had three fractures in her spine. So she has had a broken back for the last 6 months which was caused by the predisone. Had surgery 4 days ago but is now in nursing home for a while and the sjogrens is showing up in her lungs and was told this week that the treatment is predisone. She has so many things wrong that I now feel like the predisone has probably caused most of her health problems. Predisone should never be used for long term use it is to dangerous and so very painful.

I have been on Prednisone for 27 years for Addison Disease. If you take more prednisone than needed for you system you will get the moon face, weight gain and even the shakes. My immune system is very low due to the medications, my legs cramp and make is very hard to sleep. I have found that after taking prednisone for so long, it will start to deteriate your muscles, blood vessels, bones and teeth. At this point I have no choice but to take this medicaiton as it keeps me alive. By the way, if you are on Prednisone too long your Adrenial glands will stop producing the steriods that your body needs. This medication is very hash. Please advise if any one else has Addison's disease and are taking medication other than prednisone for the illness. I feel for anyone that has to be on this medication.

I have been on Pred. for 10 days for a severe ashtma attack I was in hospital for 5days,I just tooke mt last onetoday but I have extreme pain in neck,shoulderand piyt of stmach, I have blurred vision and my tongue literally hursts when I chew, I also feel as if my lungs do not.... fit in my throrax, I am miserable due to this drug,,,

I've been on prednisone for a few months now for severe ulcerative colitis, I'm 18 years old now, and the disease started when I was fourteen. So far, it's the only thing that seems to work. I've experinced increased acne, and occasional soreness in my shoulders in back. But the worst thing is that lately I've been just explosively angry. I raise my voice to the point that I am screaming my lungs out (which I rarely did before). I feel like I'm losing the ability to see what's going on when I get angry. I hate depending on other people to know when I'm out of control, but I'm beginning to think I can no longer tell. Does anyone else feel this way? Thanks.

I have been taking prednisone for five year for sarcoidosis,an autoimmune disease that targets first your lungs and then your immune system attacks any and can attack all muscles of the body. It left me with scaretissues in my lung.started with 70mg. down now to 20 and have been down to 5. every time i think i can come off my breathing gets worse but i think the medication also causes shortness of breath. i have lost vision in one eye ,no central vision since this med.break out in rashes.feels like iam disconnected mentally and phycially eye floaters in the other eye weight gain of about 50 pounds that will not move and i don't eat hardly anything.nervousness,moodswings and let me not forget the hypertension that i never had until this med. Now iam taking meds to doctor the problems the p rednisone created. CANNOT WIN FOR LOSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I, too, have suffered side effects from Prednisone. Being severly asthmatic, have been on "bursts"...which consists of taking beginning dosage of 60 milligrams a day for three days, then tapering off.

Have also had massive doses of this blankety blank drug while hospitalized for asthma.

Before the onset of adult asthma, I weighed 105 lbs. Now I weigh 200 and have that "pregnant" look. I have warned all I know not to pay attention to me while I am on the drug...I become argumentative and overly assertive and thank god, I have not become physically agressive.

My feet and ankles swell to twice their normal size as does my fingers, face, etc.

Appetite is completely out of control...eat, but never fell full while under its' influence.

During taper-off times, I have absoulutely no energy for days...even walking to the bathroom is a chore...weak and exhausted.

I now use an steroid inhaler. Supposedly, this does not enter your system, but I question that....how can it not enter your tissues and your bloodstream, if it is entering your lungs? And the same side effects are there, though not as severe, and not as easily apparent. I have gained another 10 lbs, and find I am depressed because of more weight gain and breathing is more difficult because of the extra weight.

I suppose I should be thankful it has saved my life, but the quality of my life due to this drug has been severly affected.

Can you tell I hate the stuff?

We can send a man to the moon, but science can't or won't (for whatever reason) find an effective alternative drug...sigh...

Shortness ofbreath(heavy lungs),paranoia,anxiety,depression,(relieved by drugs) , weight gain...cushingoid appearance..buffalo hump and all,hunger,foggy, strange gluey feelings in my toes,afeeling of bouncing when I walk,knee swelling peptic ulcer diareahea,neck and face swelling

I took prednisone for a week for my lungs. This was 13 yrs ago gave me severe panic attacks and i now take xanax to survive.

In the last month I was prescribed prednesone when I had went to the doctor after I breathed in some chemicals and my lungs hurt. My first side effect was feeling like I was losing my mind and I was having trouble thinking. I went to the doctor that had prescribed my 3 days of Prednesone and he did blood tests last week. My cholesterol tested high and something called alk phos is high. Are these temporary side effects? I hope so.

Prednisone makes me groan
it makes me feel all alone
it helps me breath my lungs to ease
but if I forget to take it it makes me dizzy
I know that oneday, it will not be a part of me
I will be well and drug free
I hope that time and prayer will heal
and I won't eat 2 dozen meals
Prednisone you helped me get well
even though I felt rough
but now Enough is enough!

I'm 27 years old and last week caught acute Bronchitis. I managed to quit smoking the day before, I just decided that its not good for me anymore and I should quit now that I am young. So I suppose the combined effects of getting Bronchitis and getting rid of all the smoking stuff in my lungs made the Bronchitis worse. Anyway I went to my Doctor and he prescribed 40g Prednisone for 5 days taking all the 5g tablets (8 in total) in the morning. I have recently also lost 35kg's due to healthier eating and getting a healthier lifestyle took me a year to do it but now I am really scared that the Cortisone will make me gain the weight back. I went back to my Doctor today and he has put me onto a Nebulizer with more cortisone and prescribed another 5 days of the same Prednisone treatment as before. Then he said he would wean me off it?? Is it dangerous to just stop taking it? I am already on a course of antibiotics for the lung infection and on expoctorant medicine as well as vitamin tablets. Do I really need the Prednisone? Can someone maybe try and explain whether its a good idea to be on such a high dosage? Just feeling a bit scared about all of this, cause I don't like Cortisone side effects.

I have been on Prednisone for a year and had most of the side effects already mentioned. At Christmas I started to get an ache in my rib area when ever I lay down and if I turned over to my other side the ache would fall to that side, the only way I can explain the feeling is, my lungs felt too large for my rib cage..and then the ribs felt tender. A few weeks later I sneezed and a muscle in my back went into a locked spasms and I had to have oxygen to help me breath.

Over the months I still had this strange tenderness in the rib area, a chest x-ray showed my lungs were fine...now this tenderness has worsened and my muscles go into spasm as and when they feel like it...My doctor says it is inflammation of the muscles between the ribs and has changed my NSAID without any results so far...has anyone else had these symptoms ? I'm on 5mg a day now from 15mg for Atypical rheumatoid arthritis.

I HATE PREDNISONE!!!!!!!!

my immune system is attacking my lungs so my doctor started me on 100 mg and i have progressively dcreased my dose but it has made me insane in the process not to mention fat as hell

the only side effect I noticed from prednisone was amazingly enhanced alertness... I was prescribed a gradually declining dose over a 10-day period for an acute lung condition. the lungs improved completely for a short duration (5-6 weeks), but the level of alertness I felt was unlike anything I had ever felt in my life; it was a zen-calm-like alertness, not a caffeinated-buzz-like alertness, and it truly felt like this is the way we humans ought to feel all the time; I sorely miss that experience!

I have been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a multi system disorder characterized in affected organs by a type of inflammation called granulomas. I happen to have it in my lungs. I was started on 50mg a day of Prednisone for an entire month. During this time I went periods of up to 4 days unable to sleep in spite of being prescribed sleeping medication. I have, over the last 8 months been taken down from 50mg a day to 10mg a day. I have gained 30lbs, my completion is a mess, my skin is oily, I have hot and cold flashes, I am always stuffy, and my mood was so altered I was put on anti-depressants.

My temper is easily agitated and this drug even strained my marriage. I went from a loving husband to a baby having temper tantrums.

This drug is horrible.

I have been on pred for almost 2 years for bronchial pulmonary aspergillosis. Which is a fungus in the lungs. I started with 40 mgs. a day. At first no symptoms no even weight gain.But after first month weight gain started with the moon face and big belley. Then mood swings and I cry at the drop of a hat. Sex drive just sucks. I am 37 year old female with asthma and allergies. After 2 months was reduced to 30 mgs. a day, no change in side effects. My family pays the true price. They get all the nastiness. My daughter who is 5 now is always being yelled at.Seems she always pushes the wrong buttons. Now am down to 5 mgs. every other day. Have lost alot of the weight gain except in the moon face and the stomach. Gained about 20 pounds and am now just about 8 pounds more than my normal weight. But still bad mood swings decreased sex drive, headaches achieness, and poor sense of humor. Aggravated very easily. I recently changed doctors hoping to get off prednisone and be treated differently. Since dosage was lowered syptoms have increased with the coughing and wheezing.
If anyone out there has had this condition please email me with any information or encouragment.thanks
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I have had to use Prednisone off and on since the 80's for flamation of the lungs when I get a cold. I didn't use it too much, however, until this last year and can't seem to get off of it. I need to finalize reconstructive surgery and have to keep postponing it due to the fact, I can't seem to get off the drug. My surgeron will not operate while on it. He says I need to be off 4 to 6 weeks. I had been off two weeks, when I got sick again last week w/a fever, upset tummy and chest discomfort. My lower legs are also very weak, which they were back in Dec. when I was sick. My pulmonary doesn't know why the leg weakness, but everything I read says Prednisone can cause weakness. I have asthma also.

Severe burning inside and out! How long will this take to go away? My throat and lungs feel worse! Never again!