PredniSONE and night sweats

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.

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.

I have been on prednisone since November 2007 for minimal change disease, 65 mg, in May I started to decrease the dosage (per Drs. orders) and by the time I got to 15 mg all my symptoms came back and I swelled up again. I was again put on a higher dosage of prednisone and put on Cytoxan 75 mg. I am now decreasing prednisone, back to 15 mg every other day and will be off Cytoxan next month. Hopefully this will work. Right now my main complaint of side effects is chest pressure, anything I eat or drink makes my stomach swell and I feel like I can never take a full breath. I recently had chest and abdoman xrays and an ultrasound, all negative. Does anyone have this symptom? I also have moon face, weight gain, hump on back, insomnia, headaches, digestive problems ,shakes, night sweats, vision problems, extreme tiredness and hair loss. How long before all this goes away?

Hi my son was on Prednisone for 20 years on and off for allergies now he is allergic to the Prednisone that the creams would help him was crap. At no stage was he or I told of the side effects. Now he is in intense pain has major skin sores, swollen knees and ankles, night sweats and sleep problems. This medication is terrible and now he sits hunched up like an old man his skin is so sensitive he needs painkillers for a bath or shower.

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 had the flu and then some really bad vertigo which made me vomit. the doctor prescribed Prednisone for an inner ear infection he said I had. I guess he thought some sinus congestion may have caused this. However, the whole process has been horrible. I had night sweats which I never really considered until here. Mostly I have had very cloudy vision and continued vertigo. hard to concentrate or read. Not sure how anyone could work their job on this..unless you can work while laying down with your eyes closed..also, my throat feel like its going to slam shut and not open again. I just took my last pill. 20mg three times a day for 5 days..I hope the stuff gets out of my system quickly. wont take this again!

Hi everyone,

I am a 25 year old female who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease one year ago. I stumbled on this website and wanted to share my experiences to let others know they are not alone and that their side effects due to Prednisone are completely normal.

In Nov of 2007, I was in the hospital for a Crohn's flare up and was put on prednisone through IV (240mg/day). After a three days I was released, but one week later, had another flare up and was back in the hospital in December of 2007. This time, I stayed for 6 days and was on 240mg/day again through IV, along with taking Flagyl and fluids for my flare up and infection.

At first, I lost about 10 lbs due to the flare up and all of the medication I was on. However, within 3 weeks time, I gained 28 lbs and was a complete mess. I looked different, felt different and was emotionally and mentally drained.

My side effects included: Severe moon face, buffalo hump, increased appetite, hair thinning and severe hair loss, night sweats where I would have to change pajamas 3-4x a night, OCD to the point where I would have to clean my entire apartment (even if it was already clean), restlessness, anxiety, no sleep and sometimes I would go days without sleeping, increased thirst and dehydration, swollen eyes and headaches, depression and mood swings, upper and lower abdomen swelling and weight gain (28 lbs in 3 weeks), suicidal thoughts, unbearable muscle and joint swelling and aching, forgetfulness and memory loss, blurred vision and dark hair growth on my face near my sideburns and underneath my chin and on the bottom portion of my face. Bottom line: it was unbearable and nobody warned me about the harsh side effects of the drug.

When I left the hospital, I was put on 60mg/day and eventually weaned off Prednisone over the course of 2 1/2 months and took my last 5mg dose in mid- February 2008.

It is now 2 months since I have been off Prednisone and as of now, I have only lost 7 lbs, but much of the moon face has gone away and I don't seem as swollen in my chest. My appetite returned to normal the day I stopped taking the drug and my mood swings subsided one week after stopping Prednisone. I still have the buffalo hump, but it stopped hurting and I am now able to sleep through the night. The fluid retention seems to have moved south towards my legs, arms, and lower abdomen. My doctors say that within about 6 months after stopping Prednisone, most of the fluid retention should go away and they recommend walking for 45-60 minutes/day to help with the fluid/weight gain.

Overall, prednisone helped to save my life and put my Crohn's into remission, but is one of the WORST drugs I have ever taken. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to take this drug and trust that you are not alone--and the side effects are real and they are harsh. I am slowly seeing that it takes time for the prednisone to leave your system and my doctors say that every day there is less and less in my body.

Stay positive, stay active & stay Healthy!!

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

I have been off and on prednisone my entire life as well for asthma and poison ivy. About 5 years ago I was put on it for 3 months due to finding out i had chron's disease. It is the worst drug ever!!! I gained 30 lbs in two weeks, I had severe night sweats and nightmares. My knees hurt constantly and still do to this day. Right now I am sick again with asthma and they want me to take prednisone and I am refusing. I want an alternative. Help me find one please someone!!

Alright well ive been on pred for about 2 months now started out at 40mg / daily but now am at 30mg. I've experienced facial swelling, minor weight gain, severe acne on face back and shoulders, my hands now slightly shake, and ive had mood swings. I have never had any problems with sleeping or night sweats if anything im getting more sleep than i have before.

i have been prescribed this drug for asthma i have been taking 6 tablets a day for the last 2 weeks, my arms and legs feel as if they do not belong to me, my heart is racing i am having night sweats and i cannot stop eating along with heart burn.

i have been on 60 mg for 3 months and before that 20 mg since sept 05.. i have moon face, swollen tummy stretch marks all over my body, horrible heart burn, rapid heart beat, night sweats, insomnia, crazy hunger pains but cant seem to eat, mood swings, depression, fatigue, weak muscles, shaky, severe hot flashes, flushed face and i constantly feel sick to my tummy... you name it i got.. this drug is horrible, cant wait to be off which seems like an eternity :( and the worst is yet to come because i hear that your body becomes addicted to it and the side effects off being weaned off are just terrible and you end up being kept on just to flush out your system

I was prescribed Prednisone for 10 days initially and then degreasing dosage for a long time. 9mg daily for 14 days, then 8mg for 14 days, then 7mg for 14 days and so on until I was off the stuff. This seems to be a long time for me. I have night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, lack of concentration, and lack of ambition. I am a 70 year old male prostate cancer survivor. I am also taking Toprol 50mg daily.
Will all of the side effects go away eventually?
Very tired old man.

night sweats,skin brakes out -bad boils-the sores itch all the time.nothing works creams or itching pills and can get rid it. if one heals then its back in a few wks any one got these problems while taking this drug. been on it for 7 yrs. this started 2 yrs ago it wont go away. thanks mary.i take 5 mg 1 dailiy.

Hi,

I've been on Prednisone for two months now. I started at 90mg and am now down to 15mg. I was diagnosed with Polymyositis and have started Methotrexate so I will be off the Prednisone in about a month. The thing I hate the most is the night sweats! I wake up soaked every night. I also have a hard time sleeping. I was never a morning person and am now awake by 6am every morning! I haven't experienced the weight gain or face fullness thank god but I still can't wait to be off the Prednisone!

36 y/o F

I never had any night sweats, but I did get insomnia. I started at 100mg a day. Hope this helps.

I have been having terrible night sweats since I've been on prednisone and was wondering if that happens to anyone else?

This is a nightmare drug. On 60mg I actually started to hear voices. Only twice...and I didn't know what they were saying, it really wasn't frightening, because I was so aware of it. Night sweats like crazy, tossing and turning, evil, vivid dreams, rash on chest...Moonface IMMEDIATELY...I've just cut down and stopped because I cannot stand this medication. I stopped early this week. Face is as round as a basketball. I ate an entire pie. I can handle my asthma, I can't handle this drug.

how rude guest 14168 These people are asking for help and that's your response? If anyone out there knows the answer then please post it here. I, for one, would like to know too. The night sweats are horrible, I know. Take Ibuprofen to relax a little before trying to go to sleep. It helped my muscles to relax somewhat. You will still have the sweating, even during the day while you are on pred. Once you are off of it, in time it goes away. God Bless..................

I've been taking Prednisone for a recent diagnosis of asthma. I'm a 51-yr old woman, 5'3", and 185 lbs.
I've previously had slightly elevated BP.
I've taken 10mg of Pred, 5 times a day for 2 weeks.
Just went down to 4 a day for 5 days, then 3 a day for 4 days, tomorrow I go down to 2 a day for 2 days, then 1 a day for 2 days, then 1/2 a day for 2 days. After that, I'm supposed to be finished.
I'm having terrible time sleeping at night.
Feels like my heart is racing & BP is off the charts.
Wake up for at least 1-3 hours a night completely awake with lots of energy. (The house has never looked better!)
But I lie awake worried that I'm going to stroke out during the night. I haven't told my husband, don't want him to worry. I'm also having horrendous night sweats.
He asked why I can't sleep & I just tell him I've got tons of energy & that can't be a bad thing!
I'm scheduled to finish the Prednisone within a week.
How long can I expect it to stay in my system, keeping me on edge & awake through the night?

I am 5'4" and have always weighed under 110 lbs. Even through 4 pregnancies, the most I ever weighed was 117. Now, all of a sudden, I weigh 117, which has been a steady increase since my last dose of prednisone 3 weeks ago. I was on three different dosages over a 6 week period for a persistant skin rash. I am terribly frustrated with the wieght gain and wonder if this is from the prednisone and if so, how long will I have to battle this? My other side effects were insomnia, night sweats, higher BP, and some swelling in my hands and feet and face.

hi everyone. just wanted to say the prednisone side effects do go away, for me at least. i was only on it for 3 weeks. have been off about a month. i am sleeping much better and barely even notice night sweats anymore. still have sort of a moon face but it has subsided considerably. so there has been a positive marked change all-around. good luck to you all!
sanndiego

Hi, I was given prednisone for bursitis in my knee. It was administered 60mg for three days-40mg for three days and 20 mg for three days. On the eighth day of the regime I was given a shot of cordisone directly into the bursae. After the second dose of prednisone I began to expirence night sweats, insomnia, acid reflux, and premature ventricular contractions. the irregular heartbeat landed me in the hosptial for two days where they determined the drug had made me hyperkalemic (low potassium). I have had all the test and my heart is healthy. I have been off the drug for almost two weeks and still feeling the side effects especially the P.V.C.'s. Has anyone else had arrhythmias. Does anyone know the half life of this poison?

Thanks, Roger

Hi i had been on Predisone since Jan and it has been a total nightmare. It was given as to help with Pulmonary Sarcoidosis that i have. I have suffered from numerous side effects
- night sweats
- frequent urination
- acne breakout
- upset stomach
- body cramps and muscle weakness
- hair loss
- mood swings
- weight gain almost 50 lbs
- lack of sleep
I have now been off of the Predisone for 15 day and is still dealing with a few sides affects and withdrawl effects....i have notices...since the i have a very bad trembling affect to my hands

I myself am recovering from poison ivy. Wondered if the prednisone was causing the night sweats. Knew about the other side effects listed because I had a similar rash flare up last summer where prednisone was prescribed for one month. If the side effect was on the bottle, I had it. No more gardening for me. I'm on for ten days this time...but think I'm gonna give the doc a call because it seems to be reflaring now that I'm cutting back on the prednisone. Similar to you IvyGirl I only have about 2 days left and the poison ivy is resurfacing. Read somewhere online this evening that if you try taking your dosages earlier in the day it may ease the night sweats and possibly the insomnia too. Good Luck IvyGirl.

well this is the second time for unknown reasons I get an allergy attack in one eye that swells it shut. Antihistamines don't make it go away so they put me on a course of prednisone and send me on my way even though I have told them it gives me violent tendencies. I am not an angry person by nature, but the last two times I have been put on a course of prednisone I fly into rages at the slightest provocation. I practice meditation and stuff routinely, so I know a lot about mind control etc. so it's not like i can just take a breath and count to ten. I can't afford to go on vacation by myself every time I have to take a course of this stuff ;) LoL. I think my doctor thinks I'm whining, but I can't seem to convey this message that I really probably should not take prednisone. They insist all the steroids are the same and therefor prescribing a different one would not help.

Yesterday, I had another attack and had to go back and get more prednisone, this time I think my pharmacy may have screwed up because the highest dosage I was every given before was 60 mg a day then taper down for 2 weeks.... Yesterday the doctor decides that perhaps a short "burst" of pred would be better for my side effects to get it over with faster.

I came home with larger pills than I normally take. the bottle said to take 3 pills twice a day for one day then 3 then 2 then 1 for a total of 12 pills. I took 6 yesterday as directed and woke up with profuse night sweats and the shakes. When I got up this morning, I looked a little closer and each of those pills were 20mg a piece for a total of 120 Mg in ONE day... I am still sweating and shaky, and for all that my eye is still swollen ;) lol.

At least I can open it today though, so some good news. I am wondering now on hindsight did she mean 3 pills a day for two days then 3 then 2 then 1... it would still add up to twelve. I trusted what the pill bottle said and now I am paying for it. I wonder if I can take myself off this stuff, and if anyone else has had violent reactions (ie throwing things and crying) or Night Sweats that go on and on....

It takes a build up of it in my system usually before the tantrums occur, but with that high of a megadose yesterday I am a little afraid of taking it again. I am really getting frustrated by this whole process, and my doctor says an allergist would be turned down flat by my insurance because they haven't "tried everythign" yet... sheesh how much do I have to go through before my 'insurance' declares it worthy of a specialist.

It's very aggravating to me because I think an allergist could help me narrow down the cause fo these attacks and maybe know why it only attacks one eye... why do Insurance companies have the right to take away a doctors discretion? I am fed up with the establishment at this point.

To "jules777"

NO Placebo effect here......It appears that unlike you, most of us come to this site after we are going through Prednisone's terrible side effects. Only because you felt the side effects by reading these statements, doesn't mean that's happenning to the rest of us. Yeah, to have your family telling you Oh dear, how can you have gained 20 lbs in 1 month, oh look at your face, what's wrong? IS NOT A PLACEBO EFFECT. As well as the terrible night sweats, facial hair that now needs to be shaved..NOBODY tells herself to grow facial hair and voilá she grows hair. Do us a favor and read a little more about Prednison and EDUCATE yourself before you dare to write that it maight be all in our heads.

I have had psoriasis for 15 yrs and psoriatic arthritis for 5. After having a major flare up of psoriatic arthritis where my tendons and major joints swelled.My doctor finally decided to prescribe me something for the swelling after 4 months of not being able to walk most days. I first started with Sulfasalasine (500mg daily for 7 days, 500mg twice daily for 7 days, 500mg three times daily for 7 days, and 1000mg twice daily for 7 days). After a month my psoriasis started to flare and it looked as if i was having a rash so it was discontinued.

A week later i received a prescription for Plaquenil (200mg x2 for 14 days) and Prednisone (4x5mg) in the mail. It was a two week trial of plaquenil, and with the prednisone i was to decrease by half a pill every three days. By the end of the two weeks of plaquenil i was noticing a red blotchy rash on my chest. I contacted my doctor. 3 days later the rash had gone from my chest to my neck to my cheeks. By the 4th day i had swelling around my eyes and they were also red and blotchy, my hands were also swollen to the point where i couldnt bend them and I was having a fever and night sweats. My doctor finally contacted me on the fifth day after stopping the plaquenil, and told me to discontinue it. I went to the hospital on that day and told them i thought i was having a allergic reaction to plaquenil, they stood five feet away looked at me and said ok just keep taking the prednisone at 20 mgs for a few days. They didnt want to get involved due to the fact that i had psoriasis. But also failed to mention to me that it could be the prednisone causing this reaction also.

The next day i saw my dermatologist, she prescribed 1% hydrocorisone cream which helped with some of the dryness and pealing skin. The next day when i woke up i couldnt open my eyes, i was having shortness of breath ( im not sure if it was the panic from not being able to see) my throat felt as if i had strep throat,and the roof of my mouth felt as if i had burned it. My skin looked like a huge sunburn, the parts where i had psoriasis were very red,raw,and pealing excessively. I was admitted to the hospital for four hrs where they gave me a IV of benedryl and a steriod.My skin was so swollen they could just barely find a vein to put the IV in. After 50mg of benedry they realeased me and told me to keep taking 50mg every 4-6 hrs and they prescribed me 50mg of prednisone for 7 days. By the next day the swelling had gone down by 30% in my face, but i still looked like i had been in a fight, the pressure around my eyes was so much that i had to sleep sitting up. Of course i wasnt really able to sleep with the fear that if i closed them i wouldnt be able to open them again. They also leaking white stuff. My skin was pealing in very large sections. I was bathing in a luke warm bath with oil, which would help with the pealing of my skin but then when i came out i would be freezing cold. I would get hot flashes and then instantly cold 5 minutes later. I felt like i running a fever but my temperature was normal.

Two days later the swelling was gone in my face, but my legs, ankles and feet were abnormally swollen. My skin was still pealing and constantly itchy. My skin tone was all pink it was no longer red and blotchy, but after i would shower or bath my legs would have dark purple and blue spots on them that looked like bruises. I was unable to sleep for more then two hours straight, i would wake up feeling as if i was on fire. It took another six days for the swelling to go down fully in my legs, ankles and feet.

After taking 50mg of prednisone for 7 days I am taking 45mg for 7 days then decreasing by 1 pill every week. After taking 45 mg for 3 days my skin looks as if its a big rash, it feels grainy and tight. Its no longer pealing except for on my feet.

Im told i look as if i have a bad sunburn, my face is red and tight to the point where the skin around my eyes doesnt even stretch when i open them widely.The sides of my mouth keep cracking when i try to open it fully. I look as if i have really dry skin constantly, it is a fine dusty flakeness. I bathe in moisturizing bath oil but it doesnt even go past the first layer of skin it seems, and i moisturize with keri lotion 3 or 4 times a day but it doesnt seem to matter how much i do it 15 minutes later im just as dry.My skin is sensitive to light and feels like its on fire when exposed to any amount of sunlight. The skin around my armpits and breasts or anywhere that the skin has to strecth is red and sore. I still get hot flashes but most the time i am freezing cold. The skin on my hands is wrinkley and i have no sense of touch almost. My nails were so brittle they had to be cut all the way back.

I have numbing of the tongue, i cant even taste food anymore. I have dry mouth, and i feel as if im dehydrated constantly, i can drink bottle after bottle of water and still feel thirsty. I feel really hungry sometimes or not at all at others. Some days it feels like I IBS and then other days it can be fine. I am losing my hair. The roof of my mouth still feels as if ive burned it on something hot. My legs still look purple at times when im standing, and especially after being in the shower or bath. I am taking 1mg of both folic acid and zinc which my rheumatologist suggest to help slow the reproduction of my skin cells. I have blurred vision 90% of the time, and sometimes i see halos around letters. My mood swings are all over the place, some days i feel like just crawling into a ball and not moving, mostly because its too painful to move around and also because i hate how I look. And other days i just feel nothing at all. Im not exactly sure if when i was the 50mg of prednisone i was happy because of the drug or if i was happy in general because i realized what i could have lost. Not being able to see for 15 minutes really put things into perspective.

Im not sure how much worse it can get? I thought the swelling of my eyes was the worst part but from what i hear it can get much worse coming down off of prednisone. I was wondering if anyone else with psoriasis may have experienced any of these side effects while on prednisone? and roughly how long it took for them to go away.

I was put on Prednison a little over 2 months ago to treat an unexpected backpain & red rush that appeared all over my legs. And YES, it has been quite a traumatic experience! I've always been health and body conscious and worked out to maintain a healthy balance. Consequently, it was hard for me to bear with seing my body deforming & fat, my face ballooning up, my legs swollen, etc
My Doses:
100 mg 2 weeks
80 mg 2 weeks
60 mg 2 weeks
40 mg 2 weeks
20 mg 1 week
10 mg 1 week
At 100 mgs "the good overweigth the bad." GOOD: got rid of my excruciating backache, got rid of most of my leg rush and even some breakouts, it gave me a lot of energy and I was always on-the-go!! BAD: had sleeping problems, started to retain liquids; my legs, face and belly inflated a great deal after the very FIRST week of being on this Steroid.
AT 80 mg, everything remained the same but in addition I experienced HOT flashes, my feet and palms felt very hot, terrible night sweats, I also became constipated, had heart burn, short of breath and rapid heart bits....I was worried at this stage and made an appointment with my Doctor who prescribed me Bentyl for the stomach. He said the rapid heart bits and shortness of breath were due to my belly being so big (as I said, I'm of petite frame and in a matter of only 3 weeks I looked as if I were 5 months pregnant!) I began to SWIM at this stage to help me with the heart. Swimming is good because is a low-impact exercise.
At 60 mg (week 5), I've gained 15 pounds but look fatter than that due to the retention of liquids & a triple chin I've developed over the weeks (looked like Mumps).
At 40 mg, everything remains the same but my belly feels a bit better (due to medication). I'm also experiencing fatigue and tremendous growth of facial hair, yikes!
At 20 mg, by week 9, No more night sweats. I've gained a total of 20 lbs and see some dark marks on my legs (not red like they were before) Dr. said they were a product of withdrawal from the Steroid dosage and to hang in there. I had a CT scan done, and the results were overall good but for my liver that was found to contain "fat" (Steroid's fault) and with time could take a turn for the worst. I'm also experiencing some light backache, bloatness, tiredness, muscle ache, teeth sensitivity, insomnia and body tingling (feels weird). I feel like I can't take it anymore, so decided to try a Natural and Organic juice I've heard so much about, especially from my grandmother and friends. Well, let me tell ya, it works!! I feel more energetic, I can actually go to the bathroom (what a relief) and the dark rushes on my legs are fading away. I also started taking Calcium+Vit D for the bones, Apple Cider Vinegar (it helped me big time with my bloatedness), Enzymes for digestion, Fish Oil with Omega 3 & 6 to help me w/my Inmune Syst. and Milk Thistle for the liver. Let me tell ya, these Natural products have worked like a charm for me! :)
At 10 ms, Oh boy, am I so glad to be finally down to 10 mg! At this stage I'm losing my appetite, have not gained any more wight but have not lost any either. The puffiness in my face is starting to go dowm a bit, no more triple chin but a double chin. No more swollen legs. The Organic juice has done wonders for me, like I said I feel so up-beat, no aches or pains. I'm Not going thru typical withdrwal effects like headaches, muscle aches, vomitting, etc.

Ok guys I've pretty much shared with ya my life on Prednison with plenty of detail. I hope this has helped you somehow to understand you are not alone....know that what is happening to you is "expected." The experience may not go away (it's quite unique) but the physical effects will soon go away... it'll only get better ;)

I had a kidney/pancreas transplant 4 yrs ago the pancreas failed but the kindey is doing great. I was on prednisone 5mg. every other day. The side effects are mind blowing. Night sweats,swelling,stomach problems like crazy,insomnia,moonface,weight gain,bruising,can't tolerate heat,and every other symptom. I am now, as of June 10th , off of prednisone. Please, can someone tell me what I will be going thru with the withdrawl symptoms. I'm kind of worried
cindy

moon face, buffalo hump, bloating, stomach distention, heart burn, gassy feeling, cramping, increased/decreased appetite, night sweats, doube chin, hair growth, back aches, insomnia, moodiness, depression(and im a happy person most the time) mind racing contantly, WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!!!!! (40 lbs in 2 months or less) that i dont need. oh and these ugly purplish striations on my legs and stomach (look like stretch marks only purple and are near veins and are vertical)... hope they go away cause i'm self conscious of my body and am hoping to get the old me back so i can wear a bikini again......... while i'm young

Well, so far I have been lucky as my side effects have been bareable. I have had to take prednisone twice due to ulcerative colitis flares. The first time I started at 40 mg I.V. while in the hospital. Within 2 days I had gone from having 15-20 BM's a day, to 2 or 3 a day. Within 9 days my diarrhea had cleared up (and I was able to leave the hospital). I noticed after about 4 or 5 days of being on prednisoe that my appetite had gone through the roof. I was inhaling the tasteless hospital food like it was gourmet cuisine, and then I mooched food off the teenage in the bed beside me, and anyone else that had any. After loosing about 30 pounds in the previous few months from the colitis, the weight gain was actually a plus. Other effects from the prednisone were night sweats, insomnia, mood swings (I was really irritable), joint pain, and kind of a buzzy head feeling. The Doc tapered me quickly on the following schedule:

40mg 2 weeks
30mg 1 week
25mg 1 week
20mg 1 week

then dropping 2.5 mg's a week to 10, then 2.5 mg's per every 2 weeks until 5mg, then off.

I noticed the side effects diminished alot once I was under 20mgs.

The second time on prednisone after another colitis flare has been a lot easier to take. The only effects I noticed this time were appetite, buzzy head and joint/bone pain (especially in my neck). which again decrease alot when I got under 20mg.

Like I said, I feel lucky that my problems haven't been as bad as many who have posted on this site. If you are new to prednisone, don't get to scared by everything you here. If you are taking it, it is probably because you have little or no choice. Stay positive and maybe you will be lucky like me.

i had a neck injury and was getting cervical spine epidurals withprednisone. i started having night sweats , trouble thinking an bad bad mood swings. to keep the list going ,terrible headaches ,muscle weakness,numbness in my arms and fingers. i thought i was going nuts and then was told it was a reaction the the drug. nice that they told me. if i had known the sid affects before i would not have gone ahead with the epidurals. does anyone know how long this will last?
thankstami

To taylorry and everyone on this lovely drug called Prednisone. I have Ulcerative colitis. Recent flare up last year March. Talked to dx, not take me seriously. Had colonoscopy it was bad. Statred 1st time 40mg, felt better next day. Night sweats, no sleep for a month on sleeping pills. I too looked forward to my next meal. I weaned myself off, I think I did it to fast, I could not take it anymore. When does your body stop hurting. My family/friends don't understand why I am so withdrawn. We have to help each other. Love the site.

I have been diagnosed with Autoimmune Hapatitis and put on a low dosage of Prednizone. 20mg a day for 2 weeks, 15mg a day for 2 weeks and then 10mg a day for an unspecified asmount of time. I have been on the drug for 2 weeks and have just begun to feel side affects mentioned by others. Primarily night sweats accompanied by uncontrolable shaking, pain in lower joints and pain at the base of the neck. Has anyone else with Autoimmune Hepatitis been put on prednizone and what side affects have been experienced. I am alos on Azathioprine (generic ofr Imuran). Apparently even low doses of prednizonee can produce the symptome others have described.

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

I spent nearly 3 years on and off prednisone which were the absolute worst in my entire life. I know the drug saved my life, but the quality of my life was so miserable I didn't know how to cope.

I suffer from life threatening allergies, which were causing insane hives (internal and external), anaphlaxis and asthma. After spending three weekends in the emergency room and having to get benadryl/adrenaline shots while trying to get allergy tests my doctors determined the only way to treat this was with aggressive doses of prednisone.

The side effects were so severe at times that I was nearly incapable of functioning. The dosage went as high as 80mg. I would rarely go for more than 2 weeks without having to ramp up and down on the dosage.

I suffered from night sweats (this still persists), "moon" face, weight gain (I'm still trying to lose this), night terrors (this was the most horrible), memory loss (I'd forget my husband's name), panic attacks (unbelievably frightening) with disorientation, acne (not fun), horrendous mood swings and inexplicable bursts of energy (I became a crazed Bob Vila).

The long term effects are that it wreaked havoc on my stomach, I now take prevacid daily. The night sweats, terrors and panic attacks have lessened, but still persist.

During the time I was taking the medication I thought I was having a nervous breakdown and entered into therapy due to the mood swings. I was so depressed due to the medication that I was temporarily put on Ativan (not fun).

I know this stuff works, but it is a rough ride. I am grateful for it, but it's a steep price to pay.

Was given prednisone for an allergic reaction (to Wellbutrin, we think) -- 5 mg 2X daily. Didn't seem to work, so they put on 20mg 3X daily for several days, and gradually decreasing. It's been since Christmas eve with a rash on my arms and legs and it's better, but not completely gone yet. I still wake up scratching. I've been finished with the treatment for 2 days.

The side effects I've experienced are sweating profusely, anxiety (rapid heart rate, etc), night sweats, strange dreams, insomnia and CRAZY APPETITE. I just keep eating and eating and nothing tastes right. It took me two weeks to figure out that it was the drug making me eat. I've also experience pretty severe gas that disrupts my work day and home life (my poor husband had to leave the room!)

I'll be so glad when this is over!

I was put on Prednisone to reduce an Orbital Tumor. I was on it for 3 months with varying doses. I was hopitalized and they had given it to me through an IV. Currently I've been off of it for 2 months. It worked, but not without lasting side effects. At first I had SEVERE night sweats, I'd wake up in the middle of the night to change my PJs, pillow & sheets. I gained about 15 lbs, I was mean & short-tempered, I had a short attention span, I lost muscle mass, I felt shakey and jittery, I used to sleep well at night and still to this day I have a hard time sleeping. My current problem is SEVERE hair loss due to this medicine. I'm going to see a Dermatologist tomorrow to see if there is any meds that can reverse this. Although I don't like these side effects, I think it helped me when ALL my doctors said I should have surgery, the Prednisone worked enough that I didn't have to. However, there is no guaruntee that it wont come back....then I'll be back on this life altering medicine.
Good Luck to everyone out there!!

I have been on and off of pred for about 15 years in fairly low dosses, for allergies and nasal poloyps. Some of the side effects were swelling, soreness, warts on the hands, mood swings, night sweats, itching, flushing, when I was on higher doses severe night mares!! every night. A couple of years ago I had a bi cranionomy surgery for a sinius mucecell in the frontal sinus. Two polyp's had grown togather in the top of my nasal passage and the sinus couldn't drain. Any way they cut me from ear to ear across the top of my head and peeled the skin down and took a about a 3" by 3" section of skull out to remove the mucecell.
Since then I have had another polyp removal surgery thru the nose, that will make 4 all togather. PREDNISONE is the only thing that seems to work, I don't have to take high dossages, I take like 10 mg every 3 days maybe, but I still get side effects. Brusing, mood swings, itching, One wierd thing is the thinning of the skin that shows my scaring from the bi craninomy really bad. You can actually see the outlining of the brackets and screws where they put my skull back togather.
I need another surgery where the doctor has told me that the bony tissue that seperates the brain from the sinius' behind the eyes may be gone from the polyps eating away over a period of time, and they may have to open my head again, It really scared me so I didn't follow back up with the doctor and got some more prednisone from a primary care visit that I claimed that I have a sinius infection. It will carry me for a couple of months. It has been 8 months since I seen that doc that wants to open my head again (same doctor)this is a specialist from Duke Hospital in North Carolina. I'm doing ok with only 10mg every 2 to 3 days. Problem is tring to keep getting prednisone from doctor to doctor.

I got a bad case of poison ivy & was put on prednisone--50 mg for 2 days, 40 mg. for 2 days (no improvement) so went back to the doctor and he put me on 80 mg for a day then 50 mg for 3 days then 40 mg., and I was so crazy I went to 20 mg then quit it altogether. The poison ivy never went away. I was very depressed, no energy, bloated, hungy, lethargic (which no one seems to have mentioned), no initiative, and everything I do is a total effort on my part. I could just sit and stare at nothing, and this is NOT me! I have severe itching, burning, bruises, weight gain, and I just don't feel like myself at all. I was never so glad to get off any drug in my life, and I hope I don't ever have to take it again as I did not sleep, felt "out of it", couldn't think straight, and felt so discouraged and helpless--the helpless is gone after I'm off, but I just don't have any energy and am so mad about that and the weight gain! I could eat everything that is not tied down. Also, night sweats terribly and lots of hot flashes where I break out in sweat and am about to ruin my clothing. Having to do laundry constantly of sheets, clothing, towels, etc. I would recommend no one take this drug unless it is a last resort.

I have been on prednisone for 3 months to treat ITP. I started out on 60 mg and have been able to reduce to 20mgs. I am experencing all of common side effects (weight gain, moon face, acne, mood swings, NIGHT SWEATS, insomnia). I have also noticed that my teeth are very sensitive to cold. I have not seen this listed as a possible side effect anywhere. Has anyone elso noticed this?

I have been taking prednisone for a little more than 14 months for neurosarcoidosis: first round - 60mg for two weeks, 40mg for two weeks, 20mg for two weeks. Then I experienced a severe relapse. my doctor increase the dosage back to 60mg for about 2 months, then to 40mg for 2 months, then to 20mg for about 3 months, then reduced by 1mg a week to 10mg, then maintianed for three months. I am now taking 30mg every other day. I have experienced the following side effects: weight gain (30 pounds in 3 months, a size 6 to a size 14), abdomen swelling, right much hair loss, ugly mood swings, mild depression, increase urgency and frequency of urination, headaches, back pain in kidney area, sleep loss (at beginning and now at last dosage change), night sweats (at beginning), severe moon face, slight hearing loss, fatigue, and easy brusing. The weight gain slowed down once I reach the 20mg mark. I have reduced the abdomen swelling and reduced some of the weight. I still have a slight moon face. I believe out of all the side effects, the most hard to deal with has been the hair loss and the weight gain. These two areas are pretty important to a woman. Eventhough, this medication has subsided the symptoms from the illness, they have also caused some harsh responses. My family (husband and 8 yr old son) have also had to deal with the side effects. I wondered there got to be a better drug, with less side effects. And as of right now, we don't know the long term effects on other organs of the body, what other illnesses this drug could lead to. Please email back any responses.

Wow! I thought most of this was in my head! I keep telling my husband that this medication's side affects are almost as bad as the Crohn's flair ups! I, too, have had weight gain, increased appetite, mood swings, insomnia, night sweats, hair loss, hair growth on my face, leg cramps, depression, moon face, swelling around my neck (and ankles and abdomen)...in fact, you name a side affect and I probably have it. Currently, I am on 20 mgs (tapered from 40 mgs for 4 months). It seems like the side affects have increased as I have decreased dosage. Has anyone else noticed this as they decrease?