PredniSONE and sleep loss

My Mother was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis 30 years ago. She has been on prednisone at low doses since then. About 3 years ago she started imagining things, and hallusinations. About 2 years ago her prednisone dose went up to 60mg a day due to a stroke of the optic eye nerve. She has since been tapering down, now at 15mg a day. But tapering down makes her arthritis more painful. She has developed diabetes, loss of sleep, loss of apetite, loss of muscle tone. When she gets bumped, it's a big opened gash, rather than just a bruise. With the higher dose she was more moody & would get angry easier. The hallucinations & paranoia continue & are making me more & more concerned. I haven't read about this in any of the stories. Has anyone else experienced this side effect? I spoke with her Rheumatologist who suggest a psychiatrist to prescribe anti-psychotic drugs. She's already on 11 pills a day, does she need another?
Please let me know if anyone has experienced this as well.
Thank you.

I am 52 yr old female perimenopausal and I have some good things to say about my last experience with prednisone. This past allergy season I was put on 3 courses of the 5 day dose pak to decrease swelling of my bronchials. Now in past years when I have gone on prednisone I have not cared for how it has caused me sleep loss, irritability, and hunger. But something must be going on with me hormonally that caused this years experience which resulted in a sense of calm like I rarely have experienced, no loss of sleep, but the reverse - I slept better. Also reduction in hunger and an ability to and desire to control my calorie intake (I am nearly 100 lbs overweight). If it didn't have such long term side effects I wish I could stay on it for ever. What I found very interesting is last month when I was visiting my 61 year old sister who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is currently on a 6 month treatment of prednisone is that she shared similar reaction to being on the drug as I did. I wish I could find the connection of what it was doing either to our immune system or pharmocalogically to our nervous systems that gave us such pleasant experience from using this drug this time.

I have been taking prednisone for over two weeks for a severe photo-allergic reaction caused by another medication. Today was my very last pill and I am thrilled to be off the medication. At first, I was really happy and relieved that the prednisone worked so well on my allergic reaction, but now I am more worried about the side effects of the prednisone. I have experienced severe sleep loss, edema and weight gain. I am hot all the time and sweat like there is no tomorrow. I am worried sick that the medication has further thrashed my immune system too.

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.

I went in with what I thought was an allergy attack and found out I had what they call a pseudo-tumor behind one eye. Iwas prescribed prednisone. I told the doc I had High blood pressure before he gave methe prescription.

I had sleep loss, mood swings, sweating, and dropped weight because there was so much sugar in my blood stream. Prednisone caused the on set of diabetes. I now have to take Insulin shots at least twice a day. I was told 'it would go away' and I could stop the shots....still nothing.