PredniSONE and thighs

I have had trouble with eczema/psoriasis for several years and it has spread to most of my body. Hands, arms, elbows, back, chest and stomach, hips, back-side of my thighs, knees, bottoms of my feet, scalp, inside my ears, forehead, what haven't I mentioned? So far, Prednisone is the only medication I can take that clears it up. Trouble is, the doc won't let me take it long enough to completely clear the rash before I'm tapered off. After reading some of the other posts, I've got to say that I've never noticed any adverse reaction. My appetite is up a little, but my energy level is also up and I burn off any extra calories. I sleep better (no itching) and for longer periods, wake feeling better, have a better outlook for the day and am ready to go. I'm a salesman, so my mental attitude is important, and my wife and family all agree that I'm less moody and in a generally better frame of mind while taking Prednisone. I've noticed no stomach or bowel distress except for being a little less regular than normal. But no constipation and no diarrhea. I'm 61 so a few muscular aches and pains and joint stiffness are to be expected, but I've noticed no unusual incidents. While I don't advocate taking large doses (define large doses???) for long periods, I've read that taking Prednisone on an every-other-day basis can be effective while greatly reducing the risk of side-effects. I think Prednisone has been a real "miracle drug" for me and just wish there was something as effective without the side-effects.

I was on Prednisone for 8 days because of a sinus headache that wouldn't go away. I was also put on amoxicillin for a possible sinus headache. I started on 60 mg for 2 days and than 40mg for 2 days , 20 mg for days and last 10mg for 2 days. The first day I took my headache became 10 times worse and I considered going to the ER. The second day I was suffering from muscle fatigue in my legs and my thighs burned. It also triggered my sciatica pain and pelvic pain caused by ovarian cysts and ovarian tumor. I believe it was the bloating that put more pressure on the sciatica and the cysts that caused the pain. It took a couple of weeks for the sciatica pain to subside, never really got rid of the pelvic pain. I am never ever taking Prednisone again, it has way too many side effects. Also, I think it caused a yeast infection.

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 put on 10mg. Prednisone 5 times a day by my rheumatolgist. This past Wed. I had to go to my GP doctor because under my right armpit it was red & swollen 2 inches high and 5 inches across. I was in agony. He flipped when saw how much Prednisone I was taking. He said that is what caused my armpit problem. He could not drain my armpit because it was too hard. That was when I just went to pieces because I wanted some relief.He put me on antibiotics and pain meds. He noted a yellow spot in the corner of both eyes and amde an appt. with an optomolgist. He told me how to taper off of Prednisone and I will go back next week. It has been 2 days since that visit and here are my new problems: white bumps on my tongue, numb tongue and lips, pus sores in my nose,bloating, bright red spots on my thighs, bruises I can't explain, moonface, pain under my rib area, I could eat eat our house like a termite, not sleeping, sweating. My husband half expects me to grow a new leg or develop leposy or something. I had no idea a drug could do so much damage so quickly.Who knows what new side effect I can get tomorrow.

I was diagnosed with rhuematoid Arthritis in 1986 so I've had it for 19 years, I was 27 years old at that time and I am currently taking methotrexate & Humira injections, but occasionaly I have a flare up and need to be on prednisone, But this time after coming off of it the side effects were horrible, My right leg feels so stiff and the knee is all swollen and both thighs hurt just to touch them, also my arms feel like I just worked out for the first time in my life, I got sores in my mouth and once they were gone the top of my mouth feels like I burnt it. It's smooth and hurts to brush my teeth, I don't know what is going on, I have never had symptoms like this before and In 19 years I have been on and off prednisone a dozen times but have never been in this much pain after coming off of it! Has anyone else had any of these symptoms before???? I am also very fatiged I feel like I have fibroymialga.

This shit sucks, I keep on gaining weight and now I have a double chin. I feel depressed all the time and I don't want to do anything but sit on the couch and eat. I have purple stretch marks on my thighs and I can't sleep for more than two hours.

I was on prednisone from 1998 - 2000 for a kidney disease. At one point I was taking 120 mg a day for 5 weeks. It stopped the progression of my disease my. They slowly weaned me down to 10 mg a day. I went from 155 lbs to 215 lbs. in about 2 months, but I ate less. It was like being "fat." It was like being filled with air. My face looked awful. When I smiled, my eyes disappeared. After I went down to 90 mg, I was put on cytoxan (chemo), so not only was I huge, I was also bald (real attractive) Now, I am somewhat back to normal and my disease is in remission, not cured however. The only side effect that I have that is a life long reminder of my battle is these horrible stretch marks. I have several of them. They range in width from 3/4" to 2" and when they first started appearing it felt like I was being torn apart, and they would bleed. I have them on my sides, on my belly, and under my arms. I was not a large person before. But the excess skin makes me feel so self conscious. Does anyone else have "scars" this bad?

Muscle Weakness....I have been getting muscle weakness in my upper arms and thighs. My one doctor thinks it is a side effect from the predisone...however, I was put on predisone initially for this. My question is, the muscle weakness from predisone??? is it generalized...all over? Or concentrated in upper arms and thighs like polymyositis? I am on 15mg. and can not function.... I need 40mg. for the muscle weakness to go away. Please help....thanks

Been on it since first of June, and boy, what a disruption! After a week (started at 60 mg/day for a week, then 50 for a week, then 40 for a week, and have been at 30 ever since), I couldn't sleep, was eating like I had a tapeworm, was moody as everything, and just felt miserable. My face puffed up after about 2 weeks, and my stomach is following suit. I've gained 15 lbs., now weighing more than I ever have (other than pregnancy). Still hungry all the time, mostly at night. My muscles in my shoulders and thighs stay tight, like I'm flexing them, even when I'm not. My knees hurt by midday, and they swell with fluid. Propping my legs when I sleep seems to help. Oh, and I go to the bathroom ALL the time and my period came 10 days early this month. Ugh. I'll be on this drug until December.

I have been on pred for 2 years off and on for Temporal Arteritis that the doctors at long last have decided that I don't have. They started me out on 60 mm and now they are taking me off at 1mm every other week. I am down to 11mm now. I have experienced all the side effects except the acne and problems with periods. I gained 40 pounds and have such bad pains in my lower back that I can't stay on my feet for long. And I'm always hungry though I try to control it. My main withdrawal symptom is extreme itching from my neck to my wrists and thighs. especially where there is any pressure on the body such as waist bands etc. I tried to get off it once but it was at a faster rate and that is when the itching started. I will gladly put up with the itching as long as I can get off this "Satans curse" of a medicine. I also have jerking in my hands and a general feeling of shakiness. I was glad to read that someone else had painful sensitive teeth I didn't know it was connected to the pred. I too wonder if I will be able to lose all this weight after I'm off the pred. I do know that the moon face goes away because it did the one time I came off the pred then had to get back on it. I also have weakness in my thighs and arms. and my arms are always getting big ugly bruises or torn skin on them to the point that I have to wear long sleeves in hot weather.feel free to email me with your story. Especially if you are off of it so I can have some idea what might happen to me