PredniSONE and thyroid

I have been on Prednisolone about 4 times in recent years. the highest dose was last year when i was on 80mg reducing weekly by 5mg. I have had most of the side affects you all talk about above. I have severe colitis so the side-effects of this drug are something i have to put up with. at the moment i have all the classic side-effects i usually get, rapid hunger, swelling to my face (moon face), neck has layer of fat, swollen back (buffalo hump), bruising easily, horrible taste in my mouth, swollen stomach. the one good side effect is it gives me lovely smooth skin lol. anyway the point of my post isn't to rip this drug appart as i have to say for me its a wonder drug and this time has prevented me from having my bowel removed! from personal experience once you finish the steroid treatment after a few weeks you'll notice the swelling go, my hunger usually fizzles out quite quickly (altho i have a large appetite in the first place!!) none of the side effects are permanent, so please all rest assured you will go back to normal just try not to put on too much weight while on the drug.

I have read some of the board and would like to know if anyone else has had prolonged side effects after being off Prednisone for almost a year. I think Prednisone caused all my current health problems. Was on the higher dose 5 day plan for a severe inner ear infection. I stopped taking it after the third day cold turkey, which I know was wrong because of blurred vision and stomach distention so bad I thought I was going to burst (almost the same as when I was pregnant). The first 4-6 weeks of stopping it were pure _ ell. So many withdrawal symptoms. I went to my doctor and he said I couldn't possibly be having all those symptoms from the Prednisone since I was only on it three days (but it is the regimen where you take the higher doses/multiple pills in the beginning and then it lowers the dose each day). Every few days it seemed I was having something new happen - heartburn, sweating, headaches. Then my thyroid function began acting up (hypothyroidism) and glands seem to swell with my monthly cycle. I started having a daily dry throat. All my symptoms seem to be on my right side: blurred vision, dry throat, swollen lymph glands, ear pain, groin swelling. It is one month shy of a year when I originally took the Prednisone and nothing has decreased, only new symptoms appear. My doctor keeps treating each symptom individually and won't look at the whole picture. I tried acupuncture and it didn't help. Any suggestions/comments?

I've been tapering for 7 months since my last infusion of pred, I started in June 2005 with 1000mg a day for 3-5 days in a row, I've had about 4 of them at 1000mg for 3-5 days afterwards I tapered from 180mg a day each time and am now down to 3mg's daily, my total since this eye disease started is about 30,000mg of prednisone, it's the only thing that gets my vision back and eye pain to go away. the sleepless nights, extreme hunger, hump on my neck, swollen legs...I hate this stuff but even with taking methotrexate, I still need it. visit my site www.daicompacific.com/thyroid.htm to see what I've been through. Thanks Steve Duran

I would rather die than take Prednisone. I was on 90mg a day for a month and a half for my kidney (Nephritis). It was saving the kidneys which are now at 20% but here is what else.
my eyes are screwed up-sticky, blurry. I shake, can't sleep, developed wierd large water type blisters, I cramp, I was angry as hell, at everyone. My thyroid went crazy, I developed painful blood clots. Awful medicine. I would rather go into kidney failure than extend the life of my kidneys at the expense of everything else.

I have been on prednisone for a year now except for the month that I had ran out before I could get to my RA dr. These side effects that I have just read, "are they for real?" I have no side effects and my dose is 10mg. Started prednisone at this dosage then was reduced to 5mg with no relieving results. Weight gain was a problem I had due to thyroid. I experienced sleepless nights before the meds. And my blood sugar is normal. Also I started taking my medication in the name of Jesus believing I wouldn't have any side effects and to this day I haven't. I believe its all in the mind.

Have tapered from 40 mg to 10 overnight in order to have a test for my thyroid. This is causing severe itching all over my body. Other side effects: weight gain (6 lbs in 5 days), bloating in stomach, moon face, sleeplessness, anxiety. I just want to be normal again! I'm taking it to combat Graves Eye Disease.