PredniSONE Acid Reflux, Knee Problem, Joint Pain, Rash, Stairs
Posted over a year ago
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... ... more »
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?
47140 - I have done alot and I mean alot of research on Prednisone and I do not understand why it is being prescribed. OK, it has been proven to reduce inflammation but other than that it is useless. The list of side effects is a mile-long, but most doctors don't go into that. As far as tapering, I think it is the best way to get off this poision.
Kbout - The same thing just happened to me tonite. I am tapering off my prednisone, went from 60mg to 40 to 20mg.
I was diagnosed w/vocal cord nodules and loss of voice. Sinusitis/pharyngitus. I think the initial dose of 60mg for 4 days was quite extreme and this doctor gave me not a single warning of what was to come.
Are they laughing in the back ground?? ARE they trying to kill us? I took one pill this morning (10mg) and was fine. As soon as I took the one before bed I started feeling numbness in my legs and pain in my spine.
I couldn't sleep and got up to go to the bathroom and had excruciating pain and swelling in my knees. I could not walk, it was like polio. I fell to the ground and could not get to the phone. I was horrified!! I dragged my butt to the phone and called my neighbor but could not get down the stairs to unlock the door to let him in. I tried dragging my butt to stairs and started getting the sharp pains in my hands and wrists-all systems had shut off. I was crying and scared and never exprerienced anything like this in my life. All for voice loss and a couple of vocal cord nodules??
These should all have their licenses revoked for putting us through this and no warning. I dragged my butt to the stairs to let my neighbor in and we called an ambulance. They came and checked my stats, heart rate fine, blood pressure fine, heart skan fine. They asked what i wanted them to do. i said I can't walk or move my limbs. They said stats were fine and they had never heard of a reactions like this to prednisone that I must have bad knees or something. They left. I have never had bad bones or knees in my life. And from what i am hearing this is not going away after stopping the medication either. People are still having symptoms of leg weakness and numbness for months after. I am so scared and don't know what to do. I am still up at 6:41 am cause every time I lay down chest pain and limbs go numb then get excruciatingly painful. I called my jerko doctor who prescribed it and he seemed to not give a rat's butt. He told me to stop taking it. IT SAYS ALL OVER THE INTERNET IF YOU STOP ABRUBTLY YOU COULD DIE HELLO?? AND HE'S A FRIGGIN DOCTOR???? I DONT WANNA DIE. I don't know what to do. I have 7 pills left. supposed to take two a day for 3 more days. can someone please help me? i am hearing that it is only going to get worse as I'm tapering and even worse when i stop. But I feel like i have polio and am afraid to walk it hurts and feels like my bones will break. when i can walk again i am walking all crooked like i have severe arthritis. how will i go to work on monday? God Bless all of you who are going through this with me, it helps to not be alone. But what will we do? Are we doomed to these side effects for a long time or what? Thanks for listening.
Hopethishelps - I was given prednisone to help clear up an acute case of sinusitus, the antibiotics alone could not 'OPEN THE SINUS PASSAGES" the prednisone did provide that reduction in inflammation so they could could work. However, I was on 60 mg for 14 days and on the 7th day I woke with terrible knee pain and swelling, I got out of bed and fell down, I commando crawled to the bathroom for aleve, and took it w/ orange juice, within 15-20 minutes I felt immense relief. Two days later it happened again, I took the aleve but no help, I then drank OJ thinking perhaps it was the high potassium content that somehow helped. It worked again. I never thought it was the prednisone b/c it is an anti-inflammatory, why would my knees be swollen? I also know that it is prescribed for arthritis, again my line of thought was the same, not the prednisone. I was looking up ways to help get rid of the water I am still retaining when I came across your posts. For some reason the potassium helps my knee pain {and ankle} pain, it has happened a total of 5 times, but apparently it actually thwarts the return of normal adrenal function. which is the swelling, moonface, 15 lb weight gain, etc and I am experiencing sweating, headaches etc. I'm calling my MD tomorrow am and will let you know his advice.
Deb123gold - Hi .. I have just been prescribed 25mg Prednisone (2 per day for 5 days, 1 1/2 next 5 days, 1 for next 5 days, 1/2 for last 5 days) for itching arms that have been driving me crazy for months now. I took my first 2 this morning and have been wondering why my legs are aching like crazy all afternoon. After reading posts on this website, I am also wondering WHY the doctor did NOT TELL ME about all these side effects??? There wasn't even an 'information leaflet' that came with the medication which would be very handy in helping people to make 'informed' choices about which medications they take! I am tempted to just not take any more, but it sounds like I may be doing more harm than good in stopping abruptly? HELP!!!! Any advice you could give me would be helpful . . Deb.
Kappy - I feel for all of you. I just started taking prednisone 20 mg. last night, and luckily, I haven't experienced any side effects yet. You have raised my concern though......not only about the knee pain, but also stopping abruptly. I'm only supposed to take 20 mg. for 10 days (no tapering), and then stop. WOW, is this going to really hurt me by stopping so suddenly? Now I'm getting a little scared. I'm also a little worried because my doctor gave me the prednisone because I have bronchiectasis and emphysema, and I came down with a nasty cold/flu. I tried antibiotics but it didn't help the infection in my lungs (and I still had a little pain left in my ear and face from a sinus infection caused by this cold)......but now I'm ONLY taking prednisone....NO ANTIBIOTICS. This worries me because I know prednisone can make infections WORSE. I'm confused why my doctor didn't prescribe another antibiotic WITH the prednisone. YIKES!!!!
Kappy
Augusta_c - Yeah, my mom experience something worse, she was prescribed prednisone 20 mg.... she's been having the swalowing in the face and neck, felt like she's gaining weight, blury vision, knees pain. To night we had to take her to the drs becasue her face got numb and her whole left side too, she just wanted to scream and cry. When we went to the dr's they told us it was the drug.
What kind of doctor will do that?.... why will they give my mother that drug over a simple COLD!!! What shoukld i do? should i call her stupid doctor and let her have it? HELP please
Alisachoo - I was prescribed Prednisone today 20 MG X 2 daily for five days for my nerves that are inflammed, but i was also prescribed IBUprofen 800MG. I was about to take my prednisone a few minutes ago and i read these posts so i dont think i am going to start and get a second opinion from my family doctor. I will however take my IBUprofen because it will help with the inflammation as well. I went to visit my chiropractor and his xrays concurred with my doctor and they completely refused me to take predisone and ibuprofen.
My Sister was reading the pamflet that was given to me by my pharmacist, and the pamflet clearly says dont take prednisone if you are taking ibuprofen; so this is a very scary thought, i am glad i read all these posts before taking this medication.
I urge everyone to read about prednisone before attempting to take it.
Hwdgail - I need some advice on this Prednisone issue. I was just prescribed Prednisone 10MG. I am supposed to take 2 a day for 5 days and then 1 a day for 5 more days. This was prescribed to kick out a sinus / nasal infection. A few days prior, I was prescribed Naproxen 500 MG to be taken twice a day for an inflamed knee due to injury. My ENT said that I dont need to take the Naproxen since the Prednisone will not only clear up the sinus infection, but heal the knee as well. Of course after reading all of these postings, I am totally freaked out, yet, this sinus infection has developed from an acute situation to a chronic one. Any feedback would be most appreciated. Thanks.
Brandi97 - I have had severe asthma my entire life. Even after leaving the hospital after a particularly bad attack, the MOST prednisone/methylprednisolone dosage I have EVER been on is a 50mg taper. It is usually a 4mg/blister pack. I would seriously call the doctors office and ask WHY the dosage is SO high or see if they have a mix of a short term/quick acting and long term steroid injection they could give you. My weight fluctuates a good 20 pounds on and off the steroid rounds. (which is also very harmful) I wish these doctors would get to the SOURCE of these problems (GERD, asthma, sinusitis, pharyngitis, RA joint issues) rather than taking the quick fix and killing our immune systems. Maybe I should go back to med school and be a pioneer in patient advocacy. I hope everyone on here gets relief.... Thx BB Dallas, TX
Lilmama - On the original question, I have read that you can't stop COLD TURKEY with this stuff, it can throw your body into shock...So I would be careful coming off... talk to your doctor about your concerns as well...
For my story....
I was prescribe Prednisone on Monday March 31, 2008, and I have taken it 3x's so far... It is for CIDP, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropahty... I was just diagnosed... I am only 24, so this is all new to me, I am on 10mg of Prednisone a day... I don't know how long I will be on this medication either... I am just hoping that someone out there can help prepare me for whatever future side-effects I will have...(if any)-here's to hope!
On a more positvie note for the Prednisone, I can do more, I can walk better, have more energy, and it has really helped me in just 3 days... I couldn't believe how quickly it kicked in... Before the meds, I could barely get around, my legs would tire quickly, and I was having a ton of other problems as well... I am just praying that I will stay on the 10mg only... I don't want it increased!!!
Gibster - prednisone is NOT like this for everyone - ive used it for inflammatory eczemaon on my face at doses around 20-30mg, tapered. and it worked great. no weight gain. no mood swings. no moon face. im sorry for everyone that it delivers adverse affects too, and its the nature of forums such as these that negatives are the drivers behind a lot of postings. but i have to put this counterbalance in here - its worked fine for me.
Ayres1 - For some people such as myself who suffers from chronic severe asthma, prednisone is a life saver. Without this drug I would have died a long time ago. It is very true that the drug has horrible side effects; I myself have experienced mood swings, terrible painful muscle cramps, joint pain, acid reflux and terrilble hot flashes and night sweets.
However you are supposed to have your doses lowered gradually before coming off and your doctor should have done that. My doctor always gives me a prescription with no refills with directions on the dosage to be taken each day i'm on prednisone.
I make sure I take calcium supplements and priolec when I'm on the drug to protect my joints and stomach.
Be careful of long term use because it can cause joint problems. I have a friend who was no the drug for years for an acne problem. He had two hip replacements, all before he was 30 years old and now sometime has to use a walker to get around.
Kblgal - Hey you all. Look, as much as Prednisone sucks, it's the best stuff out there for inflammation. I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis a few months ago... and for me, it's either take the Pred or get a perforated colon and die. The Pred effects suck, yes, I've had many of them. But the point is that you're given Pred b/c the benefits outweigh the costs; they should, anyway. Some of you sound like you just have awful doctors; in which case, I advise you to FIND A NEW DOCTOR THAT YOU CAN TRUST. Your health is way too important, expensive or not! BUT, keep in mind that doctors don't tell you everything right off the bat b/c there is no reason in scaring you if they don't need you. There are SO many possible effects to Pred but not everyone has those effects; it affects everyone individually so the doctors can't really know how it will affect you until the effects start and you get pissed off b/c of it. So, we need to cut them some slack. They don't know our individual bodies; only we know our own bodies. The doctors have the initial medical knowledge but we should always trust our bodily instincts first... that being said, I'll emphasize the importance again of finding/having a doctor you can TRUST. I just found this site b/c I randomly started having severe knee pain today and was wondering if it's from the Pred. I think it is. Lymph nodes in my neck are swollen too. But I'll deal. The Pred is worth it for me!
Kblgal - Oh, and one more thing, I agree with the person above and whoever else said this; YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAPER OFF OF PREDNISONE. OTHERWISE, YOU COULD GO INTO ADRENAL SHOCK.
If your doctor didn't taper you off... you possibly need to find a new doctor. Because that's sketchy.
Mandyr0cks - Hi i was looking for true answeres from real people that have truly experianced takeing this HORRIBLE drug. alot of you that explain the problems side effect of the body after taking this drug. is almost the exact same my dog experianced takeing the Prednisone 20mg. see she had athritis in her legs , Congestive Heart failure and was prescribed this horrible drug to believe it would help her. it Killed Her and i am just throwing a warning to everbody who has a pet that goes the Vet. Dr and they prescribe this drug please do not. it killed my precious Susie. She was on this for only a about a week and started to notice her looking plain (moon face) like her lower body was limp she always ended up wableing having to make herself lay down exssesive water drinking. diffuculty Breatheing this all started only being very noticeible just the other day i was scared for her and kept close to her. praying whats wrong with my Susie asking GOD TO HELP her. when i pick her up her lower body was completeley limp i got up to check on her from my bed @ 2AM to check on her she was laying under the didning room table sitting up looked like she was trying to stay sitting up. i cryed and picker her up and in my arms she was haveing a very hard to time breatheing then she died in my arms withing 5 seconds after i picker her up. i am going through a Very Hard time. i was in a Truama like feeling from being in disbelief that she gone. and i believe now looking up about this medicine truly explains what all the had experianced. i wished i knew about these HORRIBLE DEADLY SIDE EFFECTS FROM THIS 1 ALONE DRUG! i found a going to list the side effects that i cam up with to this drug on the intenet.
Possible Side Effects
Side effects of prednisone and other corticosteroids range from mild annoyances to serious, irreversible damage, and they occur more frequently with higher doses and more prolonged treatment. Side effects include retention of sodium (salt) and fluid, weight gain, high blood pressure, loss of potassium, headache and muscle weakness. Prednisone also causes puffiness of the face (moon face), growth of facial hair, thinning and easy bruising of the skin, impaired wound-healing, glaucoma, cataracts, ulcers in the stomach and duodenum, worsening of diabetes, irregular menses, rounding of the upper back ("buffalo hump"), obesity, retardation of growth in children, convulsions, and psychiatric disturbances. The psychiatric disturbances include depression, euphoria, insomnia, mood swings, personality changes, and even psychotic behavior.Prednisone suppresses the immune system and, therefore, increases the frequency or severity of infections and decreases the effectiveness of vaccines and antibiotics. Prednisone may cause osteoporosis that results in fractures of bones. Patients taking long-term prednisone often receive supplements of calcium and vitamin D to counteract the effects on bones. Calcium and vitamin D probably are not enough, however, and treatment with bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel) may be necessary. Calcitonin (Miacalcin) also is effective. The development of osteoporosis and the need for treatment can be monitored, using bone density scans.
23nicoledoug - my friend prednisome for a sinus infection she is only 20yrs old and she died,please anybody outthere if u r prescribe this medication please stop dont take it,some of these doctors dont care they just want our money.stop while u can if your doctor prescribe that to you please run for your life i seen what that medicine could do to a healthy person,my friend was crawling around like and animal in severe pain she couldnt work or go to school so she move in with her parents and then died 6 days later
23nicoledoug - dont believe anything good other people r saying about this medicine is bad and is deadly please dont take this medice u would feel fine for a minute but after is about u and death
Angelajeanq - How long does the withdrawl last? I ended my dosing five days ago and still can't sleep due to severe muscle cramping at night? How much longer will this persist?
Hopefullness - January 20th, 2009. I must say that I am very concerned about taking "Prednisone" after reading all these postings. I have several (5) bulging disks in my neck and two in my lower back and after visiting with a Pain Specialist and "Steroid" shots prescribed at a cost of $7,000.00 each and needing 3 injections it was breaking the bank. My first injection didn't do much for the pain and then my insurance changed and now I have a pre-existing condition and my new insurance does not cover my injections. I decided to try a new process called "Airprosti" which is done by a Chiropractor. I had a positive attitude and was really excited because my provider really believed he could help me. I am not allergic to band-ade or any type of laytex and he taped me with a tape that Kerri Walsh used in the olympics (women's volleyball). The tape is called "Kinesio Tape", a special elastic material designed to support muscles while offering an unimpeded range of motion. The tape, and taping method, help stabilize the shoulder during the match and aids in circulation, which is similar to the pain and problems I was experiencing. Unfortunately for me, I had a terrible reaction. Horrible red itching rash with large blisters. I called my Chiropractor and he said to take Benadryl and apply Milk of Magenisium. I tried but nothing was working.
The rash and blisters were spreading so I finally had to see an MD two days ago and he gave me a steroid injection and prescribed 60mg of Prednisone for three days, then 40mg for three days, antibiotics, and pain medication. I would rather take pain medication and antinflamatory drugs. I am scared that I will experience some of the symptoms some of you are describing, since my emotional state is already deteriorating, which my MD warned me about as well as the weight gain, mood swings and insomnia. I have to stay home and cannot work because the areas affected are in areas that prevent me from wearing a bra and only laying flat on my back with cold compasses brings me some relief. I do believe the Prednisone is working on my rash and it's also affecting my state of mind. My hope is that someone out there has some words of comfort that there is a light at the end of this black tunnel.
I am sorry for those who have lost family or friends with this medication and hope that all of you with these horrible symptoms have overcome them or will some day. I will pray for all of us.
hopeful
Bellatangiake - Prednisone has been a miracle cure for me..unfortunately i get a serious reaction every month when i use hair dye to color my hair(to dye the 'greys'which i cant stand to see)please dont tell me to accept this & grow old gracefully i'm just not ready yet!!!.I break out in itchy scabs & lumps in my head feel like my head is going to explode & the only cure i have is by taking 2 x 10 mg preds in the morning for 5 days only,after the 2nd dosage wallah,like instant relief so far havent had any side effects..I have been taking these for nearly a year.Ive used dyes with no ammonia,peroxide etc but to no avail,still get same reaction.....So this is a thumbs up for Prednisone...Has anyone experienced this??
Luciaglz - Prednisone is the only med that makes my hives disappear. I take 10 mg and have tried to stop but since I get the hives everyday and at all times, the itch drives me crazy. I take all kinds of antihistamines daily, like 2 zyrtec, 2 allegras, 4 atarax, 4 benadryl, 2 zantac and 1 singulair. I take all these on a daily basis and nothing stops the hives. The swelling of the hives on my body hurt and I want to scratch until I get bruised. I tried Maalox because an aunt told me that when she was young she used to get hives on a daily basis and went to see an allergist in Mexico who told her to drink Maalox every time before she ate something and this worked for her. After two bottles of Maalox, she never got hives again. Yes, I've gained some weight but I have not experienced joint pain at all.
My sister used to suffer from same condition about 20 years ago and used to get cortinsone from a dr in Monterrey Mex. Finally the hives stopped and 20 yrs later she does suffer from hand joint pain.
Yesterday, I went to see a "doctor" that looks at your eye and tells you what's wrong. Well, he said my body was over medicated and that my digestive system was a mess. He told me not to stop taking all the antihistamines or the prednisone cold turkey. I am now taking a whole bunch of Natural medications/pills and still had to take the prednisone today because I was in big pain from the hives that feel "hot and swollen". They were everywhere and even though I try not to take the prednisone, I end up taking it or I feel I am going to go crazy. I hope the natural meds work because the allergist does not know why I get them. I have been tested for everything there is, and apparently I am not allergic to anything!! I have been off of the 8 foods that are more likely to cause hives and I still got them. I was off of can food, cold cuts and everything I thought could cause the hives, but I would still get them. So lately, I have been eating everything. Now the Iridiologist told me to stay away from sodas, coffee, cold cuts, milk and milk components, so I will wait several days and hopefully start cutting off on the antihistamines and of course on the prednisone which is what I am mostly interested on cutting off.
Loreedarlin - I had the same thing happen to me. Last Monday I went to see my Dr. for a rash I had attained over the weekend. She prescribed Predizone but she had me taking 20mg twice a day...by Friday I was so ill at work with indegistion I didn't know how I would finish out the day at work... Saturday I woke up and had facial swelling, and my neck, shoulders, chest and the backs of my arms felt like someone had beaten me, but I had no bruises. I couldn't even wear my bra. I ended up going to the ER. At that time they drew blood and tested me for Lyme Disiese...But the test came back negative...at that time they told me that they were sure it was the Prednizone, and that I should have never been given such a high dosage, and I should have been tapered off the drug instead of quiting all at once...I was told this puts your body into shock. I am still recovering from this, I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else...Best of luck.
Zebra6334 - I have a sad story to tell about Prednisone. Several years ago my wife became ill with a rare and painful condition called Temporal Arteritis (Google it); an immune system disease. She was treated by an immunologist with a long course of prednisone who told us that steroids were the only thing that would reduce the inflammation. She was on 60 mg per day for weeks. It did take away the dread effects of Temporal Arteritis, but it caused diverticulitis which became infected. Long story short, she required two surgeries for this problem and several hospitalization stays. During the last surgery, her surgeon was trying to reverse a colonoscopy (that had to be done because of the diverticulitis, and he told me that her bowels came apart in his hands because the prednisone weakens cell walls. Following that surgery, she was hospitalized in the ICU with her gut wide open and her bowels exposed for five months Then she died of a nosocomial infection.
Even after this experience I have to say there are some conditions where only prednisone works. My feeling is that the short 10 day tapered course is safe, but the long-term effects of this drug are very dangerous (and dreadful).
Propsguy - my mother had Temporal Arteritis too! my dad caught it early because he noticed small bumps running along her temporal arteries. she was on high dose prednisone for ages and her spinal column collapsed in 3 places. she went from being 5'5" to 4'11" in a matter of months! she was racked with pain and her chart read "medically induced osteoporosis."
i got her some hand weights and my dad bought her a treadmill and she was able to rebuild some bone and straighten out a bit.
it was horrible and really went a long way to cementing my already deep seated suspicions of western medicine.
the irony is my mother still went blind from her congenital rentinitous pigmentosa but the doctors still claimed her as a "victory" since she didn't go blind from Temporal Arteritis. my point was that she was going to lose her sight anyway but she could have at least kept her height and not had all that pain.
it was so bad that at one point she couldn't get up the stairs to sleep with my father and she didn't have the strength to get out of bed. she slept in a reclining chair in the living room so she could "eject" herself.
they use this drug for anything and everything and it makes me mad that they aren't even tryong to come up with something better or less damaging. they gloss over the side effects- no one ever told my mother about bone loss
Txocdmom - to add my 2 cents
I've been on steriods since Feb 15th. I started the regular dose pack due to a terrible rash that kept me up at night itching.(i've taken this before with no problems at all) plus a steriod shot. The rash was gone in 2 days, I felt great. Long story short, this happened two more times, rash reappeared and I was put on HIGH doses of steriods (20mg 3x day for 3 days, 20mg 2x day for 3 days, 20mg 1x day for 3 days and 10mg 1x day for 3 days) TWO times after that, the third time being March 2nd.
March 1st I woke up with TERRIBLE dibilitating knee, ankle, and foot pain. It was worse than childbirth, I couldn't move, this happened for hours. I thought I had polio. (I'm 35 and have zero health problems). Stayed on steriods and dr added Darvocet for pain at night. This was great and I had no pain until March 10th. It's gone downhill from there. EVERY NIGHT it happens again for hours at a time.
Went to rheumotologist, bloodwork was normal. Went back to reg. Dr, due to my heartrate being 115 sitting still. EKG normal, Echocardiagram was normal too. This makes no sesnse and things keep adding to my list of weird symptoms every single day. Prayer works, I believe it, but there has to be an explanation for this terrible pain!
Renee903 - I agree with you. Prednisone is a horrible drug. I was prescribed 2 tabs per day for 5 days. I have experienced constant vaginal bleeding, that is not a menstrual cycle, since I stopped the drugs three weeks ago. My face is swollen as well as my stomach. I look like a snow woman. I am appalled by this. I would've rather had the swollen tonsils than to go through this.
Plumberdrummer - I was diagnosed with a posterior glottic stenosis, severly closed airway due to a stressful intubation during an accident. my breathing was horrible. before my surgery (laryngo fissure) I was put on prednisone, 20 mg once a day for 10 days then 10 mg for ten days then 5mg for 10 days. The very first day i took it i felt so so so so so great! I could breathe again and the docs thought that this might just take care of the scar tissue for good, well a long story short, for the 30 days i was on it, i loved it, it gave me energy, i had no mood swings and best of all i could breathe. I never had swelling of any type in my knees or face and i never really had any joint pain.As soon as i stopped taking it i went back to my normal horrible breathing. I went in for surgery 4 weeks ago to correct the problem and I'm still recovering with swollen vocal chords and arytenoids. I breathing thru a trach tube in my neck but hopefully only for a couple more weeks. Longer story even shorter, I'm 32 and took prednisone off and on for 4 months and had only good effects from it and nothing bad. I think that everyone is effected so different from this drug!
Janetsar - I have been on Prednisone for 3 months for Tempral Arteritis. I began with 8 tabs a day which has been tapered to 3 a day. I went down to 2 a day a few weeks ago, but the pain came back and I am back to 3 a day for a while.
Has anyone any idea whether long term use of this drug can affect the vocal chords ? I have a croaky voice all of the time and ocassionally hardly any voice at all.
Mikepaint555 - I have been to the "doctors" alot in my life. None of them can seem to find any real issues for the pain I suffer. I was in a car accident 10 years ago. Head through the windshield blah blah blah...After being put on this dam medicine prednisone I am suffering from most of the above posts...knees feel "numb", I have gerd as it is and this just amplifies it 10 fold, I only sleep 2-3 hours a night, and this is only after a couple days on this drug. I have called my "doctor" and left him a voicemail. We will see what happens. I am on 20mg x2 a day for 5 days with no tapering. After reading the possibility of going into shock and not being told...what the hell is the matter with these "doctors". I do not care if everyone reacts different they can take 1 min. out of their day that I have PAID for to discuss this. I am so tired these people getting their license. I wonder which is worse people who shouldn't get their medical license or people who shouldn't get an auto license??? Most "doctors" I have seen seem to think...hey take a pill and lets see if it works. ENOUGH with the damn pills..use your brain...and figure out the problem. Your smart enough to get your license but now your not smart enough to do the job??? Do they really think I like taking time off work..paying for the copay...paying for office payment...paying for the pills and in the end nothing works??? This is what heppens when your mothers and teachers say you can do anything in life...this is a true as "customer is always right"...wrong...most are dumbasses.
B0th0rth - I just got prescribed Prednisone 20mg (3 daily for 3 days, 2 daily for 3 days, 1 daily for 3 days, stop) for a possible herniated disk in my lower back. I haven't picked up or started the prescription yet. The lower back pain is actually gone and I only have some weakness in one thigh and a numb shin due to the disk pinching a nerve. The idea is to reduce inflammation, but it sounds like overkill.
Maapoo - I was diagnosed with ITP and was put on 70mgs of prednisone, since being on this medication I have had bone pains, facial swelling, and I am up all night urinating. My bones hurt most aroung my neck/spinal cord area and my legs aroung the calves and feet. Its been 4months and my doctor is now starting to tapper me down. Does anyone know how long it takes to get this stuff out of your system? Or a least get my face back to normal? As far as the leg pains will they last all my life? HELP!
Dcode87 - i am 41yrs old and just started taking prednisone 20mg once daily i have high blood pressure acid reflux and pancreatitis to boot! i wonder if i should be taking this at all please advise me, please!
Dkm - I am 62 years old,have been on prednisone for quite some time now,but i thank i am getting worse on my sickness i have,i have polymyagia,and it helps,but i take everything eles,and cant seem to get over it,i have been sick now for the last 3 months with something,i want to get off of it as soon as i can,but dont no what to do about the pain i will be in,when i stop,what do i need to do ,i cant go on like this..
Janetsar - I have just completed a 12-month course of prednisone for treatment of Temporal Arteritis (inflammation of arteries in the temple). I was also prescribed large quantities of Calcium.
I tapered off very gradually - ending with one tablet on alternate days for the last month.
When I first started the drug (8 tabs a day) I was full of energy, working all through the night and never tired. This normalised after a few weeks. I didn't always feel 100% well, and was often tired and achy. I put on nearly 2 stones in weight. I had constant coughs and chest colds.
Now, after a month without the drug, I am suffering extreme fatigue and stiffness, and funny little anxiety attacks that last just a few seconds . I guess that's my adrenal gland getting going again after being supressed by the steroid. I also have a problem with fluid on the knee, quite painful. But I am feeling a little bit better every day.
But It's not as bad as I was expecting, and I'm hoping time will see me back to normal.
Rallyfanone - I'm 47 yrs, diagnosis is auto-immune Hep #2.I was on 60mg of Prednisone for 2wks,with weekly blood work.At that point the Doc told me to drop to 40mgs,and blood work weekly.I am now down to 30mgs,blood work same.Doc see's me next wk. he anticipates dropping me to 20, then ten. The first thing my Doc warned me about were side effects,second was long term effects.Before putting me on it he conferred with another internal Dr.with more experience.He's been an internal spec. for 20 or so yrs.Also this type of Hep.is less common in men with less acute symptoms.I do have some indigestion issues in the morning,slight shakes too.Beyond those side effects, my blood work has major steady results,and I no longer have jaundice,and I have energy now unlike before!I feel a lot better.I hope this shows both sides,and I hope all of you people suffering out there find the right cure for your affliction.
Lillyb123 - Hi everyone- so sorry to hear about such terrible side effects from prednisone. My daughter Is 14 and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis one yr ago. Pred prescribed- 50mg per day and doc didn't say how long but when she was symptom free after 8 days, I called him and he said she should stay on it for another wk before tapering off just to make sure ( they couldn't believe she was symptom free so quickly but I think it was because of the blood specific diet I put her on). After tapering and no bad side effects to speak of, the symptoms came back and I switched docs thinking they would know something else besides prednisone treatment. Well guess what- there isn't any other treatment! New doc put her right back on pred- 40 mg along with an anti inflammatory drug called lialda. Again the pred worked great. She started tapering off after 10 days. Only side effects were puffy face and faster heart rate- about 104 per min. She stayed on the lialda nut symptoms came back this time one week after last pred pill. Now doc has prescribed 6mp ( 50mg a day which is 1/10 what is usually given to a cancer patient. Yes, it is a chemo drug!) omg I'm freaking out about this! I've read all your posts about how bad pred is but it really helped my daughter and she responded great to it. But now I'm scared to death of 6mp. Which is the lesser of two evils? Pred or 6mp. I know the pred worked but symptoms came back. Then the 6mp effects sound horrible too! Shouldn't she just go back on pred one more time and try changing the lialda to one of the equivalent sulpha drugs? I hope someone can help 'me with this. It's been a very dark cloud looming over us for a year now but the Lord is our strength through it all. We continue to pray and pray and pray and pray.......
Dkm - everyone,you do know that ped. can cause blindness also,it does efect your eyes,having pain in the temples and blurry eye site,I know it has effected my eyes,I have not been sick but one time since I stopped and that was 7 months ago,,I do still have the pain but other meds does help it,,I feel so sorry for anyone that has to take that drud,,if you was told what it would do to you ,before you start taking it,,you would never start,,hope everyone gets some kind of help besides tat,,,,DKM>
Sieberthana - Okay, I have a question. I'm not really a drug reviewer junky if you will, so I'm very very freaked about this prenisone my doctor gave me for my eczma on my hands. Don't get me wrong my hands are soooo dried out and crack and swollen, however, these side effects seem waaaaay worse! So heres my problem! I have slightest case so depression, I can pull myself out of it so I don't take meds, (I know dangerous, right!) But, I hate meds. I would rather just endure the achs and pains BeCause! I also have severe anxsiety problems, where I worry and freak out about EVERYTHING! Even other nothing, Im be fine, and then I think about how I hope I DONT have a panic attack and then guess what! I'll have a panic attack! I have heart racing from my nerves and I'll get sick to my stomach from panic ing. So anyways, I now have this prednisone and have read the Side Effects, and Im freaked!!! So I guess I'm wondering how common the (heart racing, nausa,nervious,and flushing) exactly. Because that just sounds like I'd be setting myself up for an even WORSE panic attacks, and I don't think i could mentally and pyschically handle that! Please give me some advice you have. I VERY much so want my hands cleared up of eczema however I'm not willing to put my sanity on the line it! Also I've been taking the cream corzon. 10 but it's seems it's stopped working for me!! : (
Russian_rebel - WOW! I HAVE READ SOME REPLIES AND HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MOST OF THE SIDE EFFECTS EXPERIENCED BY YALL R BECAUSE YOU CAME OFF THE DRUG TOO QUICKLY! I HAVE BEEN ON PREDNISONE AND ITS SIDE EFFECTS ARE NOT SO HORRIFIC AS BEING PROJECTED BY SOME OF YOU! YOU HAVE TO COME OFF THE DRUG SLOWLY! IF U COME OFF TOO QUICKLY, U WILL CERTAINLY EXPERIENCE HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS! THE ADRENAL GLANDS NEED TIME TO ADJUST, THEY NEED TIME TO GO BACK TO PRODUCING NORMAL CORTISONE! U HAVE TO TAPER OFF 2.5 MG EVERY WEEK! THATS HOW SLOW U SHOULD GO! AND ABOUT THE NUMBNESS THAT A FEW PPL HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT, ITS DUE TO FLUID RETENTION, SO DRINK WATER, LOTS OF IT! PLSSSSSSSS! AND CUT OFF SODIUM INTAKE, AND WATCH UR CALORIES! DONOT PANIC AND STOP BLAMING THE DOCS! THEY CAN PRESCRIBE MEDICINES BUT THEY R NOT GOD!
AMEN...
Mrs T - Mrs T - I was prescribed Prednisone (along with anti virals) for shingles in my face: 6 x 5mg / day for 7 days. The doctor never mentioned tapering or side effects / withdrawal effects. I had very bad side effects after a few days - palpitations, chest pain, light-headed and dizzy. On day 7 I just took 3 x 5mg because my husband had read something about tapering, then I stopped. A few days later I had terrible pains in left knee and some pain in right knee. A week later I still have terrible pain in both knees which has gradually got worse, I can hardly walk, have great trouble with stairs and can't sleep at night because of pain. I went back to my doctor who said it could NOT be to do with Prednisone as there are no after effects and I probably had damaged my knee! But I have never had knee problems before, this is in both knees and I am convinced this is Prednisone. Had I known what I know now I would NEVER have taken this drug! It wasn't worth it and my doctor gave me no clue there would be any problems or how powerful this drug was. Wearing a "knee sock" (tubular elastic bandage) helps a little.
Brandi97 - OPC, eh? I LOVE natural approaches. I see where I wrote a year ago - though I REALLY believe it was like 2-3 years ago - since then, I take a couple of tablespoons local honey every day. MAYBE I use the symbicort for two three days max and NOTHING else. Steroids now, I just pass unless I MUST have the, and anyone with asthma knows that windows of "nah I'm ok" to "Oh no - not this type of chest feeling". Steroids have saved my life - however - when I did not taper correctly, I was near suicidal when my cortisol dropped off so fast. TAPER - PLEASE. It is a scary thing to mes with those adrenals.
Alternativesolutions - Hi Brandi,
Yes OPC-3 is very effective in treating not only my son's asthma but also his allergies. Usually this time of year he would be miserable and I'd be escorting him to the emergency room for the asthma attacks at least once a month. However, it seems that his allergy and asthma has not been bothering him at all this year.
The interesting thing about OPC3 is that it doesn't just help treat asthma and allergies, it also help treat inflammation ( back pain, joint pains arthritis, tendonitis etc..) as well as boot up ur immune system. The key ingrediencs in OPC3 are pycnogenol(proven to be effective against inflammation) and grape seed extracts/red wine extract (proven to help with blood circulation) There hv bn cases where it has helped people with eczema and psoriasis. If u are interested in learning more about this herbal supplement, please feel free to contact me via this posting.
Virgo0972 - Yesterday I was prescribed Prednisone (40mg once a day for 5 days) following a sever asthma attack. It's not the first time I've taken it, however it is the first time I am not tapering down the dosage. Both the doctor and the pharmacist assured me this was OK.
Anyway... after my second dose, I am feeling 90% better, I am breathing without difficulty, and to top it all off, the swelling in my legs and feet that I have been experiencing for the last 14 months has disappeared. I can actually see my ankle bones! And if that's not enough, my knee pain (diagnosed as PFPS) is GONE! I actually went up and down stairs today without any pain, without going step-by-step like toddlers do, without having to hold the railing.
My only regret is that I've only got 4 more days on Prednisone, and the thought of pain and swelling returning is horrifying.
I am terribly sorry for all of you that have negative affects from Prednisone, I really am; but I have never had any bad experiences with it. I wish you all luck.
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