Prednisone experiences??

[Deleted]

I was just prescribed prednisone for 12 days. I have never taken it before and the dr said the only side effect that is noticeable is having a ton more energy. I think of steroids and worry about swelling, but that may take longer. Any have any experience to offer? I'm not one that enjoys taking rx but this one is necessary.

[Deleted]

I gained weight on prednisone like nothing else. Like 10lbs in 2 days. No fun, but it does its job.

[Deleted]

i always gain weight on it becuase I'm so hungry

[ssmjlm]

I was on it for over a year and my weight gain was out of control. I also had hot flashes on it.

[mrssavy42112]

It can cause some swelling & major appetite. Most people go on an eating spree while on it. If you’re conscious of it, you can try to monitor what you eat & not eat things that will be too damaging over 12 days.

[cmedal]

I had to get on it for 2 weeks because of a thyroid issue. It was 20mg. My doctor said I wouldn't gain wait because it was too low of a dosage. She was right.

[cmedal]

weight*.

[thatgirl2478]

you might be hungrier, thirstier, and crankier than normal. You MAY notice increased energy, but it's not speed or anything. I never noticed increased energy - just the 3 I opened with.

[midwest07]

I was on a small dosage for around 10 -15 days. Since you do the weaning off at the end, I probably only took it 7 or 8 of those days.

I didn't have noticeable weight gain, though I was hungrier. I just tried to remind myself I wasn't really hungry. I think I was also thirstier.

For me, the biggest issue was trying to sleep. For the first few nights when I was on the higher dose, it was like I had restless body syndrome. I couldn't stop myself from constantly moving around while trying to get to sleep, and therefore it was hard to sleep. This is somewhat helped by making sure to take it first thing in the morning so it kind of wears off by the night.

[katecoop]

I'm on 4 mg right now for about a week. I have to take it at various points in the day and one dosage is right before bedtime. I haven't noticed any problems and I'm fairly sensitive to that, but my dosage is pretty small in comparison to other posters.

[sjh722]

Hunger and moodiness/crankiness happen every time I have to take prednisone. Fortunately it's usually a low enough dose that it doesn't cause weight gain. (And I just try to keep eating in check since I know the hunger is from the meds.)

[Ashley&Scott]

If you have the option of spacing out the day's dosage or taking them all at once SPACE them OUT, it will help reduce the jitters.

[Chirp]

A friend of mine has been on prednisone for the past 16 years and will be on it forever (she's a transplant patient).

She said it makes her always feel hungry. Like, she can eat an entire large pizza and still feel hungry afterward. And it'll make you retain water. She drinks a ton of water to help with the retention (and she has to anyway to keep her kidney flushed out) and tries to remember to not eat all the time.


I've been on the 1 or 2 week dose quite a few times, to help with various sinus or ear infections or to help get rid of some stubborn poison. I've never had any side effects to it at all. Other than the happy feeling I get in my wallet because it's like $1 for the script. Seriously, one of the cheapest meds ever.

H has been on it quite a few times as well for his sinuses (sinusitis + deviated septum = sinus infections all year long). He's never had any side effects either.

[Deleted]

Thanks ladies. I was told to take 6 the first two days, 5 the next two and so on. He said to take them at breakfast to help with the sleeping issue.

[jamlsull]

I was just on it for 3 weeks. People told me about gaining weight due to being more hungry, but I really didn't experience that at all. I don't think I noticed any other symptoms either. I also spaced mine out during the day which may or may not have helped.

[Ashley&Scott]

Sept 10, 2012 14:51:29 GMT -5 @micheleb18 said:

Thanks ladies. I was told to take 6 the first two days, 5 the next two and so on. He said to take them at breakfast to help with the sleeping issue.

I was on it for a sinus infection. I was on it for 6 days, the dose stepped down each day.

The 1st day I had the option of taking all 6 pills or spacing out throughout the day. Since I didn't pickup the Rx until noon I took them all at lunch because I was afraid I wouldn't sleep. Bad idea, I was bouncing off the walls. The next day I spaced them out & took with food as directed, no issues at all.

[krystee]

I am not able to take it because it made me so jittery that I was on the verge of panic attacks. I don't think I gained much weight on it, but I didn't take it for very long.

[Willis Jackson]

I was on it for 11 days and ate low carb during that time to prevent weight gain. I ended up losing 6 lbs.

I didn't think I had more energy but I was also on vicodin at the same time.

[gnomesweetgnome]

I was on it for 10-14 days (can't remember) when I had shingles. It made my mind race (more than it usually does, lol) and I lost some of my "filter" - I said a lot more things out loud than I normally would have because of the mind-racing issue. Other than that, I didn't have any side effects.

[anasara]

Wicked head ache & bloaty feeling. I was on it for pneumonia.

[dr.girlfriend]

My mom is hyper to begin with, so on steroids she was CRAZY hyper. Like, we'd be in line at a store and after 30 seconds she's be like, "What's taking so long! I'm going to say something!" and would be off and running.

[sprky79]

I've been on it for like, two weeks now? I do my next taper down tomorrow.

Emotionally, I would almost describe it as a bit of mania. Super productive, confident, etc. Ballsier, my ability to watch my filter has shrunk. Almost a compulsive need to get shit done. My place has never looked so clean, and I haven't been this on top of my job in a while.

the appetite thing is no joke. I want to eat all the things right now.

A little GI distress in the form of constipation. And I'm hoping the fuzzy tongue I'm feeling is not thrush, which can apparently happen.

But really? I am on it for a scorching case of hives so bad I'd have tried meth if it gave me some relief, so while I'm ready to get off this medication, it has been a lfiesaver.

[MixedBerryJam]

Sept 10, 2012 14:47:05 GMT -5 Ashley&Scott said:

If you have the option of spacing out the day's dosage or taking them all at once SPACE them OUT, it will help reduce the jitters.

Actually, I was going to suggest the opposite -- that if op has options with regard to the daily dosing, take it all as early in the day as possible. Prednisone is a miracle drug for what it's supposed to do, but the main side effects are appetite increase and increase in jitteriness and all-around grouchiness (even on short-term, lowish doses).

Just goes to show, medical science is really partly medical arts.

[alleinesein]

I ate non-stop the week I was on it. It was so bad that I would get up in the middle of the night to eat. Ugh...dont ever want to take it again

[lanyac]

I was never on it, but my dogs both were. They were always so thirsty! Didn't notice any weight gain, but I really wasn't keeping track.

[rubytue]

So glad I remembered this post! I will be on it for the next 2 months. Months!! Ugh.

I already told DH not to buy snacky carbs. I'm hoping cutting them down will help with the weight gain. Ugh. I'm already overweight, I don't need more.

[chessie]

Gaining weight, excess energy and more strength.

[audry80]

How much are out on? I will be on it the rest of my life (organ transplant) and the best advice I can give you is to drink a TON of water. At least 10 glasses a day. It will help with any bloating, hunger and water retention. My main side effect is insomnia but tolerate steroids fairly well so hope your experience is not bad.

[ckinla]

My aunt was on it, and she gained a ton of weight, and was really hyper… seriously she talked a mile a minute (unusual for her) and was always out of breath, even just sitting on the couch.

[Susie]

I've done ok on oral prednisone; last week I was taking 40 mg in the mornings coming off a bee sting reaction. Taking it in the AM was important for being able to sleep at night. I was a little more irritable than usual, but it wasn't awful.

I was supposed to be taking 60 mg, but I backed it off after having a bad reaction to an IM injection of prednisone in the doctor's office. I lost feeling in my hands and wound up in the ER. Maybe it was too much for me.

The important thing is to taper off at the end, hopefully your doctor mentioned that? I was supposed to taper down, 60 mg, 40 mg, 20 mg, 0. Since I never took more than 40 mg, I just tapered to 20 mg then 0. If you stop cold turkey, your body may be sluggish to start producing the hormone on its own.