Going off prednisone problems

[lari]

going off prednisone problems

I have bee on prednisone for a year. Averaging 40mg a day.... I have taken it before during the last ten years but this timethe side effects were worse. I have this "moon face" that isn't going back to normal. I gained 15lbs that I can't get rid of. I am gettingn. Depressed this time and I can't shake it.
I hate this drug. All these side effects that used to go away before aren't going away this time. Does anyone else have this problem? My energy level is so low now too. I feel like a blob that needs to be scraped off the floor.

 

[LindaS]

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time of it. I hate predisone, too, as I think most of us do. I hope you can get off it. Be sure to take your calcium, though, because you don't want to end up with osteoporosis.

 

[nevilletanner]

love it or hate it PRED is often a surgery saver and a remission maker ( just a shame about the side affects).

have you been taking any vitamins ? have you had a full blood count to see if vitamins are at normal levels.
i would get this checked and say about the depression while at the doctors, he can help you get on top of this.

best wishes..

 

[Irene3]

I feel for you lari. I hate it too!! And it's never put me in remission and only masked symptoms when I needed surgery.
I was reading up on it, and the more you have been on pred, the more likely you are to develop adverse side effects, because it takes over your hormones. It's horrid, and depression is really common. Iv had soooooo many side effects with it, this last 2-3 lots of Pred, that I literally pray I can wean and not need to go back on cortico, then a high dose again if I need to go to hosp.
I heard entocort can work in the same way on crohns, but it's costly. I hope if my crohns settles(though I may need a procedure, hopefully ballon dilation, or surg), that I can then try to work part time, and put a little aside each week, and go on entocort in my next flare instead.
The psychological elapse effects scare the he'll out of me. I never thought, ages ago, when Iv had steroids to settle crohns symptoms, that it can cause depression and psychosis. I agree it's a horrid med.
Best wishes, hope you can wean and be off them soon. It's a wean day for me today... Down to 30mg. YAY

 

[Terriernut]

Hi Iari. Pred just stinks, but you've been on it for so long, and with entocort as well? I think as you're going off pred after that long, at that high of dose, you are certainly going to have a difficult time of it. All your side effects are typical, and the fact you've been on it so long is going to send your body into a bit of a spin.

How are they having you taper? 5mg a every 7 days? Are they increasing your Entocort?

 

[lari]

I have been taking entercort since october. I didn't notice any difference in side effects. The doc told me the side effects are not near as bad. So I can stay on it awhile longer. But it may be the reason the pred side effects aren't going away like they used too. I am tapering at 2 and a half every ten days so its slow. The mood swings still make me crazy. I started zoloft for the depression.
you know..... it seems one drug begets another drug that begets another drug..... it seems like all these drugs are .a quagmire in the body and mind. The doctors answer to all problems. I just want off everything one day.