• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Prednisone

Hi everyone. I have just started taking Prednisone for the first time. I take, I think, a relatively small dose of 20mg per day and almost immediately I have felt the least tired I have felt in months and I am also in a tremendously good mood all the time. Today is my 3rd day and I am still feeling very very happy and energetic.

Is this anything like anyone has ever experienced?

I have read a lot about weight gain, calcium & potassium deficiency and also about depression... I cant help thinking have I got all this to come after the energetic stage?

:banana:
 
Hi Binxy - YES...that is the "fun" part of pred. It always made me super energetic and very creative (at 2am while everyone else was sleeping!). I loved that part of it. I did have very periodic bouts of "roid rage" (just verified that with the hubby - he said no more bitchy than normal - with a laugh) - and I don't remember having any depression whatsoever while tapering. The main thing for me was the insomnia (which I rarely have a problem with) and some heart palpitations. I have probably taken 7 or 8 prednisone tapers over the years starting at 40mg and the tapers lasted around 3 to 3.5 months.

Definitely do weight bearing exercises daily if you can (for your bones) as well as supplementing with Calcium and Vit. D everyday.

Let's hope you have it that easy - think positive!!
 

mwb3779

Kitchenhawk
Insomnia is the worst part of prednisone. It does give you plenty of energy. I was up this morning until 11 am from the night before. I went to sleep and woke up a few hours later. It happens. I'm now just getting used to being by myself all night. It does give me time to think.
 
The initial pred energy is great so enjoy it! :) It can also make you a bit anxious though, so watch out for that. I found that tapering once the doses got below 20mg (I was originally on 60 in hospital then 40) I started getting a lot of fatigue and depression. Just keep an eye out for it and you will know what is going on.
 
Hi.

Started taking the pred for the first time yesterday as well. Taking 40mg a day at the moment. Working wonders for me so far and have to agree this stuff makes you feel like your on top of the world!!

By the way...this is my first post, what a brilliant forum :)

Cheers guys :)
 
Pred was a life saver for me at my worse period of CD. At the time there wasn't a whole lot out there to battle flare-ups. Once I was started on Pred I was on top of the world. For awhile. After taking it quite some time I became depressed and had major anxiety. I couldn't sleep and I ate like a pig which came back to bite me in the a$$. The worse of it all was the breaking down of my calcium and the arthritis. I eventually had to have all my teeth pulled because of the calcium part. They rotted from the inside, looked great on the outside, not a single cavity but they became infected and that caused a lot of stomach problems. Once I got them pulled my stomach problems cleared up for quite a long time.
It is a good treatment just not for a very long time. Make sure you really take the maxinum amout of calcium that you can. I can not push that point enough. Calcium, Calcium, Calcium.
Good luck and I hope it calms everything down for both of you guys.

Oh and welcome to the forums Ollie
 
Hi Ollie and muchos welcomes. This forum is fab.

Just to let you all know that I have been very tired today but still in a remarkably good mood and I have started taking calcium, vitamin d and stocked up on the bananas :) I think that little icon will have to be my mascot throughout the prednisone treatment.

I just hope it works the wonders I have heard. Still in a bit of pain but it has definitely gotten better since I started taking them.

Thanks all for the wonderful replies. Is good to know I'm not alone.
 
prednisone issues

Urrgh :(
Been having a terrible day.

All my energy has gone and have spent most of the day asleep. Have no idea why this has happened so quickly after having the energy of a duracell rabbit for the past few days!

:yfrown:
 
I've been on pred for 11 days and I am finding every day is different. First three days - manic, manic, manic - days four to eight - just felt rubbish - exhausted, palpitations, anxious - day nine feeling better. Then day 10, feeling really well - no crohn's symptoms (normal poos ! woo-hoo) and loads of energy. Still awake at 2.30am ! Still getting tired every day, overdoing it and need to make myself have a sit down and a rest - not very good at that. Start to taper on Friday - hopeful that the pentasa will be doing the trick and I won't see a return of the symptoms.

Pred has been great for me but I really would like to get off it as soon as possible as I worry about becoming dependent on it and the long term affects.

Hope this helps someone. Does it sound familiar?
 

mwb3779

Kitchenhawk
I have been on it for over a month. It can be fun and then suck at the same time. I hate the insomnia and now the fatigue is kicking in for me. I wish I could just get over it.
 

mwb3779

Kitchenhawk
Years of pred? Holy cow. Why so long? I'm still pretty new on this forum so if you already explained sorry.
 
It is just what happens Mike. Pred gets used time and time again as a rescue drug to get your disease quieted down when you are in a flare. Some people do many steroid tapers over the years. I am thinking I have done between 7 and 8 tapers at about 3.5 months each since diagnosed. That is a little over half a year on prednisone - NOT good for your bones and organs. Some people have been on it much much more than I have. It is a great drug for most as it works pretty quickly - but it can be insidious for what it does to your body with the side effects.
 

mwb3779

Kitchenhawk
That sucks. Any other drugs better for controlling or a rescue drug than prednisone with less side effects? (fingers crossed)
 
Hmm, let me think.......nope. That is the problem. Someone correct me if my brain isn't firing on cylinders tonight - but I can't think of one other rescue drug besides prednisone. I mean, maybe Entecort - but that is a steroid as well - just absorbed topically internally, so not as many side effects.
 
Miss Rose - That is almost EXACTLY how I have been, same number of days, mood types, effects, etc. Still finding I can sleep for England though, had at least 9 hours last night...

Hope that the symptoms of Crohn's ease off after about 10 days! Good luck with the Pentasa. Seems like we are on a similar timeline :p

I hope to never have to rely in Prednisone and may this be the first of hopefully only a few occasions I need it.

I'm also on my second banana today... :banana:
 
Hey Binxybop, seems like we are crohn's twins !

I totally messed up my meds today taking them at 10.30am instead of 8am. I don't recommend doing that as I have been totally wiped out all day, aching all over and have been to bed and kindof slept for a couple of hours (well more like laid there with my eyes shut) - but it was a rest anyway. Feeling a bit better now but it has had a huge affect on me - just a little reminder that I need to take much better care of myself. Got a big telling off from hubby ! He's right though (how annoying!).

Try not to worry about the anxiety - I get it too - just remember it's the meds and will go when you get off them. How fast is your taper Binxy ? I have to come down 10mg per week starting from Friday - I am on 40mg per day at the moment.

Glad you are eating - I am stuffing my face with everything and the tummy pain is almost a distant memory.
 
Aw buddy - sorry!! Make sure you don't drink coffee or anything with caffeine if you can help it - as that might add to your problem. Are you sleeping ok?
 
Had a weird wake up at 4am this morning when I thought I saw a spider on my pillow :ylol2: apart from that I have been sleeping very well. Although today has definitely been my worst "wired" day so will have to see tonight. I have a feeling I will be on this forum a lot more over the next couple of weeks.

:eek2:


Maybe I'll try to learn some yoga... hmmm!
 
Last edited:

imisspopcorn

Punctuation Impaired
Sorry Binxy....Prednisone is one nutty med! When you are feeling anxious and weird, just remind youself it is the med!!( Just don't talk to yourself in public, not a good idea;))
 

mwb3779

Kitchenhawk
Binxybop said:
Had a weird wake up at 4am this morning when I thought I saw a spider on my pillow :ylol2: apart from that I have been sleeping very well. Although today has definitely been my worst "wired" day so will have to see tonight. I have a feeling I will be on this forum a lot more over the next couple of weeks.

:eek2:


Maybe I'll try to learn some yoga... hmmm!
Was it a spider?
 
Nope, no spider in the end. Still, a full on bed excavation did take place, including flipping of the mattress. Did have a very good chuckle at it the following morning though

:ybatty:
 
I've had that too, Binxy, and not even with drugs like pred as an excuse!

Lately I just keep having feelings that something has jumped on my bed that wake me up. I hope it's a dream and not a ghost!!
 
I took my Xyzal at 9 last night (after taken my first dose of Pred at 2 as the nurse called it in kinda late) and by 10 I was dropping my book in my lap going to sleep. BUT...I woke up at 1:45 and was WIDE awake. Almost got out of bed to come down here to insomniafy a bit - but thought better of it. Finally dosed back off about an hour later. But, I could "feel the pred". Will have to see how it goes today....
 
Top