When does prednisone leave your system?

[CrohnsChicago]

Curious about a few symptoms I have been noticing and not sure if they are related to my body readjusting to being off of prednisone or if it is related to something else...

My last prednisone treatment was a six week taper of 30mg. I tapered down 5mg every week until I was finished. I have been off of prednisone for 17 days now.

I have read about half-life of medications but don't understand and am terrible with math so I was hoping someone could help me out:sign0085:

How long will the prednisone stay in my system after a taper ends? Or should I assume it is already out and done?

Thanks!

 

[Grumbletum]

I've been told to carry my steroid card for a year after i stop taking it so I'm guessing that's how long it stays in the system. Did you have a card saying you were on steroids?

 

[CrohnsChicago]

I never heard of a steroid card. I'm somewhat newly diagnosed have only done two prednisone treatments and they were both approx. two month treatments. One was in May of this year and the other two months ago.

My lower lip has been twitching/pulsating off and on for two days now, I noticed a few more freckles on my face and a bit of extra facial hair around my cheek bones (maybe lingering hair from being on the prednisone that I didn't notice before. I also have been a bit moody, I felt slightly depressed for a few days last week, breaking into tears out of nowhere and thoughts of past experiences I put behind me popping up and then feeling perfectly fine since.

Fatigue isn't really an issue over the past week (but it was before) as I changed up my diet a tiny bit and added (juiced) vegetables to one meal per day which has given me a bit more energy and mental sharpness. I wonder if some of the symptoms could be diet related to.

I am also dealing with some feminine issues. My doc says that the lab tests say that has cleared up but yet I feel I am still showing some symptoms. She says it could be my body trying to cleanse itself from the prednisone or whatever else it feels is toxic to my system.

They are all things that aren't causing me much distress, but combined they make my mind wander a bit. Trying not to go to my old anxious state about it.

 

[Laura Dawn]

I looked at a few sites and I don't see a difinative answer. Looks like 3 weeks , but then 6 months or longer for your body to reregulate itself . I'm not a fan of prednisone , the necessary evil.

 

[Susan2]

This is direct from the Mayo Clinic website and might to help answer some questions:

"Prednisone is similar to cortisol, a hormone naturally made by your adrenal glands. If you take prednisone for more than a few weeks, your adrenal glands decrease cortisol production. A gradual reduction in prednisone dosage gives your adrenal glands time to resume their normal function.

If you abruptly stop taking the drug or taper off too quickly, you might experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms:
Severe fatigue
Weakness
Body aches
Joint pain

The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. A full recovery can take anywhere from a week to several months. If you experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off the drug, contact your doctor. "