I've typed a long reply to this post two times and both times it ate it. *grumble*
Alright, here we go again....
The feeling you get when you first start Prednisone doesn't last. I have no idea when I started taking Prednisone, because it was so long ago, but I think it was around 2002. I had been refusing my doctors request to put me on Prednisone for years. At the time, I didn't know a whole lot about it but, something told me to steer clear of this drug. However, in the early 2000s, I decided I wanted to go to university. I had graduated high school in '97 but, needed some time for me. When I was ready, I applied to Penn State and got accepted. During my second year there, I hit a wall. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without needing a nap. My math class was on the second floor and this building didn't have an elevator. It had one of those wheelchair lifts and I was too embarrassed to use it, so I walked up the stairs. Going up those stairs, never got easier. When I made it to class I wanted to put my head on the desk and sleep. I knew something wasn't right so when I went home for the summer, I saw my Rheumatologist.
She took blood work and my CK levels were 3000. That explained why I was so weak and tired. What did she want to do about it? Prescribe Prednisone, of course. I finally agreed to take the drug and she prescribed a dosage of 20 mg. She was hoping I could get my CK levels back in order, start me on some other drugs and ween me off Prednisone. We ended up trying Imuran, Methotrexate, Arava and Remicade. Either they didn't work or they caused me insufferable side effects. For example, Methotrexate worked but it gave me so many mouth sores I couldn't eat anything. Each Remicade infusion caused some sort of an infection which prevented me from getting the next dose on time. And so on. Prednisone was it.
Anyways, when I first went on Prednisone I felt like my whole world changed. I felt so good that I couldn't believe I waited this long to go on it. It was euphoric actually living live with considerably less pain. I was actually mad at myself for being so against it. I had so much energy I felt like I could run a marathon. Sadly, none of that lasted. Eventually the Prednisone settles in your body and the pain comes back. It may not be as bad but, the euphoric feeling is gone.
Your body will only make as much cortisol it needs. If your body is getting cortisol from another source (Prednisone) your adrenal gland stops producing it and shrinks. I can't remember the exact number but you only need a small amount of Prednisone for your adrenal gland to shut down. If you're taking more Prednisone than what your adrenal gland normally makes you develop Cushing's Syndrome. Cushing's Syndrome is what makes your face pudgy and causes the weight gain. However, that's not Prednisone's only side effect.
I have managed to ween myself down to 5 mg. I'd much rather be on 7 mg but, 5 mg seems to be where I can manage life without too many issues. Anything above 5 mg I become an insulin dependent diabetic. At 5 mg I just have to take Metformin twice a day and I'd rather take a pill morning and night than stab myself. Below 5, I am in considerably more pain and I feel sick to my stomach 24/7. So 5 is where I will stay, unless they find something else that works for me.
I have high triglycerides because of Prednisone. I have to take medicine for my triglycerides as, a low cholesterol diet wasn't helping. As soon as I stop the medicine they shoot right back up. I have to take Prilosec because, Prednisone eventually causes heartburn. I have to take antidepressants because I was flying off the handle for the slightest little annoyance (i.e., my mother was trying to help me out by making my bed and I bit her head off because I didn't want it made). It was uncontrollable, even though I knew what I was doing was wrong, I couldn't help it. I had to start taking Trazadone because I can't sleep and/or if I woke up, I was up for the rest of the night.
I've also suffered from the most dreaded side effect Prednisone has: Avascular Necrosis. At some point, the blood supply to my left femoral head decreased, causing irreversible damage to my hip joint. However, I've been told that I have to wait until I can, without a shadow of a doubt, not take the pain anymore before they'll replace my hip. Replacing a hip because of Necrosis isn't like a normal hip replacement. Apparently, the hip doesn't take to the new joint as well and I will need to replace my hip every 5 years. My orthopedist won't replace my hip until I come to him, on my knees begging because, he says, I'm too young for a life time of replacements.
Not to mention the weening. After you've been on Prednisone for a long time, your body needs it. Your adrenal gland isn't making any of your bodies natural pain killers. You have to force your adrenal gland to wake up and start working again. Weening, for me, was hell. Each and every mg I dropped caused a flare of all flares. I could not bear to be without Crocs unless I was in bed. Every joint, hurt so bad and I couldn't function because I was so fatigued. I was instructed to decrease my dosage by 1 mg every time I was flare free for two weeks. It took me over two years to get down to where I am now. I was miserable until I got over the flare and good for two weeks before the cycle started over again.
I'm sorry for the extremely long post I just want people who think Prednisone isn't that bad to know it is. I'm not an exception to the norm when it comes to side effects. It's a nasty drug. One I wish I never started, regardless of how I felt when I first started taking it. I really thought it was giving me my life back but, believe me it's short lived. That good feeling, you feel, in the beginning, won't last, I promise.
be put on a safe regimen?
