Prednisone

It’s been a nasty past week to 10 days. Ended up requesting a prednisone dosepak. I felt GREAT the 2nd and third days, then gradually went downhill a little. Now that the taper is over, I’m not yet back to normal (thank goodness), but I’m on my way back down to normal. At least I’m not in flare  anymore, and I’m not worse.

Flares are interesting. They can start out as simply a little more aching and swelling. Since for me, that goes on weather-dependently, I usually just ignore it, and then it simmers down. But this time it didn’t. It just got worse and worse – and the weather was nice! So I contacted the rheumy’s office and got an Rx for the Pred taper. Prednisone really knocks out my flares, but it does nasty things to my body. Tears up my gut, makes me hyper and slightly manic.

The following information is from About.com’s pages on IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, an autoimmune disease where the body attacks and tries to destroy it’s colon):

Prednisone is a type of steroid that has a considerable number of side effects, yet is inexpensive and has proven to be very effective at calming inflammation in many people with autoimmune diseases. Some of the more common side effects are:

* increased appetite
* indigestion
* nervousness or restlessness

Less frequent or rare:

* darkening or lightening of skin color
* dizziness or lightheadedness
* flushing of face or cheeks
* hiccups
* increased sweating
* sensation of spinning
* Decreased or blurred vision
* frequent urination
* increased thirst

Rare

* confusion
* excitement
* false sense of well-being
* hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)
* mental depression
* mistaken feelings of self-importance or being mistreated
* mood swings (sudden and wide)
* restlessness
* skin rash or hives

Additional effects:
Side Effects that may occur when this drug is used for a prolonged period of time. Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects occur:

* abdominal or stomach pain or burning (continuing)
* acne
* bloody or black, tarry stools
* changes in vision
* eye pain
* filling or rounding out of the face
* headache
* irregular heartbeat
* menstrual problems
* muscle cramps or pain
* muscle weakness
* nausea
* pain in arms, back, hips, legs, ribs, or shoulders
* reddish purple lines on arms, face, groin, legs, or trunk
* redness of eyes
* sensitivity of eyes to light
* stunting of growth (in children)
* swelling of feet or lower legs
* tearing of eyes
* thin, shiny skin
* trouble in sleeping
* unusual bruising
* unusual increase in hair growth
* unusual tiredness or weakness
* vomiting
* weight gain (rapid)
* wounds that will not heal

Corticosteroids may lower your resistance to infections. Any infection you get may be harder to treat. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any possible signs of an infection, such as sore throat, fever, sneezing, or coughing.

After stopping this medicine, a body may need time to adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of prednisone taken, and how long it was used. After large doses of this medicine for a long time, it may take up to one year to adjust. During this time, check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

* abdominal, stomach, or back pain
* dizziness
* fainting
* fever
* loss of appetite (continuing)
* muscle or joint pain
* nausea
* reappearance of disease symptoms
* shortness of breath
* unexplained headaches (frequent or continuing)
* unusual tiredness or weakness
* vomiting
* weight loss (rapid)

Don’t I wish I had LOSS of appetite and weight LOSS as a side effect! But, no, I have to have weight GAIN as a side effect. Bah! Humbug!

It’s very rare, but some people who have been on long-term steroids have degeneration of the head of the femur (the ball joint of your hip) with sudden hip fracture. This is not something I am concerned about with my short term tapers, but if in the future I have to be on chronic dosage, I’ll have to be very careful to have my hip scans done regularly. Even though it is rare, it is catastrophic, and, of course, should be prevented / avoided at all costs.

Well, flare has been stopped and I’m working on being normal. Just wish there were a medication that would make the joints and muscles get WELL and get rid of all the effects of this disease. Not just for me, but for all the people “out there” with autoimmune diseases.

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