ive never posted before but need to vent

Hi all. I am on prednisone right now for arthritis. My face is breaking out really bad and ive already put on like 8 pounds in a month. This sux but i need the prednisone to control the pain. I want to wean down some but doc doesnt want me too quite yet. Also i now have a mustache. Totally sick. Im gonna end up a man ****. Anybody else in my boat? Any suggestions. Hope to hear back from anybody. Thanks,

                                                  Suzan

 

I've been on 15mg. (which is a small dose) and am dropping 1mg down a month at a time and I can really tell with more pain already and I have only cut it down by 1mg. Also am on Ultram for pain. I see more hair too. Gained weigh too.
A love or hate relationship with prednisone.

I have Polymyagia Rheumatica. So many arthritis illnesses.

Have a painfree day,
Fluffytwo

I love prednisone for very short term relief.  This time I had to stay on it longer 3 months so far as I wait for the plaquinel to kick in.  For me the plaquinel is an appitite suppresent and has reduced my sweet tooth so that has countered the tendeny to gain weight from the prednisone.  The facial hair I could do without.

I am sorry to say I can relate to you... I am only on 5mg due to hypertention problems, i know it has sent my Rosecea flaring up, I can use my Finecea for that. I had a heart stent placed in september and was dignosed with RA in November so exercise has been a problem. I just crave food.... Any kind... sweets.... you name it!! I had been working on getting the weight off before my heart problem and had lost 17 pounds... I have sence put that back on and am struggling not to gain even more!!! Because my RA numbers are so high my Rheumy doesn't want me to start to exercise until we can get the inflammation under control so I don't do any more joint damage.... grrrrr ......... what's a girl to do!! I am on MTX as well and will start Humira as soon as the insurance approves it. So I guess there is light at the end of the tunnel... I just maybe alittle wider when I see it!!!
Good luck and hang in there!

Hi,
Are u going to a rheumy or a regular Dr. If you are going to a regular DR. get a rheumy and one that isn't old school. Drill the secretary and I mean drill her. See if they have an infusion center along with their regular practice. You will be more likely to get up to date treatment. I had to go through three of them before I found one that worked. My Dr. doesn't belive he is a god he consults other Dr. in his practice right in front of me. It is like having three or four rheumies for the price of one.

I will not use predisone. I watched what it did to my mom. She had RA. I have anklying spondylitis. My sister has MS. My mom started using it in her 40's. In her early 50's she had by pass sugery and the surgeon sd that her tissues were broken down and surgery was hard due to prednisone. By 62 she was dead that was three years ago. The prednisone had weakened her organs by continued use and destroyed her liver and the liver blew out her gi tract. She did not use nsaids or coxx2s. There was nothing they could do for her. We consulted her regular dr and he said that the prednisone killed her ( given by her rheumy)

My sister has to take a 5 day course of presnisone when she has an MS episode. There is nothing else to help her. Thank the lord they have been few and far between!

Tell your Dr. to get you off of it and get you off of it NOW! DON't DO IT BY YOURSELF!!! It is too dangerous. Your Dr is not in control of your disease you are. Don't let him or her think for one minute that they are. There are other alternatives to prednisone.

Sorry I feel really strongly about this. My disease is in the same class as RA and I am being treated without prednisone. Only a bad Dr. would keep you on that if only for RA if you didn't want it.

I guess I needed to vent too! lol!

hi there,

yikes, we all share the same sour feelings about the Pred!  unfortunately, nsaids & steroids are THE only meds besides dmards & TNF & Bcell meds that actually work on inflammation.

even narcotics do not hold any anti-inflammatory properties.

Prednisone is an issue that we have to accept & learn to cope with because somewhere along the line it's going to be a course of treatment every now & then and for some...it's a chronic use situation.

 

to make ya' feel somewhat better, (yeah right) prednisone does act as a disease modifying agent! by arresting the errosive inflammation process that can damage your joints.  so, it is a very good treatment in that aspect.

 

from personal experience, the ONLY trick i hold for the weight gain/water retention/edema...was following the MAKERS DIET. 

i followed it for quite a few months when i was on 40mg of pred trying to taper down from 120mg.  the edema i had in my legs & arms was tremendous.  i went from 95pounds to 118lbs in little than a month.  the swelling was so painful.

using the foods & fish oils & flax & "all good" nutrients truly helped "flush" away MOST of the water retention.

my skin/complexion responded really well too.

 

i'm at a point where i literally can not stand to be on steroids...the heart palpatations and insomnia are  just too much to deal with.

if i were you i would start to talk w/ your doc about alternatives to prednisone.

 

i wish you well...

erin