Prednisone and mood swings

Hi SavhBill, welcome to Healingwell.
I've been on prednisone, many times in fact, due to a back injury. My daughter takes it off and on when her asthma becomes severe as well. I've never heard of it causing mood swings that long after the cessation of the medication.
Sometimes serious illness can leave a person in a clinical depression, and that can cause many of the type of mood swings you're referring to. I'm certainly no doctor, but I would doubt that the drug is the source. I'd give his physician a call.
Take Care
Ellie

The steroids used in asthma inhalers is usually of a different type. It is chosen to have low systemic availability, and hence has less side-effects. While pred most certainly cause mood swings, what is unusual here is the periodicity and prior similar issues after a stroke. Furthermore, it was a short period of usage which would not usually cause the suppression of the adrenal axis.

This gives rise to questions such as :

1. How does he himself explain his behaviour/can he talk about it?

2. Does he ever zone out. Such as might be seen in epilepsy or psychotic episodes. Epilepsy can be associate with mood change and are often associated with trauma and sometimes post-infective states. If people experience periodic psychotic symptoms they can't always relate them to others and may in what seems an inexplicable maner loose their temper while trying to deal with disturbing experiences.

3. Is his reasoning intact. THat means when in discussions even if you don't agree it appears that his arguments our well ordered and make sense.

4. Is his movement and Speech intact? If not [and even possibly even if] the pneumonia/other medical issues may have precipitated a minor/transient stroke which may have precipitated anew the prior experience. Pneumonia can cause dehydration and the over-production of white blood cells etc, in such a way that "clotting" may occur that can cause a blockage at least temporailly. Pneumonia can also reduce the ability of the body to get adequate oxegen. This may have also put pressure on the brain.

5. Is he oriented - ie knows where he is, when it is, who everyone is at all wakeful times. [This relates to epilepsy, strokes etc.]

5. where was the stroke damage - for example the temporal region of the brain which is associated with mood, or the pre-frontal region associated with executive functions that can be involved in anger management and pro-social functioning. Damage here might cause the problem, he may have learned/re-learned ways of dealing with it after the stroke, however, further damage or illness may have ment he will need to re-learn the ability to manage this.

6. Is he diabetic? Steroids can precipitate/cause problems with diabetes. Diabetes also leads one open to infection, stroke etc. A diabetic low can precipitate mood change.

7. Was he normally in control of his life and emotions before these occasions - some people are totally thrown by illness. They feel overwhelmed by a loss of control, their personalities can be deeply affected by such events.

8. Given 7. Some people also find people careing for them difficult and brings out bad behaviours. If this is the case it is better not being overly protective.

9. Might he have a new infection. Pred can also cause the immune system to let some bugs grow.

10. Considering he was on Pred the pneumonia may have been viral. The condition could be a post-viral effect.

Finally, if you think the answers to some of the questions above is yes, except for 8, I'd be inclined to encourage him to talk it through with a specialist. Given his history he could do with a scan just to rule out any further issues. Bloods would be useful too.

Glad that I found this topic here about Prednisone and mood swings and Bipolar Disorder.  My dad had to be on Prednisone whenever his asthma flarred into bad wheezing/cough as at that time that was all that would help him breathe.  He had to be on it for awhile and the first few times it made him silly and a bit wierd, but he was able to be home.  Then it seemed the dose increased or somehow it built up and he actually turned psychotic not just the Bipolar, he had SEVERE issues and he had to be psych hospitalized whenever he was on it just about.  We could  not have him on that and be home, as he began threatening, yelling, very verbally abusive and frightening.  He had increased strength and he was very much a danger.  Be very careful using Prednisone, if you have a mood disorder.

Prednisone is a strong and powerful steroid.  I have read that it can help those with muscle weakness to be stronger. It may be good for some people for asthma and other things such as shingles and kidney problems (which some people I know have used them without any big issues).  However, I won't ever take Prednisone at all and I have had chronic asthma and wheeze and have refused Prednisone whenever any doctor mentioned it. 

There are now many other asthma medications, I'm on Pulmicort, Singular, Albuterol, and Combivent and they do help with the peak flow at least.  Those I take daily.  I recommend anyone to go to a qualified lung doctor.  Duo Neb was also very helpful for awhile.  All of that though is of course expensive.  The Albuterol and Combivent are Steroids, however, not like Prednisone.  I don't like to take prescription meds though, but for now I haven't found a natural therapy that will help my breathing.