Sick and Tired of Prednisone!!

Anyone want to complain about Prednisone?

I lost 25 pounds from Thanksgiving to NYE until hospitalized. In the hospital, I was given IV steriods, sent home with 60mg prednisone and then two weeks later tapered to 55 gm which I'm still on My GP is consulting with my GI to see if he can taper sooner.

I feel like a stuffed pig. I've gained all the weight bag, have a moon face, double chin, feel 'hyper', my eyes are irritated (from prednisone or crohn's?), have hard time falling asleep, neck pain, huge belly, lots of water weight. I feel gross.

I can't afford Entecourt or I would switch .... ARGH!!!! I started 50mg Imuran/6MP so I'll be on prednisone for 3 months. I have a blind date tongiht and feel gross .... help!!

I'm newly on imuran and pred. 50mg imuran and 20 pred. but i only use 15mg pred, so afraid of side effects and so far it's been only 5 days but just night swests, badly and tons on energy, I have been on sleeping meds for years but have had to increase those a notch. I can definatly see why riod's are a banned substance in sports, i feel so good today I'm off for a moutin bike ride. try to work off energy, day off anyway. i hope you get that dose down

do you think that the 15mg's of pred will cause side effects,i.e. moon face and weight gain? so far I haven't seen it but it's been onle 5 days, and how long before those things start to happen?

I hope that your date went well last night. I'm sorry that I didn't see your post earlier. Today is the 3rd anniversary of MY blind date. We got married in May, while I was on Prednisone - moon face, bloated, night sweats, acne and all!! So if he is the one, it won't matter at all. Take care, and hopefully the flare will be over soon and you can get off the prednisone.

Nanners - thanks for the advice about the dosage ... my GP has the same concerns. As I've not had this progression or this kind of acute flate, I'm learning. I also learned I can't drink any coffee while on prednisone. I don't usually drink any and did the other day ... I thought I was going to lose my mind ... I felt like a crack addict!

As for the blind date .. .it was a dud. He told me in detail while all four marriages didn't work ... and then proceeded to tell me about all his bi-polar meds he was on ... and how he had an emotional breakdown two months ago. A bit heavy for a first date. And now he has called three times this AM ... help!

But I have another date on Monday so maybe the might be the one ... I've met him before he is a hottie! I've learned too that obstaining from alcohol the night before keeps my face from swelling.
Thanks to all for your support .. you are awesome!

Your blind date sounds like a horror! At least you seem to have a sense of humor about it. I hope the one on Monday turns out better. I have a suggestion for you to help you feel better about the moon face. I've been on prednisone for way too many years and sometimes at way too high a dose, so I have been there, done that. (not the blind date part, but the moon face). You want to avoid anything that is high at the neck, it will just emphasize the moon face. Also you can contour under your cheek bones with a darker foundation to make your cheeks appear slimmer. You could go to a department store and ask one of the sales ladies for a make over before your date too. It might be just the confidence boost you need.

Oh how good to be able to vent. I've only been on Prednisone since November and am nearly of it now. At first I thought I would get away with no side affects but then it all went pear shaped. Major dizziness, racing heart (so bad I have to sit down), aching joints, oily skin, hair, moon face, weight gain, no sleep, vision problems and leg cramps. Luckily as I wean off though, the symptoms are going pretty quickly. I just wish the racing heart one would dissapear alot quicker.

Thanks for all the tips (no high neck lines) and encouragement (yes, the hottie in the future, told the loser date no to the 'movie invitation') and most of all, the commisery ... prednisone sucks.
But I look at when prednsone was introduced commercially only in the 1960s ... can you imagine what it was like for those of our brothers and sisters suffering from an acute flare without this drug prior to this time? Having gotten out of the hospital less than a month ago, I just don't know how I would become functional without steriods ... yet I HATE them. Kind of like our relationships with parents! Ha.
Thanks to all ...
Liz

I so hated the moon face I grew a goatee( I know you can't) and it helped my face look slimmer. I was so tired of seeing my fat face in the mirror every day and the beard got lots of compliments too. Now I'm off the devils drug, lost 27 pounds and still have the goatee, I like it.

I do not know my science, but looking up just steriods on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steriod) and Prednisone being one of the most basic steriods, I would guess this was the oldest rx for auto immunie issues ... maybe someone else knows.
Kind wish I could grow a goatee now ...

Don’t even get me started. I wouldn’t say I have a love/hate relationship with pred; it’s more of a hate/hate relationship. I will refuse up and down to take it. My GI has offered many times to put me on a moderate dose while switching medications and I would much rather deal with the pain. I’ll take fatigue and frequent bowel movements over prednisone any day.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have an option toward the end of last year when my uveitis flared and I went temporarily blind. I was put on 60 mg, which put me in remission for about two weeks. Two weeks of remission is not reward enough for all the crap I have dealt with for the past four months. Weight gain, moon face, double chin, buffalo hump, increased blood pressure, mood swings, thin skin, joint pain, facial hair, acne… Between the moon face, double chin, beer gut and buffalo hump, it’s a wonder I don’t fall over when I stand up.

I’m just starting on 6MP also, which means T minus three weeks before I’m allowed to start reducing again (and even then it will be very slowly). I’m also switching to Remicaide, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the two will be able to get me of prednisone.

Grandpato: With the amount of facial hair pred gave me, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had grown a goatee (though, I’m guessing it wouldn’t have had the same effect on a woman). Also, congrats on the weight loss! I’ve been trying so hard to drop the pred weight, but I was still trying to get the weight off from my last prednisone episode when I started this one. But your success gives me a little hope.
And champagnekindofgal: Good luck with your date tonight!

Just an update: had a three hour coffee date with the 35-year-old hottie!! I'm a 44-year-old gal so I was a bit shy about the age differene. Turns out he went to school with my baby brother! Anyway, we are going out on Friday night! So, who knows, maybe we will be just friends, but a good ego boost. I styled my hair, parting it the side as my face is more swollen on one side so my shoulder length hair swooped down over my chin on one side. Viola! Hip hugger jeans are forgiving as a velour jacket can hide the little belly I've developed ... thanks for all your support!

You are still a cutie in each picture, however. We ae always more self critical of ourselves, aren't we?