Predinsone

The Predinsone steroid, I am on, at such a high dose, for a month, is causing me a lot of bad side effects-anxiety, horrible headaches, memory loss, irritability, mood swings, excess hunger, etc. I read that it can cause actual brain damage, with chronic use. I am suffering the things, I just I mentioned, and, I am beginning to FEEL brain damaged, because normally, I have a good memory. My chronic headache, and anxiety issues, were getting better. Now, I am snapping at my husband, and my mother. I read an article on the internet that said that Predinsone is a deal with the devil, for these reasons.

In the past few weeks, since taking this, I feel like, I am losing my marbles. I want to bite people's heads off, and I work in customer service. I do not care for my new stomach doctor, and I am fairly sure, that he will not care. I refuse to stay on this regularly, it is putting me back on some meds, I was trying not to take, as often.

I think, I am going to cut back on my dose, of this medication, this weekend, to one pill, instead of two, and only take one, until I finish it, out. It is becoming too much of a problem. I have nine more days on it, otherwise. Anyone else having these issues?

All of the symptoms you are describing are very common with prednisone. You did not say what dose you are at but you need to taper very slowly (like 10 mgs at a time every 5-7 days or at your doctor's direction) or you will have worse side effects. ( I usually have to taper by 5 mg increments. I found that I often felt really awful at 40 or 50 mg., felt better at 30 mg but then felt really anxious, irritable and emotional at 20 mg. Everyone's body is different, but the slow tapering is a must.

Thanks for the warning. I will not cut back as drastically, I will take one and half pills, instead of two, tomorrow. I take two 20 mg pills for about three weeks, now.

:) Thanks, it's one of my favorites. Please don't drop so quickly. Usually it's 5 mg every 5 days. Sometimes you can do a 10 mg drop at the beginning (like 40 to 30). But once you hit 20, then go down every 5.

Yes, after just a few days, you need to taper. Since it gives you certain hormones, your body stops producing them on its own. Stopping cold-turkey means you're absent of those, and it could kill you. The taper is necessary because it allows your body to re-learn that it needs to make the hormones because they're not being produced. He will try very hard to not have you on it for year. That can create a dependency and your body will never be able to make the hormones on their own.

You are so right. Its hard to know whether you feel worse from the Crohn's or from the Pred. During one of my worst flares, I was on 50 mg for almost 4 months then was able to slowly taper. Usually, they start you at 40mg and can keep you on that for 2-4 or 5 weeks depending on whether your symptoms begin to improve or not. Once they do, they usually will let you drop down to 30, stay on that for 5-7 days and if you improve some more, drop down to 20. After 20 they may let you drop another 10mg or have you drop by 5mg till you can stop. SciFigal is right though about the effects on the hormones (primarily cortisol) that your body stops making if you are on the pred for a while. You do need to taper slowly.