Prednisone induced psychosis

Has anyone ever known someone to develop this???  I asked the doc about when I can ever get off the steroids because they are making me very irritable and he chuckled while telling my husband to watch out because steroids can cause psychosis!! Wow I was not chuckling.

ALgirl: 

 Mood swings are a well known and well documented side effect of chronic steroids usage.  'Roid rage is real, sometimes medical specialists see their discipline in exclusion to the whole body without addressing and dealing with the whole body effects.        

So suggestions:  go to your primary care provider and ask them to look at your complete medication.  There might be meds that contribute or add to this problem.  Try relaxation techniques that facilitate mind body healing -exercise, theraputic massages, music therapy, calming herbal teas etc.  Second opinions can be equally theraputic. 

 

i just posted in a differnt thread-- my wife calls them my ****** pills...definite mood affecting drugs...hyper emotional...even mean sometimes...doc gave me xanax to help which i think it does...prednisone is a wonder drug but it's also the devil in pill form...

I know even being on it short term it really affects my personality, I can only imagine me on it long term. My dad is also very sensitive being on pred or other steroids...he once blew up and almost walked off an airplane (while taking a steroid pack) and he previously had NO issues flying. Now because of that one time, he has severe anxiety when flying.

It's strange to me how some people are barely affected by pred, while others have all the side effects. Part of why I get so irritable is because I can't sleep while taking it. Also, it causes me terrible joint pain, which is the opposite of some people who have problems tapering and have pain then.

Maybe you could talk to your PCP about a med like xanax to take when you really feel like you're out of control. I have an rx for klonopin because sometimes I have mood swings and I just can't snap out of it, no matter what I try (they're because of anxiety, but I'd think the medicine would help you similarly) Sometimes I feel like I have constant PMS...where you say and do things, and get really mad about something, then look back on it, and wonder why you got so mad...those are the times I pop a pill, and it really helps.

Mtgman I am the same way, can't take over 30 mg or I have issues. So now I refuse anything higher, as the 30 mg starting dose seems to work well for me. Hugs!

I started at 60mg in February and after 4-5 weeks of that I lost my marbles. Then, my doctor tapered me 60-30mg in a week because of all the side effects and I lost the rest of my marbles. I am now on Lexapro and was popping Xanax to keep myself kind of feeling ok. Now that I'm at 20mg I'm not nuts anymore and am off the Xanax but I am still quite the grouch. ;o(

Oh no how terrible! I didn't think that I had psychosis, it was just that what the doctor said about it scared me.

mtgman, i was just thinking along the same lines myself! How much are you on and how long? I have been on 40 for 1 month and I am going nuts.  My poor family is too. 

i was on 40 for about 2 weeks- maybe a bit more then went to 35 for the past 5 days or so. today was the 1st day at 30- figure i'll saty on that for 5 days or so then drop again...the thing that sucks is we're going on vacation thurs so i almost wanted to stay higher until we get home but i just can't do it. good luck to you guys too! this stuff is awful...although it's nice knowing we're not in it alone!

The only time I get the true roid rage, is when I'm in the hospital on very high IV doses, then everyone has to tiptoe
around me. It's awful, as my normal persona is that of a quiet, reasonable and very giving person. But I've even kicked
my husband out of the hospital. Told not to visit, nor anyone else. Weird.
On the normal at home doses, I'm fine, just a tad emotional and a little agitated at most. BUT I do take ativan, have done
ever since I was dx. Doctors orders, it helps us all to keep stress levels down. Amen to that...