Prednisone is groovy...

Hi, Marji. I just read your reply to me in the previous thread. As I already said, it really is nice to hear you saying that you're feeling good for a change. Last year when my lung had the pleural effusion, they started me on 60mg of prednisone and "Oh, What a Feeling!". I don't mean like a drug-induced high, but after you've felt SO near death for months IT IS A VERY WELCOME RELIEF!!! Just remember that this particular drug demands pay back. I just hope you don't get hit really hard when you start dropping and/or have to come off of it. I'll be thinking of you. Keep me up to date on how you're doing.

Prednisone definitely helps you feel better. Just don't be tempted to snack and eat whatever you like .... it's tough to get the weight off!

I remember when I first started taking prednisone I felt exactly like you described. It was like a miracle to feel better and was amazed how it helped with the fatigue, the pain, and also gave me more mental clarity. It still does a lot for me and I wouldn't be able to function without it, I just hate the side effects. Enjoy what the prednisone is doing for you. I can't remember if you are going to be on it long term or if you are doing a tapered dose. Take care and I hope you continue to feel this good.

I've never taken more than 15 mg, which I consider small. At 10 mg, I definitely know it's working 'cause if I skip a couple days I turn into an exhausted bundle of rags. I haven't tried to go lower, but I still have the carb cravings -- it really does change your metabolism. Still have a little extra hair growth, too. I think everyone's mileage may vary!

Hi, Marji. I hope the side effects you encounter as you come down aren't too bad...tolerable at least. I always wonder when I do have bad side effects start happening while I'm tapering, if it's just withdrawal from the prednisone or if I'm actually beginning to flare again. The usual negative effects I see are bad fatigue, fever, chills, nose ulcers, mouth ulcers, increased hair loss, heartburn? (it feels real painful like a heart attack), and my blood sugar spikes. I was told previously that when I begin to taper, as long as it doesn't completely knock me down hard with a flare that my body will slowly adjust to the taper if I can tolerate what is happening. It's so hard to tell the difference because prednisone withdrawal presents things just like a flare. At least the rheumy I'm working with now tests for inflammation BEFORE he starts a taper. That way, if something does go bad, he will be able to simply retest to see if there is actually increased inflammation or if maybe I am just withdrawing. I don't know if this method will work or not as I've been able to tolerate everything so far; but it certainly makes sense! Hope you're at least still having some relief from the all the crap you've been dealing with. Continue to update us. Take care,

Don't know Amy, I seem to blow my diet and then it takes me a few weeks, but I usually don't gain 20 lbs.  If you think it may be water, you might want to talk to the doc about it to see if there is something they can do.  That weight can come off faster I would imagine.

Sharen, I know what you mean about wondering if its coming back--the flare.  For me it seems incessant, though luckily milder than most people here probably get but recently was kind of bad.  I usually get a UTI type problem that is not an infection, but chronic inflammation of the bladder and often will pick up a respiratory infection if someone has one, which is funny because I'm less surpressed than I was on the full blown pred, which I never seem to get sick at that stage of the pred.  Just when coming off.  Weird.  Maybe I just notice it more because my immune system starts overreacting again and when I'm on pred I can be sick but maybe not have as severe symptoms.  So far, its doing good coming down.  I'm a little wired but not bad and achy and tired, just wrung out, but no crying spells.  I've been really pretty upbeat on the whole thing so far, which is such a pleasant change from some of the other reactions I've had.  Well, I hope you both are doing well and take care.