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Posted 7/15/2011 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
have any of you gotten any weird side effects taking prednisone? do most people get another flare up right after finishing pred?
Posted 7/15/2011 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
cyn, I don't think most people flare up right after prednisone though it seems pretty common if you read this board. The say a lot of the people who post here are those who have problems and are not an accurate representation of the bigger picture. I posted here long before my first introduction to prednisone and conicidentally, I was one fo the people who had a very difficult time tapering off and my symptoms have been up and down since stopping prednisone.

Weird side effects are very common, high energy, low lows, moodiness, weight gain, insomnia, hair loss on the head and growth everywhere else, acne... What type of symptoms?
Posted 7/15/2011 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
You could've tapered off it too quickly.
Posted 7/15/2011 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
My side effects whilst on Prednisone:
- Moon face
- Weight loss (first 3 1/3 months)
- Loss of appetite (first 3 1/3 months)
- Weight gain (last 2 1/2 months) - about 15 pounds
- HUGE increase in appetite (last 2 1/2 months)
- HUGE bump on neck around C7 (people on this forum have said it's a fatty deposit)
- Hair loss on head (last 2 1/2 months) - SIGNIFICANT (I used to have very long thick hair; now its straw-like and thin)
- Facial hair growth (not too sure when this started; I'm thinking 1-2 months since starting) - ALSO down the neck
- Hair growth on the back (started 2 months since starting; I used to have no hair on my back and now quite a bit)
- Abdominal bloating (last month) - This was very hard for me; I've always been quite petite with a very flat stomach; I just BLEW UP! I'm still recovering from that -.-
- Mood swings (very sporadic)
- Irregular menstrual cycle (since starting Prednisone)

After stoping Prednisone (withdrawal effects):
- INSANE muscle and joint pain in the upper body especially shoulder blades
- Abdominal bloating con't
- Depression (I wouldn't call it depression because I didn't have a doctor tell me I was so but all these changes did bring forth a very miserable time for me; it took some time before I accepted the changes and I was able to find the motivation to exercise and make positive choices with my lifestyle)


I DID GET A FLARE-UP AFTER STOPPING PREDNISONE :( My doctor wants me back on it but I'm seeking alternative medication. I just got rid of my moon-face for the most part and I lost around 10 pounds so I don't want all that hard work to go to waste.

Remember, Prednisone has different side effects for everyone. You did not mention whether or not you are currently on Prednisone but if so I hope your side effects are minimal.
Posted 7/15/2011 5:56 AM (GMT 0)
cynn55, I flared 1 month after tapering off prednisone and dropping from 12 Asacol to 6 per day. My doc had declared me in remission, but I flared again and had to start pred all over. This time I added suppositories, enemas and 12 asacol and sailed off pred successfully -- took another nine months (first flare lasted four months).

the longer you are on pred, the longer your taper
Posted 7/15/2011 5:59 AM (GMT 0)
UGH, for me, my flare always got worse as I was comming off of pred (still on it but at low dose). After being on and off of pred over a course of a few yrs it stopped working for me all together. It's actually very common for people to fall back into a flare while weening off of it and even shortly after comming completely off of it...usually if you're on a maintenance med pred is used as a booster for the maintenance med and once the maintenance med kicks in then many find themselves in remission, but in my case when you are not on any maintenance meds and you go on pred, it's simply a bandaid treatment for short-term relief of IBD symptoms. Of ourse it can differ for each individual. Good luck.
Posted 7/15/2011 6:27 AM (GMT 0)
Weird side effects while taking Prednisone? I am guessing your Dr. didn't tell you anything about Prednisone. If this is the case, it really upsets me that Dr's put people on medications and don't tell them the possibility of what can happen. I've seen some really crazy stuff and thank god for the internet so I can research medications....otherwise I would think my daughter was losing her mind.
Posted 7/15/2011 8:13 AM (GMT 0)
I was on and off....on and off....until finally the pain was so unbearable I got taken to the hospital (im 17) and they treated me with some strong IV steroids and after about a week and two days I was completely fine. I have been feeling fine for quite some time now.
Posted 7/15/2011 9:59 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for all the replys. i was in a flare up about 3 weeks ago. i went to the hospital cause i reallly was feeling good. it was like as if only blood was coming out and not even stool. that night at the hospital they put me on pred. this is the first time im using pred since ive been diagnosed in 2007. i was put on 40mg a day. first week didnt see any difference, still had alot of blood. second week was like as if my flare up dissapeared. ive already started tappering off. so far so good!!!! im hoping it stays that way!! when i was at the hospital they sent my blood test to Montreal to check about maybe changing my meds.
Posted 7/15/2011 10:04 AM (GMT 0)

cyn555 said...
have any of you gotten any weird side effects taking prednisone? do most people get another flare up right after finishing pred?


cyn555,

At times prednisone generates side effects, as well as other meds. Some people get nausea from drinking a glass of water. Weird side effects disappear and people do reach remission. Everybody's mileage will vary, though.

No, most people do not get another flare-up after finishing tapering. I don't ever recall having such bad luck, and I've been dealing with prednisone for quite some time.

I think -- I do not profess to be an expert on pred -- that nowadays the doctors prescribe too low initial dose, usually 40 mg, and the taper is faster. The 40 mg ought to bite with newbies, but after while UCers need more.

In 'normal' situations, the docs tend to have more meds than you've got disease; i.e. you'll get better.

Don't be scared of medicine that for the past 60 years have saved millions of lives and made living with this disease tolerable.

Good luck to you.
Posted 7/15/2011 10:06 AM (GMT 0)

J0ker said...
I was on and off....on and off....until finally the pain was so unbearable I got taken to the hospital (im 17) and they treated me with some strong IV steroids and after about a week and two days I was completely fine. I have been feeling fine for quite some time now.

Yup, you just needed a stronger dose of prednisone.

Hopefully your remission stays forever.
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