Prednisone Nausea?

I've been weaning off prednisone, yesterday I hit 15mg. I've been feeling quite nauseous since yesterday. Just wondering if is is a common side effect of weaning off the stuff, or if I'm more likely just fighting a stomach bug or something?

But prednisone is notorious for causing gastric esophageal reflux, which can certainly make you feel nauseus. Try an antacid or ppi.

I got nausea frequently when I was on it...it did seem like each time I tapered there was a day or two. Unfortunately there was not much that helped in my book...

Hi L-duck,

During my first prednisone taper in 2008:
Nausea was the first red-flag symptom of what became adrenal insufficiency. It took two years to restore my own diurnal cortisol production.

During my second prednisone taper last year (2013):
Nausea arrived on the second day of Pred at 10 mg. Immediately I went back to 15 mg and slowed the taper to longer intervals (7 days vs 5-days); and smaller dosage increments (2.5 mg vs 5 mg). This slower taper schedule was thereafter without any symptoms of prednisone withdraw.

Hoping that you don't have a 'stomach bug', as that could really complicate your UC recovery.

Wishing you the best - Ciao

Adrenal Insufficiency is the medical term. Some lay-persons call it prednisone withdrawal.

COPY & PASTE FROM PREVIOUS POSTS:

Posted 9/16/2011 2:41 AM (GMT -8)
My use of prednisone began mid-Nov 2007. The dose was rapidly increased from 20 mg up to 40 mg pred daily and stayed at that dose through March 2008. So I was on 40 mg pred for four months.

The first attempt to taper off was way too fast. As soon as I was completely off pred the symptoms of UC came roaring back. Abruptly, I was having severe migraines, nausea, bone pain, fatigue, weakness and lethargy. GI doc attributed these symptoms to the immuran I'd started at the time of beginning the pred taper. After two months in bed - my PCP listened to the explanation in the IBD book that I'd brought in. He called an endocrinologist who agreed with my suspicion - and guided the snail-paced taper described in my previous post.

Posted 9/14/2011 4:47 AM (GMT -8)
Prescribers fail to explain the risk of developing Adrenal Insufficiency as a result of having taken corticosteroids, e.g., prednisone.

Migraine headaches, bone pain, and extreme lethargy were the physical symptoms that had me down for two years. Chronic depression was also exacerbated.

The disabling symptoms of adrenal insufficiency are not due to "withdrawal" from prednisone. Rather, it is the failure (insufficiency) of the adrenal glands to produce the all-essential cortisol. Prednisone is far more potent than it's natural analogue, cortisol. Symptoms of insufficiency can emerge during and after tapering off prednisone, and vary in severity.

Taking prednisone overrides your natural production of cortisol. Developing adrenal insufficiency is more likely after taking high doses (~40 mg) for long periods (~several weeks). A rapid taper off of prednisone (of dose and schedule) hastens the emergence and severity of the symptoms.

In my case it took two months in bed to figure it out by re-reading the chapter on medications in an IBD specialist's book. I took the book to my PCP who promptly stepped out to call an endocrinologist. I was put back on a dose of prednisone just above where I first developed symptoms of insufficiency (~15 mg). The taper was unbelievably slow (reduction by 1-1.5 mg every 1-3 months). Symptoms re-emerged at 5 milligrams. So the dose was bumped up again; resetting the taper at smaller dose reductions over longer periods. At 1-2 milligrams of prednisone, I was switched to cortisone and continued the slow taper. Every three months I underwent adrenal challenge tests* to evaluate adrenal functioning and determine if & how much to taper.

*Adrenal challenge testing included; baseline blood draw, injection of cortisol stimulating hormone, followed by two more timed blood draws to measure cortisol and ACTH response.
In total it took two years and three taper attempts to get off steroids and restore adequate adrenal function. It then took another 6 months and two attempts to taper off of opiates that were controlling the bone pain and frequent migraines. I have vowed to never take any steroid unless it given down an ET tube as a life saving measure.

Hi

I was put onto a 4 month course of prednisolone(60mg) for my asthma/sever allergy. I once tried stopping cold turkey because of prednisolone side effects lets say i was in HELLLL. It took 3 months tapering to come off them. unfortunately the prednisolone gave me something the stupid doctors never warned me about, SEVERE GASTRITIS. It destroyed my stomach lining by blocking prostaglandin production which is elemental in mucosa production in the stomach. I enedednup coughing acid into my lungs and thus with anathema 10000x worser than what they treated me for. The ppi ended curing my gastritis but every time i came of them I got acid rebound so sever it triggered the gastritis. So fast forward 1 year of hell, i am not dumped the stupid doctors and fixing myself naturally.

My stomach feels like hell but my mind is million times better and no more stupid side effects from all these nasty meds.

I am shocked how easily doctors through steroids about.

and then nausea could be from gastritis/acid reflux from the ppi, also when my gastritis started on prednisolone it had no pain but the reflux acid was triggering my asthma and doctors did not notice this for 6 months.

good luck, hope you feel better.

Hi

I was put onto a 4 month course of prednisolone(60mg) for my asthma/sever allergy. I once tried stopping cold turkey because of prednisolone side effects lets say i was in HELLLL. It took 3 months tapering to come off them. unfortunately the prednisolone gave me something the stupid doctors never warned me about, SEVERE GASTRITIS. It destroyed my stomach lining by blocking prostaglandin production which is elemental in mucosa production in the stomach. I enedednup coughing acid into my lungs and thus with anathema 10000x worser than what they treated me for. The ppi ended curing my gastritis but every time i came of them I got acid rebound so sever it triggered the gastritis. So fast forward 1 year of hell, i am not dumped the stupid doctors and fixing myself naturally.

My stomach feels like hell but my mind is million times better and no more stupid side effects from all these nasty meds.

I am shocked how easily doctors throw steroids about.

and then nausea could be from gastritis/acid reflux from the ppi, also when my gastritis started on prednisolone it had no pain but the reflux acid was triggering my asthma and doctors did not notice this for 6 months.

good luck, hope you feel better.

Post Edited (James_a) : 7/24/2014 12:38:20 PM (GMT-6)

Yes steroids are pretty scary James. 60mg for four months seems insane! I was at 45-50mg for two weeks and that felt too long!

I have been dealing with nausea by splitting my dose (5mg in morning, 2.5 at noon). Yesterday I took the full dose in the morning because I didn't sleep well and was hoping for an afternoon nap. Well I never got my nap, I did however get so sick by evening that I ended up throwing up again. So my advice to anyone reading this in future with the same problem is to split the dose, it does seem to help! Luckily I'm not dealing with many side effects other that nausea, hopefully it will pass soon...