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Has anyone taken pred at night instead of morning?

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Posted 7/8/2018 5:57 AM (GMT 0)
Prednisone is keeping me up until 2 or 3 a.m. I am tired all day and then wide awake at night. I take it first thing in the morning, around 8 a.m. I read online that one doctor suggested his patients take it at night since it takes awhile to kick in. Anyone ever tried that. I just went down to 25 mg two days ago. I was on 50 mg for 7 days, 40 mg for 6 days, 35 and 30 for 5 days each. Doctor said I could taper by 5 mg every 5-7 days. In the past, I always tapered by 10 mg.
Posted 7/8/2018 6:05 AM (GMT 0)
Well, how low does it take for it to kick in for you? At 30-40mg, It kicks in about 2.5 hours later for me -- I start feeling hyper and spazzy. 10-20mg doesn't really impact my energy. I take it around 7am and so by 9:30 I am wide awake, and by 9:30-11pm, I am crashing from being wired all day. With this pattern, I'd be concerned about taking it before bed, but I think it depends on how quick your body metabolizes it.
Posted 7/8/2018 6:18 AM (GMT 0)
I guess I can't really tell. All I know is I'm wide awake late into the night. Maybe I will just wait it out. I'll be down to 20 in a couple days. Thanks for the feedback.
Posted 7/8/2018 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
I only experienced insomnia at high dosages of pred. 20mgs+ (can't remember the exact dose it stopped).

I believe steroids work very fast, metabolized and then effective zoom.
Posted 7/8/2018 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, thank you. That's what I always thought too.
Posted 7/8/2018 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
I always take sleep aids when I am on pred. I take the pred in the AM so hopefully i've wound down by the evening, but no matter how "down" i am, it's not enough to sleep while on high doses of pred. Sleeping pills were the only reason I'd sleep.
Posted 7/8/2018 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
I take a xanax, but I have been taking one almost every day for the past two years, so Im not sure it really even does much at this point. Only other sleeping aid I ever tried was trazadone and that was not a pleasant experience for me. Will never take that again. I'll just tough it out. Thanks guys.
Posted 7/8/2018 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
They gave me ambien, which was effective, but left me feeling quite groggy in the morning. Still better than not sleeping at all. Xanax seems like it would be helpful too, but if it's not working well for you, you should ask if there's something else, that's mild, that you can take to get some rest.
Posted 7/9/2018 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
After being on pred many times over 32 yrs i always tried to remember to take in the morning when i took at night sleeping was an issue
Posted 7/9/2018 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
Cortisol is your bodies wake up hormone, so to speak. It would be worse, not better to take it at night. (Has experience with split dose and resulting insomnia)
Posted 7/9/2018 11:01 AM (GMT 0)
I found taking melatonin helped me get to sleep in pred. Nothing helped me stay asleep for more than 4 hours, though.
Posted 7/9/2018 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone.
Posted 7/13/2018 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
I went down to 20 mg 3 days ago and I am starting to sleep better. It is making me break out pretty badly on my shoulders and chest, but I can handle that side effect! Lol.
Posted 7/13/2018 11:18 AM (GMT 0)
Always took Prednisone first thing in the morning followed by a sleep aid before bed. However the last time I was on Prednisone it made me so tried after taking it first thing in the morning I had to lay down. Took it before bed for the remainder of that prescription.
My Dr. was surprised to hear me say that. Have talked with one other person who experienced fatigue when taking Prednisone.

Good to hear you are tapering down well. Hope the side effects are minimal.
Posted 7/13/2018 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
I got the pred-hormonal-acne (no acne treatment touches it) at lower dosages too, a total bummer, but being able to sleep sure is a big win!
Posted 7/13/2018 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
Jay -- That's interesting to hear. There were a few times I woke up at 5:30 a.m. (cat wakes me up almost every morning around that time) and decided to take my pred then and go back to bed. I had no problem falling right back asleep and staying asleep for several hours after taking it.

Yeah, the acne started when I was on 30 mg, I think.
Posted 7/29/2018 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
I have been taking my prednisone every evening with dinner and have only had one night where I had trouble getting to sleep. I'm brand new to all of this so I'm not sure if I don't get sleeplessness from the prednisone or if it has to do with the timing but that is my experience.
Posted 7/30/2018 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
I've had to split my treatment so I don't get up so often in the night. 2 Mesalamine & 10 mg Pred morning and then at about 5-6p in the evening... I'm on Remicade as well, but that's just so I have *some* predictability in BMs and only up twice in the middle of the night... I've been on Pred for like 3 months now. Tried lowering, but symptom came roaring back and the pred doesn't make me too hyper... that I can tell...
Posted 8/29/2018 1:22 PM (GMT 0)
It's still keeping me up all night...
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