Connect
← Return to The lowest effective dose, how is it defined?
Discussion
The lowest effective dose, how is it defined?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (91)Comment receiving replies
I hope you don't mind if I step in and list some of the dangers of taking prednisone. I've been taking it for the past 8 months to treat PMR and GCA. I have a few of these side effects. I'm just listing these off the top of my head. I'm sure there are lots more.
Prednisone can raise your blood sugar and can cause diabetes in some people
It can raise cholesterol
It can cause weight gain
It can cause the redistribution of fat with fat being deposited in the face (moon face), at the base of the neck, and in the belly
It can raise blood pressure
It can cause insomnia
It can cause mood changes, such as depression, anxiety, etc.
It can cause problems in your eyes, such as glaucoma and cataracts. It is important to monitor
the health of your eyes when you're taking prednisone.
It can cause hair loss
It causes your adrenal glands to stop producing cortisol, so when you stop taking prednisone, you have to do it gradually so that your adrenal glands can become active again.
It can cause problems with muscles and tendons and make them more prone to injury
It can cause lower bone density leading to osteoporosis and fractures
Most of these side effects can be counteracted with diet, exercise, and supplements. Also the side effects depend on your dose and how long you take prednisone.
Replies to "I hope you don't mind if I step in and list some of the dangers of..."
Connect
"Most of these side effects can be counteracted with diet, exercise, and supplements. Also the side effects depend on your dose and how long you take prednisone"
------------------
After 12 years at Prednisone doses in excess of 20 mg most of the time ... I experienced most of the side effects you listed. I escaped lower bone density leading to osteoporosis. I'm not blaming Prednisone but I had a T-score of +5 in my lumbar spine which was called "normal" but not good. My problem was too much bone in places that it shouldn't exist. It was called heterotopic ossification (HO).
The following sums it up well:
" Myositis ossificans is the most common form of heterotopic ossification, usually within large muscles. Its importance stems in large part from its ability to mimic more aggressive pathological processes. Myositis ossificans is one of the skeletal “don’t touch” lesions."
https://radiopaedia.org/articles/myositis-ossificans-1?lang=us
----------------------
Heterotopic ossification (HO) is sometimes called a healing process gone awry or an "aberrant healing process."
"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28315426/#:~:text=Heterotopic%20ossification%20(HO%2C%20also%20termed,processes%20of%20osteogenesis%20and%20angiogenesis..
-----------------------
All I know is that my immune system has gone off the rails or sometimes my rheumatologist says it is "deranged."