Prednisone and vertigo

I haven't been on prednisone since my PMR went into remission back in 2018 but I was fortunate enough not to have had any of the dizziness/vertigo side effects. There are other members that have commented about the side effects and hopefully will share their experiences with you. While you wait, here is a search of other members comments that have mentioned dizziness and other side effects from prednisone - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/comments/?search=prednisone%20side%20effects%20%20dizziness.

There are also many discussions on prednisone side effects - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/discussions/?search=prednisone%20side%20effects%20%20%20.

Thanks, John.

Yes I had dizziness and it was worse when I had my one cup of coffee in the morning. Then it got better. But it is possible that the dizziness was not prednisone. In three months I hope to be done with prednisone and may try coffee again. Age 66 and ten months into prednisone and PMR.

I will admit to having significant periodic dizziness since my prednisone use started. My cardiologist and GP both performed tests to rule out any potential underlying causes but prednisone seemed to be the culprit. I have had some difficulty tapering prednisone due to increased PMR pain and the dizziness has persisted. I am now on a biologic and hope to be able taper more quickly and finally be rid of the dizziness and other prednisone side effects. Good luck! ❤️

My dizziness happened on high doses of prednisone and recurred when my prednisone dose was less than 7 mg. It wasn't so much prednisone that caused my dizziness ... it was my blood pressure.

In my early stages of PMR and taking prednisone I was having blood pressures in excess of 200/100. I'm not sure what caused my blood pressure to go so high but I suspect it was prednisone. I was referred to a cardiologist when left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and cardiac arrhythmias were detected on an EKG. The cardiologist said my heart was "irritable" and being "stretched" because my blood pressure was so high.

LVH was reversible if my blood pressure could be lowered. Three blood pressure medications lowered my blood pressure to borderline high. Symptoms of cardiac arrhythmias can include dizziness, fainting, or the feeling of a skipped heartbeat.

All was well as long as my blood pressure was controlled. My heart adjusted to borderline high blood pressure until my prednisone dose decreased to 7 mg. On lower doses of prednisone my blood pressure decreased.

Nobody thought to decrease my blood pressure medications until I tapered off prednisone. I was having some serious dizziness with black out spells but not actually passing out. My blood pressure was low normal so my GP suggested that I stop one of my blood pressure medications. My blood pressure remained low normal and I still had dizzy spells. I talked my GP into stopping another blood pressure medication. My dizzy spells lessened but didn't completely stop.

I "suggested" to my GP that maybe I didn't need blood pressure medications anymore. She resisted but allowed me to stop my last blood pressure medication. My dizzy spells stopped and my blood pressures remained perfectly normal.

Since stopping Prednisone --- 3 blood pressure medications, warfarin and atorvastatin have all been stopped. My cardiovascular system normalized except my cholesterol level was slightly higher when I stopped atorvastatin. Zetia was started instead of atorvastatin.

It could have been underlying vasculitis that contributed to my problems but it was more likely prednisone. I was never diagnosed with GCA but it was always possible.

Thanks, everyone. Prednisone is such a shit show!

Not everyone would say that. For the most part, I liked prednisone when I was taking it. Call me a wimp or whatever but I could not tolerate the pain. I depended on prednisone because it quickly and reliably stopped all kinds of pain -- not just PMR pain.

Now that I have found something that works just as well for me and is better in terms of fewer side effects -- I'm very glad to be off prednisone. I believed that prednisone wasn't doing too much harm to me. It seemed like I had no choice but to take prednisone.

My beliefs changed after I got off prednisone. Only then did I realize everything that prednisone was doing to me. I have come full circle after I was able to taper off prednisone. I feel so much better and my quality of life is improving. Now I never want to take prednisone ever again.

Maybe prednisone is a "necessary evil" until better options exist.

My doc calls it a miracle misery.