Prednisone Side Effects

Posted by Native Floridian @nativefloridian, Oct 23, 2011

I live with someone that takes this medication and he is like Jekyll and Hyde sometimes. People have told me that this medication can make people act like that. Anyone else have experience taking prednisone long term? I don't know if I can handle living with him for the rest of my life. He gets verbally abusive when he gets angry and he can blow a fuse at any time. There is no way to know when he is going to get ticked off about something. He is very difficult to live with and the abuse has taken its toll on me.

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Guener | @guener | Oct 7, 2018

In reply to @kimh "And the forever hopeful...."maybe this is the combination that will work..."" + (show)

I have had experience with the steroid sparing effects of 6MP, a close cousin of azathioprine, and it worked for my Crohn's disease for about a year and a half before I had to stop due to a low WBC. That doesn't mean it will happen to you, but these drugs all have potential significant side effects. Like Prednisone, it will generally suppress your immune response, you may need periodic blood tests for blood or liver toxicity, and it can take a while for it to come on in effectiveness, but I surely hope it works for you! Some people with Crohn's have been on it for a long time with no problems like mine.

kimh | @kimh | Oct 7, 2018

Hi @guener
Thanks for the heads up! My doctor has ordered weekly blood work and I believe for the reason that you mentioned (WBC). Today is my first day on it, so I haven't felt any difference in my condition yet, but I have been experiencing dizziness. Hopefully that will settle.

seanlroop | @seanlroop | Oct 8, 2018

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @karent57 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear your husband was a..." + (show)

If anyone wants to learn more about my journey through hell (which turns out to be Adrenal Fatigue - or a touch of Addison's Disease) and how prednisone has helped me tremendously, I am happy to share with you one on one. Please feel free to private message me. If I help one person not to have to endure this as I did, then I feel great about it! That is one less person suffering. God bless you all as we all continue to look for answers, and thank you Mayo Clinic for doing what you do. There is a reason that you guys are #1 in the world for coming up with solutions to extremely complex medical problems. God sent us an angel with Mayo. Best, Sean.

karent57 | @karent57 | Oct 8, 2018

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @karent57 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear your husband was a..." + (show)

He was diagnosed with Big Cell Arteritis. When the Doctor first started the prednisone the dosage was so high they kept him in the hospital for 5 days. When he came home he was on 80 mg dosage per day, then after 3 months the Doctor started reducing the dosage bi-weekly. January my husband started on Acterma, as of May my husband has been he off of prednisone. The prednisone also put him into Diabetes

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Nov 6, 2018

In reply to @karent57 "He was diagnosed with Big Cell Arteritis. When the Doctor first started the prednisone the dosage..." + (show)

Hi, @karent57 - if you'd be interested in talking to others with Giant Cell Arteritis, we've had an active discussion on Connect about it: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/temperol-arteritis-or-giant-cell-arteritis

Marianne | @mrmie | Jan 5, 2019

In reply to @seanlroop "If anyone wants to learn more about my journey through hell (which turns out to be..." + (show)

@seanlroop. So do you mean there are doctors at Mayo who recognize and treat adrenal fatigue?! If so, that would be great. I have classic symptoms of cortisol
deficiency-- debilitating fatigue, salt cravings, increased thirst, hypoglycemia. I was told my ACTH stim test was normal. But after doing my own research, I learned that an am cortisol of 8 is not so normal. Thanks for any insight!

jallenaz | @jallenaz | Mar 26, 2021

<p>Missed prednisone dose for 24 hours</p><p>I realized the day before yesterday when taking my 5mg of prednisone that I had missed taking it the day before. Now I can feel pain in my left shoulder this morning. It seems to be getting a little worse as the day goes on. I know you aren't doctors on here but what would some of you recommend. I can't take the 5 mg now but maybe I should increase my dosage by 1 mg for a few days. I'm not sure what to do. I have not had any flare ups before this and I was cruising along doing really well. Now I've messed up and paying for it.</p>

Erika | @erikas | Mar 26, 2021

In reply to @jallenaz "Missed prednisone dose for 24 hoursI realized the day before yesterday when taking my 5mg of..." + (show)

@jallenaz That's a good question. Like you said, members aren't doctors. Have you messaged your provider to ask for the answer? It should be easy to do so.

I moved your question to an existing discussion so that you could connect with members in a central location.

Will you let us know what you end of finding out and doing? I wish you well.