Long Term Prednisone Users | Arthritis Information

 

Have you been on Predinsone long term?

I was on pred when first dx in Sept 05 and I couldn't stand it! My heart was racing, I was sweaty, eyes bulging, felt like a real b*tch and acted like one, my head pounded!!!! SO every since then, I haven't taken pred. Flat out told RD, I don't want it, don't give it to me cuz' I will not take it!! hahahaha... you are the 1% of all side effects printed hehehee!! Not funny... but it is. I started out at 20mg last summer, i am down to 4.5mg, The last 10mg has taken me months. I am also on mtx,and enbrel and i still flare every 1/2mg i go down. I also think it is making me friggen crazy! I would rather be addicted to narcotics than EVER going on this again. i know it has saved countless of lives,but i just wish i new than what i know now. incredable how hard it is on your body to decrease it 1/2mg!

kel

I am not taking it.  I will fight with all I can to avoid ever taking it.  Or at least any long term.   I have wittnessed first hand what long term use of it can do.  (My Mom has been on it for a very long time and will never be able to go off of it).

 

I wish all well and hope no one ever experiences what she did.

My sister has been on 5 mg. prednisone for nine years and just recently had to bump up to 7 every other day.  So far it doesn't seem she's had any ill effects from this long term use.  I've been on prednisone for 2 1/2 years. I started on 10mg, and just stayed on it because it made me feel so good. About a year and a half ago I started weaning (because of symptoms of glaucoma), but when I got down to 5mg, I got terribly sick, and my doctor had to bump me up to 20 mg. Now that I'm on a Humira and MTX combo, my body is handling the inflammation, and I've been able to wean down to 2mg with no problems (so far). I'm reducing by 1/2mg a month, and hope to be totally weaned by July or August. treefrog0012008-03-17 07:46:33I had an injections each month for years with pred packs in between. THey were my saving grace for severe pain while raising 2 kids as a single mom and going to college in severe pain.

 

  I would not have done it differently . With that said, I did develop probs from it that I must live with forever, osteo, eye probs, ect. But..........that is what I needed at the time, no regrets.

Thanks for the replies, Everyone I've been on pred for something like 10-years. I was up to 10 mg. daily, and am now at 7.5. I have no plans to get off of it. It's the only medication I take.

i also take a medrol pak about three times a year.
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