Hi guys, I posted a while back (well not TOO long ago) that I was going off enbrel in favor of methotrexate and prednisone alone. (a personal decision after lab reports showed a high lymph count)
I know its the prednisone. The doctor has given me 5mgs a night and I have NEVER, EVER, EVER felt so wonderful since getting RA.
Believe it or not I have LOST weight from increased activity.
I went to the forest the other day and went on an actual NON-PAVED trail!
I use to not be able to tolerate walking on non paved surfaces because of the pain from stepping on a pebble, let alone tree roots, dirt clumps and heavy rocks. I do have some damage in my ankles. Both ankles do not rotate in a circular pattern, but it even seems as if, with all my extra activity I have breaking up some of the diseased synovium inside of the joints. Its very painful and rickity but it seems like I have regained about 5% movement since the prednisone has taken away the inflammation.
I have researched prednisone articles, forums, and prednisone facts and it appears that the moon face, buffalo hump and eye sight issues dont really appear unless your taking over 10 or 20 mgs a day. Does anyone know about this?
Yesterday I was watching the poltergeist and I looked up the little girl star of the show and discovered she has passed away at only 12 years old. She had severe complications from crohns -- you could tell on her third taping (poltergeist III) because she was on an extremely high dose of prednisone and looked IMO pretty odd. I have never seen a severe moon face before.
Hi-
Prednisone is for sure a miracle drug, and makes us feel "normal" again. Sounds like you've researched it, so you know you can't stay on it forever. The most serious complication that comes from long term use Addison's disease, where your adrenal gland shut down and stop producing enough cortisol on it's own. Pretty important to your overall health, so not a good thing to lose it. Prednisone just provides extra, for those times when your body can't produce enough--like when yolur RA is flaring. I'm sure your doc has already told you all of this...
Goo luck to you!