you guys LIKE prednisone??? | Arthritis Information

Do most of you tolerate prednisone well? I had a hard time on it. Also, how many are on it for a fairly long time? And do you have side effects? Do you have weight gain? Does the drug itself make you gain? Or does it cause your appetite to increase? That is one side effect that freaks me out. Love, Juliah

Juliahh; everytime I've been on predisone...which has been numerous over the years; I have been in such bad shape I was so happy to have the relief that I didn't even mind the side effects.

It's been a life saver more than once for me, and works faster than anything they have ever given me. I have always just been on what I consider to be short coarses over a couple months time....started at a higher dose and slowly tapered down until I was off it.

As far as side effects, yes. It made me edgy, and sometimes fighting mad mean. It did increase my appitite a great deal, but when I'm coming out of a serious flair my weight is way down and my doctor wants me to gain it back anyway.

Your doctor can prescrib an antidepresant that will help with those symptoms though. (not the weight gain; the moodiness, edgy...all that)

Now I've never been on it for long periods of time....lots of folks here have, and I'm sure they can give you the break down of how that works.

All in all...it's a wonder drug for me. I love it...in the right situation.

Good Luck!!

Lovie

I have a love/hate relationship with it. It makes me depressed...or contributes to my depression. But, the relief I get from it is so nice. I gained weight because of a combo of pred and depo-provera. I always gain when I am on depo. For me, it didn't noticibly increase my appetite but that may be because, I always lose my appetite when I'm flaring. So, for me, getting me to eat is a good thing at times. I prefer the systemic injections to being on it orally. I don't get the mood issues on the injections.

I HATE prednisone, but there are times when I MUST take it. Its a very delicate balance for me, it eases the inflanmation and the pain, but wreaks havoc with my heart condition, so I have to really be careful with how much and how often I go on it.

The weight gain is annoying, but luckily wasnt a HUGE amount.. and the mood swings don't hit too often. But all and all I would really rather get a shot in the affected joint than go the oral route.. Just so many joints are affected.

I hate prednisone and am very resistant to taking it. As you may remember from the old expecting board, I have some rather serious weight issues. So gaining is very hard for me. And Prednisone also makes me anger easier.

However, it does wonders for the joint pain and it gives me loads of energy. So, when I'm in a flare and the doc really recommends it (or when I get stinking poison ivy), I'll take it.

It's a matter of the lesser of two evils really.

Juliah,

I was on prednisone for two years straight, at a low dose most of the time, increasing when in a flare. I don't remember having any side effects, other than awful weight gain. It didn't increase my appetite, but I did gain a ton of weight. And by the time I started going off of it, my stomach was in such bad shape that I ended up losing all of the weight and then some, very quickly. Now I have a hard time gaining again. My stomach is very sensitive now. Don't know if it's something that was started with the Pred. or not, since I haven't been on it for almost two years now, but I'm still having the stomach problems. That's why I'm putting it off as long as I can. Unfortunately, the way I've been feeling, I just may break down and go back on it. It does work.

Sorry I can't be of more help than that.

Cris

Juliah, It scares me as it gives me a "euphoric feeling". I feel CURED within 24 hours of first dose. It is the side effects that I read about that scare me. I know it treats the symptoms but does not slow down the progression. It also is less and less effective the more I use it. I have been on and off for a year now. The injection was not as effective as oral. I gained some weight but it came off easily in between times I was taking it.

Juliah:

I have a love-hate relationship going with prednisone. I love it because I can somewhat function while on it. I hate it because I have gained a ton of weight while on it. It, in the beginning, made me ravenously hungry. I also hate the fact that ultimately it is hard on the bones.

Without pred, I become a vegetable -- stuck in my recliner, unable to function. I tried coming down from pred recently on a slow wean process. I decreased my daily dose slowly from 10 mg. to 5 mg. per day and when I hit 5 mg., I was unable to move. It was like hitting a brick wall. My joints flared so badly that I had to temporarily go up to 15-20 mg for a short term, just to get stabilized.

I'm back at 10 mg. -- and the love-hate relationship continues.

Janis

I love how it makes me feel better but hate everything else it does.

I hate to take prednisone!!!

Thanks too prednisone I get to have my esophagus scoped later this summer. I'm really looking forward to having this done.