Prednisone does not usually cause sleepiness but may make you feel dizzy, irritable with mood swings, or cause you to have trouble sleeping (insomnia).
Sugary foods: Because prednisone can cause high blood sugar levels, try to cut back on meals and snacks high in sugar or carbohydrates. This is not just a problem for someone with diabetes. Blood sugar spikes can make anyone feel tired and sluggish.
Hyperactivity. While prednisone is not a stimulant, it can make you feel more alert or jittery. “It doesn't really interrupt sleep, but some patients find it keeps them awake when they don't want to be,” Dr. Ford says.
Prednisone affects areas of the brain that manage the regulation of different neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine — the “feel-good” hormones. Feeling happy is a great side effect some people feel with prednisone.
How long will it take to work? Prednisone generally works very quickly — usually within one to four days — if the prescribed dose is adequate to reduce your particular level of inflammation. Some people notice the effects of prednisone hours after taking the first dose.
Most commonly, they can make you feel more active, or even euphoric. If you end up taking your steroid dose later in the day, they can keep you awake at night and impact your sleep/wake cycle. Steroids can also cause confusion, especially in older patients and when given in high doses for long periods.
You should tell any doctor or dentist treating you that you are taking steroids. Some key drugs that interact with steroids include anticoagulants (such as warfarin), drugs for blood pressure, antiepileptics, antidiabetic drugs, antifungal drugs, bronchodilators (such as salbutamol) and diuretics.
Steroids do not tend to cause significant side effects if they're taken for a short time or at a low dose. But sometimes they can cause unpleasant side effects, such as an increased appetite, mood changes and difficulty sleeping (insomnia). This is most common with steroid tablets.
They can lead to early heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure, and psychiatric problems. In addition, stopping steroid use can cause depression, often leading to resumption of use.
It works by calming down an overactive immune system, which can reduce swelling. Taking prednisone for a short period of time can cause side effects like changes in appetite and mood, sweating, and trouble sleeping. People taking it long term can experience weight gain, high blood pressure, cataracts, and osteoporosis.
You may notice mood changes and mental health problems while taking prednisolone. Talk to your doctor or contact 111 if you have any mood changes including: feeling depressed. feeling high, or moods that go up and down.
Steroids may impair your ability to fall asleep, especially when they are taken in the evening. Self-care tips: If possible, the physician will try to have you take your entire daily dose in the morning. This may help you sleep better at night (evening doses sometimes make it difficult to fall asleep).
Some steroids are more effective in promoting weight growth (bulking) while others are more effective in reducing weight and lowering body fat percentage (cutting). However, it's common for bodybuilders to combine more than one steroid. Stacking is the term for this phenomenon.
If symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever or unusual digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation) occur during corticosteroid therapy, notify your physician.
There's no official definition. But over 30 days is generally considered long-term steroid use. Most often, oral corticosteroids are prescribed for roughly 1 to 2 weeks — and only for very severe symptoms. But for certain chronic health conditions, corticosteroids may be necessary for months or even years.
It's best to avoid drinking alcohol while taking prednisone or other corticosteroids (“steroids”). Alcohol can make some steroid side effects worse. It can also sometimes worsen the underlying condition being treated. On their own, steroids, like prednisone, and alcohol can suppress your immune system.
Sometimes a person will think that fluid retention is akin to weight gain. Fluid retention can cause weight gain but as steroids are reduced, fluids will usually reduce as well, along with some of the weight gain. Drinking plenty of water and exercising can help with fluid retention.
A gradual reduction in prednisone dosage gives your adrenal glands time to resume their usual function. The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. A full recovery can take a week to several months.
Reduction in body fat – Steroids are able to reduce body fat which has been identified as a result of an increased metabolic rate. Some experts also believe that steroids are able to oxidize fat, this is known as lipid oxidation. This refers to using fatty acids for the production of energy.
Not to be confused with anabolic steroids, which are used to increase muscle mass, these medications are highly effective at reducing inflammation in the body. But, like all medications, steroids can have some negative side effects. About 70 percent of people who take steroids long term will experience weight gain.