Indigestion: Prednisone can lead to stomach irritation for some people. This is much more likely to happen if you're also taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at the same time. Other digestive changes, like diarrhea, are not common side effects of prednisone (more on this below).
Gastrointestinal symptoms: Take your doses of prednisone with some food in your stomach. If the drugs irritate your stomach, mix in antacids for help.
Steroids can irritate the lining of the stomach by inhibiting prostaglandins – these are substances that help protect the stomach lining. Excessive irritation can lead to stomach ulcers.
Gastrointestinal issues
Description: corticosteroids can cause some gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain/cramps in the stomach and/or acid reflux. These symptoms are mild and can be treated relatively easily by your doctor.
Fluid retention is one of prednisone's most famous side effects. “'Moon face' is common, which is swelling in the face that can occur after you've been on steroids for a long time,” Dr. Ford notes. “You can also get swelling in the legs and midsection.”
Does prednisone cause diarrhea? Diarrhea is not a side effect you need to worry about with prednisone. If you have new diarrhea and you're taking prednisone, something other than the medication is likely the cause. In rare cases, gastric irritation from prednisone can cause a bleed in the stomach.
Prednisone has a tendency to raise the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, which can cause increased body fat or diabetes in some people. It is important to avoid "simple" carbohydrates and concentrated sweets, such as cakes, pies, cookies, jams, honey, chips, breads, candy and other highly processed foods.
A 5-day course of prednisone can cause short-term side effects, including changes in mood, appetite, sleep, and energy. The severity of the side effects depends on the dose of prednisone. Low doses are less likely to cause adverse effects than high doses of prednisone.
Based on a half-life time of 2 to 3 hours, it would take 14 to 21 hours for prednisone to leave the body. This is an average and may be different depending on a person's age, weight and general health.
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.
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.
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.
Acute prednisone side effects
These can occur within days to weeks of starting the medication and may be cause for adjusting or even stopping the medication (with guidance from your doctor, of course).
You may only need a short course of prednisolone for up to 1 week. You may need to take it for longer, even for many years or the rest of your life.
Specific medications in this group include (in no particular order) Flovent, Pulmicort, QVAR, Asmanex, and many others, both brand-name and generic. These are medicines that are similar to prednisone, but the dose is much lower than prednisone taken by mouth, and the side effects are dramatically reduced.
This medicine may cause changes in mood or behavior for some patients. Tell your doctor right away if you have depression, mood swings, a false or unusual sense of well-being, trouble with sleeping, or personality changes while taking this medicine.
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.
Also, increase your intake of low-fat foods that have high calcium levels. Some of these include corn, sardines, almonds, broccoli, milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, cooked soybeans, boiled white beans, and salmon.
Eat a well-balanced diet including 2 rich sources of potassium daily, such as orange juice, apricots, banana, cantaloupe, baked potatoes and tomatoes. Do not take potassium supplements unless prescribed by your physician.
If you are taking Prednisone just once a day, take it in the morning with breakfast. The morning is best as it mimics the timing of your body's own production of cortisone. Taking your dose of prednisone too late in the evening may cause difficulty sleeping.
Prednisone is often given to treat inflammatory flare-ups of medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, asthma or severe skin rashes. You may feel sleepy or tired while you recover. If your tiredness does not improve, contact your healthcare provider.
Official answer. Prednisone usually works very quickly, within a few hours to days of taking the first dose depending on the condition you are treating. If the prescribed dose of prednisone is effective at reducing your inflammation, then you may notice an effect within hours.