Symptoms can vary in intensity and may last anywhere from a few days to several months after discontinuing the drug. The severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms usually correlate with the length of time a person was taking prednisone and the size of their regular dose.
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. Contact your doctor if you experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off the drug.
Nonetheless, if a healthcare provider prescribes prednisone, it's because the benefits outweigh the risks. Most short-term prednisone side effects, like headaches, nausea, and weight gain, go away once the dose is lowered or the steroid is stopped altogether.
The most common side effects of prednisone withdrawals are:
Body aches. Joint pain. Lightheadedness.
Key takeaways: Corticosteroids — like prednisone — can have serious long-term side effects. This is especially true when someone takes them for a long time or at a higher dose. Examples of corticosteroids side effects include weight gain, osteoporosis, eye problems, and increased infection risk.
The most serious prednisone side effects usually include allergic reactions, infections, gastrointestinal issues and elevated blood sugar. These may occur when people take larger doses or take the medication for long-term treatment.
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.”
It mimics the stress hormone cortisol. When taken for extended periods, prednisone interferes with the body's natural production of cortisol. As a result, it is not recommended to stop prednisone abruptly. Doing so can cause body aches, fatigue, fever, and other uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
More serious side effects may also be associated with Prednisone, including vision problems; eye pain; redness or tearing; sore throat, fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection; seizures; depression; loss of contact with reality; confusion; muscle twitching or tightening; shaking of the hands that you cannot ...
At this point, the adrenal glands need to be producing natural cortisol, as the Prednisone is no longer providing enough corticosteroid to keep the body functioning properly. At 5mg per day, it is usually advisable to reduce by only ½ mg at a time.
Steroid withdrawal syndrome occurs when there is an abrupt cessation or reduction of steroids in patients who take a supraphysiologic dose of steroid over a long period of time [4]. The symptoms are similar to adrenal insufficiency, but the patient's serum cortisol level is suboptimal.
But every now and then, steroid-based drugs like prednisone might cause side effects like brain fog, anxiety, and sleeplessness, says Dr. Blazer.
If symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever or unusual digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation) occur during corticosteroid therapy, notify your physician.
People taking prednisone can also experience higher blood sugar, which is a special concern for those with diabetes. Because prednisone suppresses the body's immune system, it can also increase the risk of infection. Therefore, some precautions need to be taken.
When a person stops taking prednisone, the body cannot immediately produce enough cortisol to make up for the missing drug. It may take several days or weeks before the body's cortisol production levels return to normal.
How long to take it for. This depends on your health problem or condition. 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.
You may start experiencing prednisone withdrawal symptoms such as weakness, mood swings, fatigue and lightheadedness, among others. You may start to feel like you don't have the energy to get through the day or unusually high-strung and anxious. It may seem as though your body has fallen out of balance.
Another study found that corticosteroid withdrawal syndrome was described in 21% of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These individuals experienced depression, fatigue, discouragement, and anorexia, which lasted for two to eight weeks.
Symptoms of corticosteroid withdrawal include: Intense fatigue. Physical weakness. Muscle aches.
There is no set limit on how long you can safely take prednisone. It depends on the dose of prednisone and the condition being treated. It may be prescribed short term or long term. The dosage will be adjusted or stopped based on your response or lack of response to the medication.
Even if you have side effects from the medication, don't stop cold turkey or cut back the dose on your own if you've been on it more than a few weeks. You could go into steroid withdrawal, which can have severe symptoms. It's safer to taper off prednisone. Your doctor will gradually lower your dose.
Official answer. The starting dose of prednisone may be between 5 mg to 60 mg per day. A dose above 40 mg per day may be considered a high dose.
Prednisone directly causes atrophy of muscle fibers (myopathy) leading to muscle weakness. This is a very common side effect of chronic (a few months or more) prednisone use but can be either mild or severe. Patients usually notice weakness most in the upper legs.