Side effects of corticosteroids taken by mouth A buildup of fluid, causing swelling in your lower legs. High blood pressure. Problems with mood swings, memory, behavior, and other psychological effects, such as confusion or delirium. Upset stomach.
Long-term use of prednisone may lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. It can cause changes in the distribution of body fat which together with fluid retention and weight gain may give your face a moon-like appearance. Stretch marks, skin thinning, and excessive facial hair growth are also not uncommon.
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.
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.
Prednisone has many side effects. You're more likely to experience these side effects with higher doses and longer courses of treatment. Common short-term side effects include changes in appetite, mood, energy, and sleep. Long-term prednisone treatment can lead to weight gain, osteoporosis, and cataracts.
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.
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.
Increase in Energy. Prednisone can cause an increase in energy. You may also develop insomnia, or difficulty sleeping. Taking the medication in the morning may help to prevent this.
What is prednisone? Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory steroid and jack-of-all-trades that is prescribed to treat conditions such as: Poison ivy. Sore throat.
Official answer. There is no set limit on how long you can safely take prednisone.
Does prednisone have lingering effects? It can. While most side effects of prednisone resolve after you stop taking it, some may be permanent. These include vision problems like cataracts and glaucoma, and problems with bone health, including thinning bones (osteoporosis) and bone death.
Topical steroids
The fear of using corticosteroids is so common that it has its own name: corticophobia. For topical steroids, this fear stems from well-known and severe adverse effects like Cushing syndrome and permanent skin atrophy.
Serious Prednisone Side Effects. 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.
This study suggests that prednisolone increases the risk of a range of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular diseases. It concludes that this risk increases with the dose and duration of steroid treatment. People on high doses develop a risk similar to those with diabetes.
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.
When your moon face is caused by prednisone or another steroid, the simplest treatment is often to reduce your dosage. Your doctor can put you on a lower dose. Over time, being on a lower dose will reduce the appearance of moon face.
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.
Official answer. Prednisone does not usually cause sleepiness but may make you feel dizzy, irritable with mood swings, or cause you to have trouble sleeping (insomnia). If your dose is stopped too quickly or if you take prednisone for a long period of time you may feel severely fatigued.
It's more common with higher doses. But it can happen with lower doses taken long term, too. In one study, people who took low-dose prednisone over 2 years gained 4% to 8% of their body weight. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs, you could gain 8 to 16 pounds over 2 years while taking low-dose prednisone.
My advice is to limit your food to whole foods: Vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat and a limited amount of whole fresh fruits, healthy fats (such as avocado, olive oil), plain yogurt, kefir and cheeses and whole grains like oats (unsweetened oatmeal) and quinoa.
Your symptoms may be a return of inflammation, not withdrawal. Tapering too quickly can cause a flare to happen. If your disease flares, you may need to go back to a higher steroid dose for a short time to get the inflammation under control.
Steroids should ideally only be used for a short period of time to get over a flare-up or while long term treatments, such as azathioprine, become established. If you are starting a course of steroids, then you should complete the full reducing course, which is generally prescribed for eight weeks.
If you are taking prednisone to treat a long-lasting disease, the medication may help control your condition but will not cure it.