I had NONE!  I was on it for hives and discovered I was having too many dangerous side effects.  I read and was told by many that I shouldn't/couldn't just stop taking it without some kind of trouble...what, nobody could say.

 So I just wanted to let people know that maybe I'm the exception to the rule, and that I had absolutely no discernible adverse reaction to just stopping that poison.  I feel fine, no hives, no more swollen face and neck....what a relief!

 My doctor called me three times the first day to make sure I didn't explode, I think.  I don't know what she was expecting, but she told me if I got "really sick", I should go immediately to urgent care.  She was very happy to hear at the end of the day that I felt fine.

I wouldn't take Prednisone again if you held a gun to my head.  I would rather have hives than poison myself with that stuff.  But of course, I am happy I don't have hives any more.   

 Sharon, I'm heading to bed, but saw this and wanted to answer.

I don't know how long you actually took Prednisone, but I think it would have to be long term for any withdrawal to happen...if there would be one.

I don't know much at all about Prednisone, other than I used to take care of a woman who had to be on it for lung problems, and it was a long time thing for her....and I don't know how long it took for her to develop the round puffy face, but she sure did.  I picked up a picture she had in a frame, and innocently asked her if it was her sister.  She laughed and said, "No, that was me about a year ago".  

I developed a rash (this was quite a few years ago also) and I think it was an allergic reaction to Scrubbing Bubbles....I had cleaned the tub, rinsed it, then took a bath....Before I was even out of the tub, I started itching, and before the day was over, I was covered with a bad rash, and ended up in the ER...I was sent immediately to a dermatologist and even though it was never discovered what did cause the rash, he put me on Prednisone.  I wasn't on it but about 2 weeks, and it started affecting my eyes.  I couldn't see across the street.  I called the dr. and he said he didn't think it had anything to do with the Prednisone, so in a few days, I went to my family dr....he said the same thing.  No, it wasn't the Prednisone.  I said, yes it was...and took myself off the stuff and my eyes cleared up. 

I will never use it again either. 

well Sharon, you are lucky and it sounds like it was more of a choice for you.  I know some who have taken Prednisone, including myself.  I came down with Bells Palsy once and they put me on it along with an antiviral medication.  I know it helped me.  Maybe you hadn't been on it that long or your does was very minuet?  Regardless there are reasons MOST people should taper down from the medication.

Just something I found on the subject.  I would hate for anyone else to think they should just stop the medication.

Tapering should be gradual to avoid the flares of disease that can occur with more rapid discontinuation. Also, because, the adrenal glands are suppressed, sudden discontinuation of prednisone can be associated with significant problems. This is particularly an issue if the patient has been on more than 5.0-7.5 mgs per day for more than thirty days.

The primary consideration here is shock and death. Both may occur particularly in the face of stressors such as infection, injury, or surgery. While alternate dosing or doses lower than 5.0 mgs may lessen the chance for adrenal suppression, the risk is still there.

I had a bad exacerbation of my COPD nearly a  year ago, and they put me on Prednisone in the hospital.  I think I took it about 10 days total, and that was including the decrease of the pills.  I  was on it a long time ago for a lung infection, and I don't remember why I hated it, but didn't want to take it long term again either.  But the time last year didn't bother me.  I guess I wasn't on it long enough. 

I had hives one time and I think I took Atarax.  That took care of the itching.  

 Mountainmama, it was the Prednisone, for sure...one of the bad side effects is impaired vision, so I read!  Man, that stuff is poison!!!  It should be banned!

I was on it for about three weeks and it really messed me up and yes, the swollen face, trouble breathing, pounding heart, sick to my stomach, fuzzy thinking, dizziness whenever I bent down, no sleep, depression, mood swings, weight gain....worst thing I ever took. 

Disney, my dose was 60 mgs...seems high, doesn't it?  Was on it for three weeks, tapered down to 20 mgs, got hives again and back to 60 mgs.  That was my mistake, taking it back to 60. 

Sharon, I don't think you were on it long enough to have any trouble, but this is from the Mayo Clinic, and it can be dangerous to just stop taking it.

Prednisone withdrawal: What are the symptoms?

Why does prednisone have to be gradually tapered off? Why can't I just stop taking it?

- Leonard / Virginia

Answer

If prednisone isn't discontinued gradually, you run the risk of developing prednisone withdrawal symptoms. So you shouldn't stop taking the drug without first consulting your doctor.

Prednisone is corticosteroid medication used to treat many conditions, including arthritis and asthma. Prednisone is similar to cortisol, a hormone naturally made by your adrenal glands. However, the amount of prednisone used to treat underlying disease is much greater than the amount of cortisol produced by your body.

Because long-term use of prednisone can cause serious side effects, doctors try to use the lowest dose possible for the shortest time possible. Still, there are instances when long-term prednisone therapy is needed.

When you take prednisone for a prolonged period, your adrenal glands stop making cortisol. After you stop taking prednisone, your adrenal glands need time to resume their normal function. If you abruptly stop taking the drug or taper off too quickly, you will develop symptoms of prednisone withdrawal — also known as cortisol deficiency. Such symptoms include:

• Severe fatigue
• Headaches
• Lightheadedness when standing (low blood pressure)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Body aches

The amount of time it takes to taper off prednisone depends on several factors: the disease being treated, the dose and duration of use, and other medical considerations. A full recovery can take anywhere from a week to several months. If you experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off the drug, contact your doctor.

 Hmm.....I had many of those symptoms while I WAS taking it, and they stopped when I got off it.  My doctor was concerned about me just stopping but when she heard my face was swollen and that I couldn't catch my breath and about the trouble concentrating and dizziness, she said stop immediately.  It was a struggle to get up and move around while I was on it, so you can imagine how hard my trip to Japan was.  I just had to pretend I felt fine but I sure didn't.

I didn't start this thread to say everybody should do what I did, but I wanted to let people know that it IS possible to just stop and feel much, much better.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Many people will just keep taking it because the doctor said to...and I was scheduled to be on it for an additional 20 days.  I just could not let it ruin my performances and from the way it was going, I knew that would happen.

I'm on Zyrtec and Ranitadine now and I feel just fine. 

Here's some more from Mayo---You can look down and see the side effects from taking the oral kind.  I know I didn't like what it did to me.  But I just found the bottle I had from last year. Why I didn't throw it out, I don't know!  But I was on it for 15 days.  The tapering down was 40mg for 4 days, 20mg for 4 days, and 10mg for 4 days. 

I'm glad you are feeling okay now!  

Karen

Prednisone and other corticosteroids: Balance the risks and benefits

Weigh the benefits and risks of corticosteroids, such as prednisone, when choosing a medication.

Corticosteroid medications, such as cortisone, hydrocortisone and prednisone, have great potential in the treatment of a variety of conditions, from rashes to lupus to asthma. But corticosteroids also carry a risk of side effects. Working with your doctor, you can take steps to reduce the medications' side effects so that the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks. Find out more about corticosteroids to help you decide whether this type of medication is right for you.

How do corticosteroids work?

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Adrenal glands

Corticosteroids mimic the effects of cortisone and hydrocortisone — hormones your body produces naturally in your adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys. Corticosteroids help control:

• Stress of illness and injury
• Immune function
• Inflammation

Corticosteroid medications are chemically similar to your body's natural steroids and duplicate their actions. When prescribed in doses that exceed your body's usual levels, corticosteroids suppress inflammation, which can reduce the symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and asthma.

Researchers don't fully understand how corticosteroids suppress inflammation. One theory is that they deactivate a protein associated with inflammation. Another is that they alter the function of cell membranes.

How are corticosteroids used?

Dozens of corticosteroid medications are available today. The drugs are front-line treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, asthma, allergies and many other conditions. They also treat life-threatening conditions such as Addison's disease, in which the adrenal glands don't produce enough steroids, and help prevent organ rejection in transplant recipients.

You can take corticosteroids:

• Orally. Tablets, capsules or syrups help treat the inflammation and pain associated with certain chronic conditions such as arthritis and lupus.
• By inhaler and intranasal spray. These forms help control inflammation associated with allergy and asthma.
• Topically. Creams, ointments and roll-ons can help heal many skin conditions.
• By injection. This form is used to treat such signs and symptoms as the pain and inflammation of tendinitis, severe musculoskeletal pain or serious rashes from poison ivy.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

• Cortisone shots: Relieve joint pain at the source

What side effects can corticosteroids cause?

Like all medications, corticosteroids carry a risk of side effects. Some side effects can cause serious health problems. When you know what side effects are possible, you can take steps to control their impact on your health.

Side effects of oral corticosteroids
Because oral corticosteroids affect your entire body instead of a particular area, this form is the most likely to cause significant side effects. Within days or weeks of starting oral therapy, you have an increased risk of:

• Elevated pressure in the eyes (glaucoma)
• Fluid retention, causing swelling in your lower legs
• Increased blood pressure
• Mood swings
• Weight gain, with fat deposits in your abdomen, face and the back of your neck

When taking oral corticosteroids longer term, you may experience:

• Cataracts
• High blood sugar, which can trigger or worsen diabetes
• Increased risk of infections
• Loss of calcium from bones, which can lead to osteoporosis and fractures
• Menstrual irregularities
• Suppressed adrenal gland hormone production
• Thin skin, easy bruising and slower wound healing

Side effects of inhaled corticosteroids
When using inhaled corticosteroids, some of the drug may deposit in your mouth and throat instead of making it to your lungs. This can cause coughing, hoarseness, dry mouth and sore throat. Gargling and rinsing your mouth with water and spitting it out after each use may reduce such effects. Although some researchers have speculated that these drugs slow growth rates in children who use them for asthma, studies show that they don't affect final adult height.

Side effects of topical corticosteroids
Topical corticosteroids can lead to thin skin, red lesions and acne.

Side effects of injected corticosteroids
Injected corticosteroids can cause side effects near the site of the injection. Side effects may include pain, infection, shrinking of soft tissue and loss of color in the skin. Doctors usually limit corticosteroid injections to no more than three or four a year.

Reduce your risk of corticosteroid side effects

Despite their side effects, corticosteroid drugs remain an important medical treatment. To get the most benefit with the least amount of risk:

• Ask about low-dose medications and intermittent dosing. Newer forms of corticosteroids come in varying strengths and lengths of action. Ask your doctor about using low-dose, short-term medications or taking oral corticosteroids every other day instead of daily.
• Ask about switching to nonoral forms of corticosteroids. Inhaled corticosteroids for asthma, for example, reach lung surfaces directly, reducing the rest of your body's exposure to them and leading to fewer side effects.
• Make healthy choices during therapy. When you're on corticosteroid medications for a prolonged period, talk to your doctor about ways to minimize side effects. You may need to reduce the number of calories you eat or increase your physical activity to prevent weight gain. Exercise can help reduce muscle weakness and osteoporosis risks. And taking calcium and vitamin D supplements and prescription bisphosphonates, such as alendronate (Fosamax) or risedronate (Actonel), can minimize bone thinning due to corticosteroids.
• Take care when discontinuing therapy. If you take oral corticosteroids for prolonged periods, your adrenal glands produce less of their natural steroid hormones. To give your adrenals time to recover this function, your doctor may advise you to reduce your dosage gradually over a period of weeks or even months. If the dosage is reduced too quickly, you may experience fatigue, body aches, lightheadedness and difficulty recovering from minor illnesses.

The greatest risk to your health during corticosteroid withdrawal is the inability of your body to respond to the acute physical stress of serious illness, injury, surgery or general anesthesia. This can lead to shock and even death. Because additional corticosteroids can be given to you in preparation for surgery, it's important that you tell all your doctors if you have taken corticosteroids during the preceding year.

Weigh the risks and benefits of corticosteroids

Remember that corticosteroids are neither as awful nor as miraculous as they've been portrayed. Although they may cause a range of side effects, they may also relieve the inflammation, pain and discomfort of many different diseases and conditions. If you work with your doctor to make choices that minimize side effects, you may achieve significant benefits with a reduced risk of such problems.

Quit being the drama queen. Firts the accident now this. Prednisone is a drug that has a lot of good uses. In fact without it I probably would be dead now. I have Crohn's Disease, and it wasn't diagnosed until 1982 and first started having symptoms in 1978. It is or was in those days very hard to diagnose, so I lived with the stomach cramps and diarhea for for years. then I started vomiting. I couldn't keep food down, and lost 50 pounds in two months. I went to a new Dr who ordered the same tests that I had before. and the areas of imflamation were there, and they probably wouldn't have shown up 1 year earlier. He started me on massive doses of Azulfadine, the begining form of Asecal and Pentasa. I started vomiting even worse abd couldn't keep anything down. he sent me to a specialist who started me on 60 mg of Prednisone for the first week. I felt like I was reborn .I could do things I couldn't do before. Gradually we reduced the dosage to 2.5 mg every other day. if I totally stopped the cramping started again, so I stayed on that dose until 1985, I started having real bad cramps and vomiting. I was having a bowel obstruction. I was in my first year of college, and the stress at home was interfering. my Dr tried to switch me to Imuran, but I kept having obstructions. I had five before I gave in to have a Bowel resection. Now the only time I take Prednisone is when my Asthma kicks up, and that is only a week which is a piece of cake, Or a PB&J(Rivate joke).

 Oh brother...why do you call this being a drama queen?  No need for that...just a stupid comment.  Just skip that part next time.

For a serious disease such as yours, perhaps Prednisone is good...and if you didn't have the side effects I had, then that's really good.  Sorry you were so sick for so long.  I had an acute case of hives...huge ones that covered my torso and arms, one as big as my whole upper arm.  Who knows why. One can only hope that hives doesn't become chronic, and I really think that there must be some other treatment to try first before resorting to something like Prednisone.  When I read through the list of side-effects, I couldn't believe how many I had and how quickly.  That is why the doctor took me off it immediately.  I couldn't breathe sometimes and  my heart pounded so hard it kept me up at night.  I have a history of being unable to take medications even in the smallest dosage due to this kind of reaction....which is why I don't treat my low thyroid.  

Anyway, on another thread, I mentioned this issue and people warned me against stopping suddenly, so I wanted to let them know that I was fine after stopping.  That's all.  No drama intended.  So stick your sharp tongue back in your head next time and skip on by.  I don't bother you, please extend me the same courtesy. And for you to make a  snide comment about my accident...is very unkind.  Gee, if something awful happens to you, better not mention it, just take it all yourself and don't bother us with it!  Shaking my head at you......

Debbie, DivaDumDum can't be anything BUT a drama queen. LOL 

 Prednisone is a medicine that keeps many people alive.  If the worst thing that happens to you is a case of hives, you're a lucky woman.  You can go on and on about the most trivial ***.  You and Pags tie for Attention Ho Queen.  If something really serious ever happens to you let's all pray you don't have internet access, as it could go on for years. LOL  You had a rash, you got medicine, you got better.  End of story.  See, simple isn't it?

My only problem with prednisone is that I like the way it made me feel other than my face looking like a beach ball! It made me feel good. Taking it for lupus and arthritis made my symptoms feel much better but did not like what kind of side effects I could have. The only problem I had with it was the swelling. I won't take it again because for me it can be addictive because how good it made me feel. My brother had MS and it made him feel better also.

I am very glad that you are okay.  I know the evils of Prednisone too well with having Lupus.  It is a first line defense med used to help control the illness.  I have pictures of me about 5 Christmas's ago and I looked so bloated and bad.  I finally started tapering off the Prednisone and it was amazing.  I lost about 75 lbs rather quickly and my face looked normal again.  Unfortunately, I have to go on it off and on with the illness I have and it has taken it's toll.  Trying to lose the weight again and build back up to being normal right now, along with trying to avoid Methotrexate (chemo).  I think the medicine can do wonders, but sometimes the side effects are just so bad that it is hard to continue.  I even bought a book about Prednisone when I was on the medicine the first time for so long.  It was written by a rhuematologist and had lots of good info in it, but the book even talked about the pros vs the cons of the med.  The most important thing with any medicine is knowing your own body and what your body can and can't take.  It sounds like you knew your body well enough to know that it wasn't dealing with Prednisone well.  Take care and hopefully you won't ever have to take it again.

 mammawgof10- Debbie: 

this post is a perfect example of the down-side of the internet.

a lot of bad information spread around, and gullible people will believe it as gospel.

get informed, do the research! don't let someone tell you half-truths and lies.

this is scary!