Prednisone Response Time Facts

About Prednisone Response Time

Questions and Answers

how long does it take for the negative effects of prednisone to occur? Prednisone will be taken in response to a flair of Wegener's-autoimmune illness-mainly worried about "moonface" and abdomen swelling

stardust_07 replied: "Within two weeks the person will become puffier if they don't watch the food cravings. I don't know that illness though, so the effects could be different than when someone takes prednisone for other reasons."

17_peppers replied: "There is definitely a moon face that comes with taking prednisone for lengthy amount of time. It comes on gradually and the people that see you everyday may not notice it. The good news is, that is does go away. Even as you taper off - taking less and less everyday you will start to loose the moon face."

clueloopy_38 replied: "I've been on prednisone for about 3 months now for severe autoimmune allergies. I take a 30mg dosage by 10mg oral tablets. The tablets have an incredibly foul taste to them so I suggest swallowing them with some type of food, like pudding or even within a sandwich. I have developed somewhat of a swollen abdomen, but haven't had any signs of the moonface. The abdomen swelling just appears like larger gut which is somewhat hard to the touch. It almost looks like a ladies belly who recently became pregnant. I wouldn't let these effects deter you from taking prednisone. This drug has saved me from several anaphylactic reactions & therefore has saved my life."

What to do if a doctor or pharmacist will not listen about the side effects of prednisone? I posted a question a few days ago about prednisone, and the Response in general was talk to the doctor. Since then the situation with my husband who is on 50mg of prednisone for ulcerative colitis has gotten worse, he is on this for 10 days and then starts decreasing by one tablet per week until he is off it (so about the end of February). I pretty much begged and pleaed that he not go on this meds because he already has anger issues and tends to suffer from depression. He has gone to parenting groups anger management etc. and was doing well for about a year and half now. But that is all gone now and I feel like I am back to square one. Either he is yelling and screaming or will not talk at all (great this close to Christmas hey?). He is not eating right, sits in our room all day or goes outside in a fit of temper and shovels the driveway when the blower is sitting in the shed. He will not talk to the kids at all. I don't know if I should have his mother here for Christmas as his behaviour will scare the crap out of her because she was in two pass abusive relationships, so if he even raises his voice she cringes. Yesterday in a fit of temper he throw out our wedding album and ripped up our marriage certificate. He has moved all his belongs up beside the bed in a huge mound because he says its not his home any how he just pays rent to be here. Has accused me of acting more like a wife to our son then to him. Will not eat what I make and is surviving on weiners and sandwiches oh and pop and pretzels. The family doc says bear with it the er doc says bear with it as does the pharmist. But we are not made out of metal, the kids or I. I have tried not talking to him and giving him space, but then he comes to find me to yell at me. The kids are angery and confused as to what he is doing, I have explained it but they dont understand and think this a choice he is making. He mentioned he has nothing and may as well kill himself, I called the clinic they say oh just a side effect, he will get better as the dose decreases. Its to bad the medical profession is so high and mighty they can't listen to what I was telling them and have been telling them. Any ideas or suggestions on how to cope and how I can stop walking around crying. I try to be brave and take it but man it hurts and hurts alot. I told him I am hurting and he tells me I look fine. Sorry for going on and on but I think I need some advice and some place to vent. Thanks for any responces. Yes he is on asacol and entocourt as well as the prednisone, as I said he was responding well to the 5 asa or asacol so why in heavens name he has to be on all 3 I have no idea.

Mary replied: "Have you talked to a psychiatrist. Maybe they need to add a drug to deal with the side effect of prednisone. You have to be tapered off of prednisone. It is a slow process. On the other hand you should not have to deal with the side effects. He may need counseling as well. Best wishes."

Sally P replied: "aww love it sounds like you are having a terrible time. sorry to say but it would be very dangerous for your husband to stop his medication suddenly. but it sounds to me like he might have developed depression at the moment, and it may be that this won't go away once he is off medication. I think he needs to see a psychiatrist."

larry h replied: "if you feel afraid than call 911 and let the docs at the hospital deal with him ,, he will get better and understand why you did what you did"

Mariel replied: "the reason they are 'not listening' is that though the prednisone may cause a little irritability, that is not the main issue. your husband is probably just using this as an excuse to revert back to his misbehaving self. don't let him get away with it. you must not accept this behavior and blame the meds. he does have a choice in how he treats you. the dr might be able to prescribe him something to calm him down, but the problem seems much deeper. he must shape up or ship out, in my opinion. don't allow him to subject you, your kids or his mother to that kind of abuse. you deserve better. i am not without compassion for your husband but he's in serious need of professional help, perhaps even inpatient. you do him no service to allow him to behave this way. be strong and may God help and bless you."

kiwihelen70 replied: "Get him to a gastroenterologist. Prednisolone is not the only choice of meds for UC...there are others and your doctors are not being holistic in their management of him"

Anama replied: "Did a GI put him on Pred. w/o trying other meds like asacol or colozol first? There are other options for treating Crohn's. If having severe active disease, entocort (also a steroid, but on small rate of whole body absorption) may have been a better choice considering his issues. Go here for more information: Warning though, the meds cost a LOT. Personally, I'd move to your mom's for the duration of the treatment if they won't change the meds, since I can not imagine who is going to take him in with him acting like that. I really feel for you. You can always call and let the Dr. know his behavior is becoming more bizarre and the statements he is making. If you feel threatened at any time, you are going to have to call the police, even if it is the medication making him act up, it doesn't mean you should tolerate physical abuse. If you do have to call the police, tell them the name of his doctor and have them call his/her office about the situation themselves, there is nothing more you can do. Good luck, what a horrible thing to have happen right before the holidays."

Tapering prednisone dosage?? HELP!!!!? Homework question!!! Ally Peters, age 29, has asthma and is being treated with corticosteroids to reduce the allergic responses of the body: prednisone 10 mg #20. Sig: give on an eight-day declining scale. (Explain what an eight-day declining scale dosage means.) What is the breakdown of the tapered dose???

Linzy<3 replied: "It means you take more at the beginning and slowly wean yourself off of it."

I have MS and have recently been givin Copaxone, can only who has been on this med tell me about their exp? I have been diagnosed a little over a year ago with MS. I have been on Prednisone and have recently been prescribed Copaxone and Provigil (due to recent MRI results). Can anyone who have been on these drugs tell me their stories and the effect they have had one on or both of these medications? Any response would be of help. Thank you!

Jan L replied: "It's been 12 years since diagnosis for me and I've been on Copaxone for 9 years. I noticed major differences within 3 weeks of starting Copaxone. I was walking better, my mri's were better and my spasticity was better. Nine years later I am still walking. Fatigue is still an issue. Injection site reactions were the only issue and those have long since gone away. I took provigil for awhile and it does help with fatigue but it gave me bad headaches so i don't still take that. Let me know any specifics re Copaxone and i will answer. I have a few tricks to help it go pretty easy. I know many people connected in the MS community as well as Teva - the manufacturer of Copaxone so let me know how I can help. ~ jan"

How much Prednisone should I prescribe myself? This question is posed to anyone who has enough knowledge about pharmaceuticals to recommend a dosage of prednisone. I am asking on behalf of me and me alone, and I will not sue you or in any way attempt to penalize you if you recommend a dosage and it winds up killing me. I promise. I've had poison ivy several times in my life; each time, the reaction spreads quickly and is very severe. Needless to say, I am experiencing the effects right now and have been for about 3 days; I would rate my discomfort level at around an 8 out of 10. I'm afraid I cannot afford a doctor visit, as I am uninsured, but each time I went to see a doctor, he/she has prescribed prednisone/deltasone/predone/etc. like clockwork. Having a limited but considerable knowledge of pharmaceuticals (and the internet at my fingertips), I was thinking that I should take one 5mg tablet once a day for about a week. Does this sound about right? Any knowledgeable responses are welcome and appreciated. I'm not interested in any "don't prescribe yourself" answers. I', looking for a solution, not criticism. If you're too ignorant to answer the question properly, then don't bother answering; I won't listen to you. I know all of the harmful effects involved, and will be taking those risks because I have deemed that I need to. A doctor does not need to be in this equation. I'm just looking for a second opinion.

Heather replied: "you don't "prescribe" anything for yourself. you take the dosage that your doctor tells you to. you aren't a doctor, no matter how much you claim to know. go to a clinic."

Cribber replied: "Sit in a warm bath of epsom salts and you probably won't need the prednisone. But prednisone has to be ramped up and back down, so just taking 5 doesn't sound like correct dosage."

bob_berwanger replied: "ZERO milligrams. See a prescriber (MD, DO, CRNP, PA). Do not try to do this on your own. Steroids are usually safe and effective when used under the supervision of a medical professional. Self-medication with leftover pre ion medications is just a bad idea. I'm sorry for your suffering with this current case of poison ivy."

bob a replied: "This is a dangerous drug you are playing with, the side effects ars serious and perminant.I do not recomend taking it as I have seen the side effects first hand The reaction you are having is an alergic reaction to poison ivy, good old benidrill will do more good than prednisone without the side effects."

i'm muslim replied: "i'm assuming that what do you mean by poison ivy was an inflammatory condition that caused by contact with poison ivy. prednisone is a steroid and steroid can kill if taken without knowing it very well because it can lead to addisonian crisis. this is life threatening condition. there are many other drug that you can try and it can't lead to obvious life threatening condition like steroid. for example: -antihistamine tablets (most commonly known: benadryl) -calamine lotion check out below link for more information"

*RKF* replied: "ask a pharmacist =]"

Rockford replied: "5mg is not enough. You need at least 40 mg a day. If it was me, I'd take 60 mg for 3 days, then 40 mg for 3 days, then 20mg for 3 days and then finally 10 mg for the last 3 days. If you feel tired, you can even taper it down to 5 mg for another 3 days. (not a doctor)"

Is excessive thirst a common side-effect in dogs on prednisone? My dog, who weighs about 60 pounds, is on 5mg of prednisone a day for respiratory problems. This is the third time she's been on it, and this time, the vet agreed to let it be long-term. The previous two times, she was on it for a week and it cleared her coughing and wheezing right up, but it came back. All her bloodwork and chest x-rays came back normal, so this is all we can do to keep her from coughing and hacking. The vet said that, with it being such a low dose for her weight, she shouldn't really have too many side-effects. We've already noticed a bit of weight gain and some mood disturbances, which we've read are normal, but the most alarming symptom is her thirst. We'll give her a full bowl of water and she'll drink the entire thing, then want more. She typically has to have two bowls of water before she's satisfied. I know its hot out and she has all that fur, but our other two dogs aren't drinking anywhere near as much as her. My biggest concern is a hepatic problem or diabetes, but I don't want to be a hypochondriac if this is just something normal for dogs on prednisone. I've worked as pharmacy tech before, but all my knowledge is about side-effects is in humans, not pets. And please, don't leave one line "take her to the vet" responses, it makes you look like an uncaring tool that just wants a quick 2 points. I know that eventually we're going to take her to the vet to make sure, but I just want to make sure I'm not jumping the gun, and wanted to see if anyone else had similar experiences. Note: We are going to try cutting the pills in half, making them only 2.5mg, just to see if it lessens the side-effects but still helps the breathing condition. Is this a good idea or not?

Lorraine replied: "Immediately, and without reading the rest of the question, the answer is a huge YES. I have my old boy on them and the vet warned me about this. So yes. I also am trying to cut down in quantity. (On vets advice) just read the whole lot, and I must say that two bowls in one go is a lot, but I do see a big difference with my boy."

SADIE replied: "no it is not! your vet gave the dog a specific amount you should not change that with out talking to your vet. don't ask a question like that of strangers they are not vets and don't know your dogs problems"

TritanBear replied: "Yes it is and it will make them also urinate tons more and at times urgently. My vet told me right off the start that my guys thirst and hunger would increase. My Lab got 2mg a day and he weighs 113lbs and that small dose made him drink gallons of water like he had not had any in days. My Lab has been on it here or there for a week or two for allergies but I hated it because of how uncomfortable it made him with the constant thirst and urination. It is a very common side effect."

Maltese Mom replied: "Yes, thirst is a side effect and the side effect of drinking so much is peeing a whole lot. Reducing the daily dose may help or possibly giving the full dose every other day would work. Any time you have a dog on pred, the lower the dose, the better for your dog."

Dale A replied: "Talk to your vet about this: Yes, excessive thirst (technically referred to as polydypsia) is a common side effect of prednisone. This is often accompanied by polyuria (together called PU/PD) Some dogs are more sensitive to prednisone than others. You may have to monkey with the dose a bit to get the side effects balanced with the benefits, but don't do this without consulting with your vet (a phone call will do)."

ScottieDog replied: "Please do not change the dosage of this medication without discussing with your vet first. Prednisone typically needs to be "weaned off" and the dosage gradually reduced over a set number of days. An abrupt change could cause problems. My dog took a small round of steroids recently and it made him drink a huge amount (and of course urinate more as well). It took a couple of weeks for his drinking to return to normal after ending the medication. I know you will be taking your dog back to the vet soon since you probably need to do followup bloodwork, but your vet will not mind if you call and express your concerns. You may want to watch your dog's water consumption and know a near approx. of how many cups she is drinking per day. This will help your vet. Know that excessive thirst can dilute the urine and besides diabetes there are complications such as Cushing's disease, liver and kidney problems. Steroids can cause problems, but sometimes they can give a better quality of life and are needed. Good luck and check with the vet before decreasing the dose."

Please answer! i need immediate response to this. OPEN!!? Okay so i am 12 years old and i have a bad case of bronchitis and a REALLY bad cough. So my doctor put me on Prednisone 20MG Tablet. If you could tell me what the side effects are. Also my friend said it will cause me to break out (have acne), is that true? Just so everyone knows prednisone is steriods. but i am not taking the steriods those base ball players sneak in their system. (no offense to them)

Nan replied: "This is a question better asked of your doctor and your parents than here, where you will likely receive a ton of wrong and potentially dangerous information."

TCCIC replied: "Talk to the pharmacist who prepared the medication for you. A pharmacist, your nurse, or your doctor are professionally trained and professionally qualified to educate you about medications."

Jose replied: "Prednisone is often used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as a host of other diseases. It can be very effective in getting acute IBD symptoms under control, but the list of potential side effects that this drug can cause is extensive. Answer: Some of the side effects from prednisone can be very upsetting, especially physical ones such as facial "mooning" (the face taking on a moon-like swollen shape), acne, and increased hair growth (hirsutism). Increased appetite, mood swings, and difficulty sleeping can also negatively affect quality of life. The good news is that these side effects do go away when the dosage of prednisone is tapered down and discontinued. How long it will take depends on the length of time that prednisone was used and the dosage. The body itself produces a substance that is equivalent to about 5 mg of prednisone. A short course of 10 mg of prednisone a day may not cause side effects. However, either a dosage of 10 to 20 mg a day for a month or more -- or a dosage of more than 20 mg a day for any length of time -- could cause troublesome side effects. As the prednisone dosage is tapered down below 10 mg a day and eventually discontinued, temporary side effects will lessen and reverse. It should be noted, however, that some potential adverse effects of prednisone are permanent, and discontinuing the drug will not reverse them. This includes glaucoma, cataracts, osteoporosis (bone weakness), and osteonecrosis (bone death)."

doctor replied: "this is a steroid, prescribed here for its anti inflammatory effects. The course in this case will be quite short and should not lead to undesirable side effects."

I wonder how many people took this section seriously and have been disappointed with lame responses? I was suffering miserably with some type of weed rash, poison ivy maybe or allergic to tomato plant. I went to dr because my face was such a mess, eye swelled shut, and they gave me an injection and started me on prednisone. I was still itching terrible 2 days later and wondered if I needed another injection. My responses were "thought weed was for smoking". Now that is just lame if you ask me. So I deleted my question.

cutiepie81289 replied: "some people just don't have brains and that's all i can say"

Robin J. Sky replied: "I think deleting the question altogether was a little overreacting. Just because one or two dumb people make dumb comments doesn't mean there aren't plenty of friendly, helpful people. :)"

Children & Allergies? There is really 2 issues here....My 5 year old son is allergic to oranges, orange drinks and anything with orange dye in it. I expressed this verbally upon interviewing the school as well as filled it out in numerous medical forms, and it's on his shot records. Yesterday they had someone's birthday party and they had cupcakes with orange frosting, the assitant teacher gave him the cupcake he told her he was allergic, and she told him "you can't possibly be allergic to orange frosting". Instead of listening to him, or checking with the teacher, or checking his fiile, or calling me, she made him eat the cupcake. When I picked him up from school I noticed a minor break out, by the time we got home it had progressed to the point that he had huge knots on his forehead, and was covered in hives that sat up like a silver dollar all over his face....his mouth was swollen and with hives as well. This is all prior to my knowing about the cupcake. I asked him what did he eat, he said an orange cupcake & asked who gave it to him and he told me. I rushed him to the er. By this time he was completely covered head to toe in the hives, knots, bumps & welts, they took him back to a room before they even asked me or him our names or insurance or anything. This is how bad he looked upon arrival. He was also breathing heavily. They gave him steroids (prednisone) plus benadryl....to stop the swelling and itching, and prescribed other meds, plus he has to be home from school due to the side affects of the meds. Turns out they didn't accept my insurance so I will be receiving a hefty bill plus pre ions. 2nd issue, I tried calling the school & the emergency# 18 times from the moment he told me what they gave him to eat until we were in the er no answer on any lines, i left several messages, and go no response. After it was all over I sent an email, and still this afternoon no response. I wrote a letter to the teacher and we talked briefly this morning. Please share your insight.

pennypincher replied: "It sounds like you have legitimate grounds for a lawsuit. The school should at least be responsible for the medical bills."

Dog's weight fluctuating? I posted this just the other day but got no response. It's a little more active today so I'm trying again. I have a beagle/dachshund mix that has a kind of weird problem I can't figure out. Every once in a while she suddenly starts to lose weight at a fairly rapid pace. Instead of feeding her the usual one cup a day I feed her two cups a day. She gains the lost weight back fairly quickly, I change her back to her usual amount of food and for the next six months or so she's perfectly fine. I've taken her to the vet before and the vet suggested putting her on puppy food temporarily (she eats Wellness) which I did. After she was done with that I went back to her regular food and she was fine until up to a year later. She has allergies and the itching is so bad she has to be on prednisone. I don't know if this has anything to do with the pred, the vet has never mentioned weight loss as a side effect not to mention she wasn't on prednisone the first time she started to lose weight. Her stool is fine, coat is gorgeous, energy is fine, no vomiting, no signs of stress, it's just the weight loss. What makes this so difficult is that health problems are common in her: allergies, UTIs, ear infections; and it's hard to deal with several issues at once. Obviously, you can't tell me exactly what's going on. But has anyone heard of this before or have any suggestions? Does anyone know of any tests I can have done at the vet's office and look for something specific?

Amber replied: "My dog is the same. Try changing her feed to something different, go to your local pet shop and ask for information on it from the people who work there. I would think you need to feed her one scoop in the morning and one at night instead of feeding her two at night. If this doesn't put weight on, contact the vet again. Goodluck and i hope this helped. Amber"

walking lady replied: "I don't know of anything that would cause her to lose weight that isn't a serious illness - diabetes, kidney or heart problems, or cancer. None of that can be the case with her because she gains weight and is otherwise healthy. Can you keep her on puppy food if she does well on it? It won't hurt, just higher in protein so you need to monitor her weight to make sure she doesn't gain too much. One of my dogs was on prednisone for quite a few months and he gained weight from it. People do, too, so you can't attribute her weight loss to prednisone."

Patient Paws replied: "The only thing that I can think of is that she may be showing you the early stages of diabetes. My Aussie cross has the same problem, and he'll go from 90 pounds to 75 in less than a week. Every so often we have to go get his blood retested, have his medication adjusted, and weigh him in to make sure he's not dropping to rapidly. If you suggest this to your vet and ask him to do the test, he should."