Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is used to treat a variety of conditions including: asthma, adrenal insufficiency, Cron’s disease, inflammatory diseases, some types of cancer, hives, nephrotic syndrome, lupus, Meniere’s disease, and hives. It is also used to help with organ transplants by preventing bodily rejection to the new organ. This is a drug that is also used to help with severe migraine headaches, leukemia, lymphoma, and various types of tumors. It works by replacing steroids that are naturally produced by the body.
Essentially this is a drug that mimics your body’s natural hormones produced from the adrenal glands. When prescribed in significant doses, Prednisone works to help suppress inflammation. In the event that a person’s immune system is attacking its own tissues (as is the case with autoimmune diseases), this drug can help reduce activity by suppressing immune system functioning. It affects the “HPA” or hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis when taken longer than 7 days.
Although Prednisone can be a life saving drug when used to treat certain conditions, others that are on it for a less-significant condition may be extremely unhappy with the drug’s side effects. If you can no longer cope with the side effects as a result of Prednisone use, it may be time to withdraw. Once you have spoken with your doctor about withdrawal and have made up your mind, you will want to educate yourself on the potential symptoms that you may experience upon discontinuation.
Factors that influence Prednisone withdrawal include:
When it comes to any medication, there are factors that influence the severity of withdrawal. Various factors that will play a role in determining how difficult the withdrawal process is include: time span, dosage, individual physiology, and whether you quit cold turkey or tapered. If you experience a very severe withdrawal, it is likely due to one or more of these factors.
1. Time Span
How long have you taken Prednisone? In general the longer you are on this particular steroid, the longer it’s going to take your body to readjust to functioning without it. If you are on it for longer than 2 weeks, it can affect your adrenal glands’ ability to produce cortisol. Therefore your body and brain become dependent on the Prednisone for everyday functioning when taken for an extended period. If you are only on this drug for a couple weeks, you should have a much easier time coping with the withdrawal compared to someone on it for months and/or years.
2. Dosage (2 mg to 80 mg)
Since this drug is used to treat a variety of conditions, the dose that you are taking will depend on the condition that you are treating. The maximum recommended dose per day is 80 mg. Most people are taking somewhere between 2 mg and 30 mg per day. In any event, the greater the dosage you take for an extended period of time, the more severe your withdrawal symptoms will likely be. Someone that is on a very low maintenance dose of Prednisone should have a much easier (and quicker) time withdrawing compared to someone who is on the maximum recommended daily dose.
3. Individual Factors
Since this is a powerful corticosteroid, it likely will result in withdrawal symptoms in nearly everyone that took it for an extended period of time. However, the severity of those symptoms can vary depending on the individual. People that were on very high doses for a long term may have a very severe physiological response upon discontinuation, while others may have less of a reaction.
Just know that what you experience may be more or less severe than someone else – as everyone’s situation is different. One person may recover from their withdrawal within a few weeks, while another may experience aches and pains for months following their last dose of Prednisone. The recovery time varies among different individuals.
4. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering
It is never recommended to quit taking Prednisone “cold turkey.” It is thought that if you quit taking this drug cold turkey from a relatively high dose, it could result in potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. If you were on Prednisone for an extended period of time, your body likely has become fully dependent on this drug for functioning and providing cortisol.
Since your body has stopped naturally producing cortisol, stopping Prednisone cold turkey can be a recipe for disaster. Why? Because your adrenal glands may not be able to kick back in and produce cortisol. Therefore it is important to gradually “wean” off of this drug to give your adrenal glands some time to pick back up with natural production.
In order to prevent doing damage and or experiencing a nasty cold turkey withdrawal, some have recommended reducing the dosage of your medication by 5 mg every 7 days. If you are unsure about how to taper, be sure to talk with your doctor and voice any concerns you have. If you were on Prednisone for a very short term (i.e. 7 days or less), it is alright to quit cold turkey.
Prednisone Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities
Below are some common withdrawal symptoms associated with taking Prednisone. Recognize that these are some symptoms that you may experience upon discontinuation from this particular drug. Also understand that you may not experience every symptom listed below and that the intensity of withdrawal will likely differ based on individual circumstances.
- Abdominal pain: Many people notice intense abdominal pain when they first stop taking Prednisone. This may be in the form of intense stomach aches and/or burning sensations throughout the stomach.
- Anxiety: Many people report depression, but a lesser reported symptom is that of anxiety. You may feel somewhat nervous and/or have relatively intense anxiety during withdrawal. It is thought that this is a result of hormonal changes and HPA functioning.
- Body aches: Many people report severe body aches when they stop taking this drug. These aches may last for weeks following your last dose of the drug. If they become too intense, you should consider tapering more gradually.
- Decreased appetite: Since Prednisone is associated with significant increases in appetite, when you stop taking it, you will likely notice a major decrease in appetite. You may have constantly felt hungry while on it, but when you quit taking it, your appetite will significantly drop off.
- Depression: Another common symptom to experience upon discontinuation is that of depression. You may feel very depressed in conjunction with significantly low levels of energy. This is in part due to lack of stimulation. Your adrenal stores need to build themselves back up for you to feel normal. Just know that your brain and body will eventually fully heal as time passes.
- Diarrhea: Some people report diarrhea when they first come off of this drug. If you are experiencing this, be sure to pick up some Imodium (available over the counter) – it should help ease this particular symptom.
- Dizziness: This is a common withdrawal symptom from any drug. If you feel dizzy, just know that it should go away within a few weeks. The most intense dizziness should subside after the drug has been out of your system for a week.
- Fatigue: Most people end up having to deal with extreme levels of fatigue and low energy when they quit this drug. If you feel fatigued, just know that it is a result of your body withdrawing from a drug that it has depended on for functioning for a long period of time. Additionally you no longer have adequate amounts of cortisol to provide the body with energy. It will take some time before these homeostatic levels are reestablished.
- Fever: Some individuals report having a fever when they stop this drug. This is your body’s way of trying to readapt to functioning without Prednisone. The fever should not last more than a week or so after your last dose. If it persists, be sure to consult your doctor and/or another medical professional and consider a more gradual taper.
- Headaches: Since this drug actually helps many people with severe headaches, coming off of it may result in even more extreme headaches than initially experienced. Some individuals report constant headaches, while others report full-blown migraines during withdrawal.
- HPA Changes: Anyone who has taken this drug for an extended period of time will exhibit changes in their HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). In other words, the adrenals are no longer producing sufficient levels of cortisol because they have become accustomed to receiving the Prednisone. Therefore even if you gradually taper, it will take your body awhile to get its natural production of cortisol back up.
- Joint pain: It is extremely common to feel pretty intense joint pain when you stop this steroid. This joint pain is caused by lack of natural cortisol production. In some cases it could be due to inflammation during withdrawal. Avoid excess physical stress and activity until the pain subsides.
- Low blood pressure: Some individuals experience blood pressure drops when they discontinue this drug. Although it increases blood pressure while taking it, many people experience rapid reductions if they discontinue too quickly. In some cases if blood pressure gets too low, it can lead to dizziness and fainting. Be sure to monitor your blood pressure when you quit this drug.
- Low blood sugar: Many people experience low blood sugar when they come off of a corticosteroid like Prednisone. You may want to monitor your blood sugars when you discontinue and keep some sweets around in the event that it dips out of the ordinary.
- Mood swings: People feel fatigued, low energy, and have depression as a result of their withdrawal. It is no wonder that some individuals experience mood swings and/or changes when they quit taking this drug. Just know that these should stabilize when the body heals.
- Muscle soreness: Some people notice muscle soreness and/or pain that does not go away for an extended period of time. The best thing you can do for yourself is to take some sort of over-the-counter pain relief to help yourself cope with this symptom.
- Nausea: You may feel extremely nauseated when you originally stop taking this drug. The intense nausea should only last for a few days and then gradually improve. Assuming your doctor conducted a gradual taper off of Prednisone, the nausea should not be long-lasting.
- Shaking: Many people have reported uncomfortable “shaking” in the limbs including the hands and feet. This is not as common of a symptom, but one that has been reported that can make life uncomfortable for awhile.
- Skin rash: In some cases a person may develop a skin rash when they first quit taking Prednisone. Some hypothesize that burning and/or itching skin could be a result of nerve irritation beneath the skin. If you are experiencing a skin rash or irritation, just know that it’s likely from the withdrawal.
- Suicidal thoughts: When you first quit taking this drug, you may notice that your depression becomes overwhelming to the point of triggering suicidal thoughts. If you feel suicidal at all during withdrawal, make sure you talk to a professional about it. Just know that as your adrenal stores build back up, your depression will gradually subside and your thinking will return to normal.
- Vomiting: Some people report vomiting when they stop Prednisone. This vomiting is usually a result of tapering too quickly and not giving your body a chance to gradually adapt to functioning without the drug. If you are vomiting, it could just be that you are hypersensitive to withdrawal and/or are withdrawing too quickly.
- Weakness: It is common to feel muscle weakness and an overall sense of malaise when you first come off of this drug. It should take your body a few weeks and/or months to fully recover from feeling very week and achy. This is just your body’s way of reacting to functioning without a drug that it has received constantly over an extended term.
- Weight loss: Individuals that are on Prednisone for the long term tend to pack on a pretty good amount of weight. Obviously the amount of weight you gain will be based on your individual circumstances. Most people notice that they begin to lose weight a few weeks after they have fully discontinued this drug.
Note: It is thought that Prednisone stays in your system for less than 24 hours after your last dose – meaning it has a short half-life. Discontinuation symptoms are thought to be a result of the body attempting to recalibrate itself to functioning without the Prednisone.
How long do Prednisone withdrawal symptoms last?
The time it takes you to fully withdraw from Prednisone will depend on individual circumstances. In most cases, the withdrawal symptoms should clear up within 3 to 4 weeks after your last dose. The half life of Prednisone is only 1 hour, but most people report post-acute withdrawal symptoms lasting well after the drug is cleared from the body. A full recovery can take anywhere from a week or two (lower doses) to several months.
If you are experiencing pretty extreme pain as a result of the withdrawal, be sure to take some over-the-counter pain relief. In addition to OTC pain relief, most people recommend increasing the amount of salt and sugar that you eat. This is because when you stop taking Prednisone, your body usually has low blood sugar and low blood pressure. If your withdrawal symptoms persist for an extended period of time and/or are so severe that you cannot function, it is likely that you withdrew too quickly.
Anytime a person is on 5+ mg of Prednisone for 7 to 14 days, sudden discontinuation can result in an adrenal crisis. Work closely with your doctor, follow guidelines, get plenty of rest, and lay low as your body and mind recover. Eventually you will return to normal functioning once your body and brain readjust to functioning without steroids. It should be noted that some people report “Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency” as a result of taking corticosteroids like Prednisone.
In this event, it has taken people 12 to 24 months before they experience full “recovery” back to homeostasis. As was mentioned, the longer you are on the drug, the more gradual the tapering process should be and the longer you should expect withdrawal symptoms to persist following your last dose. As long as you work with your doctor and withdraw VERY gradually, you should be able to experience a full recovery. If you have experienced withdrawal from Prednisone or are currently going through withdrawal, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.
Predisone has been an awful experience for me. Initially I was manic/anxious and unable to sleep for a huge period time. After a two week taper and end of the dosage I have been in a near state of constant panic. My doctor has prescribed Xanax for the next several days but it only slightly masks the anxiety. I have gone from sleeping four hours a night (interrupted) to over 12 hours and still waking up exhausted.
I’m so glad I am not alone. I’ve been on Prednisone for 7 moths for Sarcoid, and when I reported my symptoms to my specialist, he literally told me, they were not caused by tapering off the drug. He told me to contact my PCP and that I most likely had the flu. I started at 40MG and am now down to down to ten MGS every other day. With every cut I’ve had sweating, chills, severe headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and joint pain. Guess I’ve had the flu all along huh? Beyond frustrated.
I was on prednisone for 20 months for Subacute Cutaneous Lupus. I had been up to 60 mg. then weaned to 25 then flared and so back up to 60. After a really slow weaning process (cutting back 1/2 tablet per month in 2 week intervals I am now off and have been for 17 weeks. At 1 tablet alternating with 1/2 tablet I began the joint and muscle pain then the fatigue and nausea. I have been here in the same state since then. My life has had to change substantially. I will see my internist in a few weeks and then he retires. If he tells me it will take “X” number of weeks, or months more then I will grin and bear it, if not I will feel totally abandoned!
I’ve been on Prednisone for the last 7+ years – at doses ranging from a low of 10mg/day to 20mg twice a day for severe Rheumatoid Arthritis.. After my most recent hospitalization, the RA team of doctors wants me OFF prednisone. So – I went from 20mg 2x daily to 10mg 1x daily. After 5 days, they reduced me to 5mg daily or 4 days, then zero! To say it’s been HELL is an understatement: Pain lower back, shoulders, wrists/hands, sore muscles (calf muscles mostly) and feel very weak.
I’m jittery, dizzy, can’t focus my eyes, am exhausted after only 1/2 hour of being on my feet. So I sit down, and fall asleep for an hour or sometimes more. I think my taper-off was too abrupt/steep. SO – I modified it myself to 2.5mg 2x daily, then I’ll drop to 1x daily, and finlly 1x every other day. As SOON as I took that first 2.5, my withdrawal symptoms dramatically decreased. The slower – long term taper is working for me.
Thank you for your posts as they have brought me to tears. I was on prednisone for 14 months for Giant Cell Arteritis starting with 60 mg day and then tapered off slowly. I already had arthritis but since stopping the prednisone 7 weeks ago I ache all over–I hate to complain but it is day and night. I am relieved to hear it is probably the prednisone withdrawal and will go away.
I was prescribed 40 mg for 2 weeks. After 6 days I didn’t think I would live to see the end of 2 weeks. I looked online and saw that potassium deficiency is caused by Prednisone, and many of my symptoms matched with potassium deficiency. So I started taking potassium and eating things that had potassium. It is the only thing that helped me survive to the end of week 2. After 2 weeks my doctor. told me to just stop taking it, no taper. It’s been 5 days now and I feel like I have the flu. My body aches and I feel like I’m in a stupor. I can’t wait for this to end. I feel badly for those who have had worse reactions. This stuff is poison.
Currently on 60mg per day for the past 9 months for Myasthenia Gravis. Got all the symptoms of prednisone poisoning – plus to frighten blog readers further, they caused cataracts in both my eyes and I have had double laser keratotomy in the past 6-weeks. It is hell! Currently withdrawing by 10mg per month and I am feeling tired, depressed and stupid due to the memory loss.
I am also a myasthenia Gravis patient. I certainly understand. I was diagnosed about 1.5 years ago in a total crisis. Couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breath, etc. 3 IVIG treatments 60mg prednisone and lots of mestinon brought me out of it. I started to taper off the prednisone about a year ago, replacing it with cell cept. Today, the myasthenia seems to be under control with the cell-cept.
I have been totally off prednisone for almost 3 weeks. Not fun! Body aches, fatigue and yes memory loss. I saw my eye doctor last week and he told me that I have a cataract in each eye, probably prednisone related. I am functioning but it’s difficult. I’m hoping this withdrawal doesn’t last forever. We’ve been through enough with the MG. Hang in there!
I was given prednisone for treating inflammation in the lungs from Tuberculosis. I was put on 16 mg for the first two weeks 8 for the next and finally 4 for the last two. I have to say the TB nor its treatment was as direct and harsh as the withdrawal symptoms I’am experiencing now. The dizziness and Sleep deprivation have subsided. The nausea and upset stomach symptoms are still really bugging me. I’am 24 years old and just now taken up a new job. The symptoms though not as painful as I think are REALLY a huge factor that makes you absolutely useless to function normally in your life.
The anxiety and fatigue does not let you to think any other thing other than “will I be normal ever again”. But I feel that as it is evident from the above comments and million more on the internet, One must be patient to allow his body to adjust back to its normal self, which after reading through a lot of people appears to be at least 5 -6 weeks for a minimum dose and course. I believe we all can make it back to our normalcy, just have to be patient and brave.
I was on prednisone for a treatment for my Kidneys. I was prescribed 60mg a day for 3 months then tapered down over the next 3 months. I have been off this drug since Dec 17, 2014. On the drug I had so many side effects from extreme swelling, fatigue, insomnia, and the list go on and on. Now off the drug I have extreme joint pain. I hurt all day and struggle to do everyday functions.
I was physically fit when starting this drug and now feel like I am 90 years old. (I am 46 by the way). Would love to hear what people do to deal with the pain. OTC drugs just don’t work and my quality of life is terrible at this point. I just want to be able to do normal things again like taking walks with my kids and exercising. I hope we all recover soon from this Devil drug.
Interesting article, I am currently in the process of tapering of pred and have found it very tough going. Made a couple of errors in the tapering and dropped too fast a couple of times and now I feel awful. I have brain fog all the time, have difficult concentrating and talking to people and I just feel lifeless and depressed. I am currently stuck on 5mg and I feel there is a long road ahead of me to get off them and go back to feeling normal and enjoying life again.
I’m 30 years old, diagnosed Crohns Disease in 2011 (when I was 26) went unmedicated almost the entire time until last August 2014. Went into a pretty bad flare up and was put on 60 mg of Prednisone per day two days after my flare started. This controlled my HORRIBLE Crohns flare within 48 hours and I thought this was a MIRACLE drug! I felt great for the whole first month I was on it! Then I started to hate it.
I had severe depression, anxiety, “moon face” (swelling and roundness in the face), growth of body hair, shoulders, arms and even the face! These things only added to my insecurity and depression. I had the shakes as well as terrible insomnia. I have to take Ativan and melatonin to even begin to fall asleep before 1 am. My mood swings were so awful I would scream at people and tell them I hated them and threw and hit things. Just not myself at ALL!
I began to taper 5 mg per week once I started Humira (which I’ve also heard terrible things about) By February I was off the prednisone completely. Now, I have such sever pain all throughout my body. My joints hurt so bad I feel like Im 90, I can barely move my hands in the morning. My neck feels like I slept on it wrong every single day. The pain is just everywhere and everyday it stays the same. Nothing has gotten better and I wonder when and IF I will ever be back to normal.
I’m confused if it’s withdrawal from prednisone or side effects of Humira? Its a scary position. OTC pain killers do absolutely nothing for this pain. No one seems to take it seriously, even my doctors! When you have Crohns, prednisone can be a life saver, but it is also the drug from hell. Anyone else been on prednisone for a similar amount of time and experience these withdrawal symptoms? If so, how long did they last? I just want to feel better :(
I too had severe aches and pains from withdrawal from prednisone. It passed about 4 weeks after stopping it. The anxiety was better after getting off 2.5mg. Had to be put on it again for my surgery. Tried to beg her not to put me on it, but she did and I am having the same side effects. I hate it!
I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, and more specifically, Minimal Change Disease. Prescribed prednisone at 80mg per day originally. Took the drug at varying dosages for over a year. One month ago my Nephrologist (the second by the way) decided it was “poisoning me” and decided it was time for me to quit. At that time I was taking 40mg daily. Did a 3 week taper until I was off the drug. Unbelievable muscle weakness in my legs, between my shoulder blades, my neck and arms!
A small flight of stairs makes me totally exhausted. Also upon standing I get dizzy to the point of nearly passing out. Blood pressure dropped so low that at times my blood pressure monitor would not register. BP averages 98/74. I also am experiencing diarrhea. Just had to vent. I spend any free time I have sleeping because of exhaustion. Hope no one experiences this to this extent. Been off the drug for one month. Just curious how long this will continue.
I am so thankful that I found this discussion and I am writing this with tears in my eyes. At the start of 2015, I battled a serious sinus infection that did not respond to 4 different antibiotics. I was ultimately put on Prednisone for a 5 day treatment. My head hurt badly through the treatment, but I tolerated it until day 4 when the pressure became so intense that I thought I was having a stroke. (I am 49 years old.) My ENT told me not to take the last two doses and that I would “self wean”.
This was almost 3 weeks ago and I am suffering so badly. My regular doctor put me on ALPRAZOLAM for one week because she believes the prednisone messed me up a lot. This drug did not do much for me and I finished it yesterday. I feel like my shoulders are being pressed and I have constant tension headaches. My heart races and I have such severe anxiety. Is there an end in sight for me at some point? I am so depressed and feel so hopeless like I am going crazy. Please help me. Any advice is appreciated.
I was on prednisone for abot 20 days, starting off with 90 mg and then tapering to 30 mg per day. I was being treated for reversal reaction of Hansens disease MDT treatment which caused inflammation of my joints. After stopping prednisone I feel terrible, I have frequent headaches, muscle ache, low energy, low appetite and trouble sleeping. And no OTC pain medication helps.
Every evening I feel cold, my body shivers for like an hour at temperature of 70-75, unless I put on layers, pullover some comforter and increase the heat to 80. After some time my body temperature shoots up making me all sweaty and feeling like I have mild fever. Although prednisone did fix my reversal reaction now I’m facing these problems for the last week, all this while taking my MDT medication regularly. Hopefully I recover soon from this withdrawal.
I have only been on Prednisone for 7 days now. I started to cut back the dose a few days ago but I was on 80 mg for the first 3 days. I started to get off the drug and I am now down to one pill a day, but the the pains are awful. My body is in such pain. My ankles, my neck, my back and my chest muscles all hurt. All I want to do is sleep so the pain can go away. The pain is much better tonight but it is still there. I’m moody because the pain is so bad. The spasms are awful. I am starting to find myself just eating and then feeling sick after I eat. This medication is not my favorite and if I have a choice I will never take it again.
Diagnosed 2 yrs ago with rare connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, prednisone 60 mg for months, then 40 mg for months 30 mg, 20 mg, 10 mg, 7.5 mg, 5 mg then the withdrawals started. Tried to wean off by 2.5mg, withdrawals were horrible, had to go back up to 7 mg and wean 1 mg a month. I am now down to 1 mg and then March 1 will do every other day 1 mg and be off in April. This regimen is working, with little side effects. You have to give time for the adrenal glands to kick back in, slow is better.
I have been off and on prednisone since 2006, before I go on the weaning portion, I am given three days of steroids through an intravenous in the emergency at my local hospital (there is a medical name for the intravenous but I don’t know it off hand), both these medications produce very bad side effects for me. The weaning part starts at 60mg and tapers down to 5mg by the end. I have noticed I am still experiencing the withdrawals and I have not been on prednisone since August 2014, but I am still having the withdrawals.
I am not sure if this has to do with me being on prednisone since 2006. I don’t like how it makes name feel and how I am short with others around me, and the face to face interactions I have a very hard time with. This is a very good drug for the inflamed eye disease I have, but the side effects on my emotions are very hard to deal with. With this eye disease I have, chances of me going back on prednisone in 2015 is a good possibility since the doctors are still trying to find out the root cause.
I have asthma. My Dr. Has given me 6 cortisone injections over 9 weeks And I have been on three prednisone tapers during this time. I am in day two of the last taper. I’ve had constant dull headaches. Muscle cramping and aching. Weakness of arms and legs. Low back pains. Abdominal pains and fullness in abdominal area. Some increase in bowel movements, but no diarrhea. Fatigue. I’ve been on cortisone and prednisone yearly for asthma exacerbation. But never noted the withdraw symptoms to this degree before. I’m reading this is normal and it could take a while to get my body back to normal. Should I see my doctor? I don’t have to much depression or anxiety. Thanks.
I have been on Prednisone several times I’m the past 3 years for my Constrictive Bronchiolisis Oblitereans. I really didn’t experience any major withdrawal symptoms until now. Because there are no cures or protocol for my disease my Doctor (just a Primary) and I have been open to trying different things to help, me feel better and improve my well being. Prednisone has help with my breathing and improved my health.
This time I am experiencing really strong withdrawal side effects though. I started 80mg for 2 weeks and decreased 10mg every two weeks. I am currently at day 12 on the 20mg dosage. I have already started the joint pain and the abdominal cramps. I know that this is the beginning of the side effects and it scares me that they have already started. I also take Azithromycin 250mg along with the prednisone as my regime.
It helps with the inflammation and also acts as protection because a simple cold will kill me, at this point of my disease. I also know this will be my last time on this regime. I can only do it every 12 months or so. At this point next year my lungs will be completely destroyed be the disease. I can say “yes” even though the prednisone has horrible side effects, both starting (which I get too. Weight gain 25 lbs, severe mood swings, hypertension, insomnia, decreased vision, tremors) and now I get to survive the withdrawal symptoms.
Brian! I am terribly sorry!! Are you still alive?
Hi all. I was put on prednisone for 10 days at 40mg a day with no taper for a viral lung infection that didn’t clear up on its own. I am 3 days past my last dose and I feel like crap. My stomach has these occasional hot burning pains that only last a few seconds, but those are very painful seconds. Nearly doubling over in pain, then my skin hurts all over for awhile after. I have diarrhea, absolutely no energy and my hands are shaky. With 4 kids to raise and a big move ahead of us, this really sucks. I wish I was never put on this drug! I hope the withdrawal symptoms go away soon. Hubby leaves here in a few days for 4-6 weeks and I really hope I can cope.
I am 84 years old and have had Prednisone weekly packets off and on for over 5 years for COPD. No problem on withdrawing. Unfortunately in September my internist thought I had polymyalgia and started me on 40 mg of Prednisone. Actually I did not object as I called this med “my uppers”. I then developed blurred vision and according to the computer papers he gave me I could become blind. Long story, but had biopsy of right temporal artery which turned out negative! Internist told me to reduce Pred to 35 mgs by 5 mgs every 7 days down to 5 mgs each a week.
I did so, and even reduced to 3 mgs and 1 mg for a few days. Now I am experiencing acute joint pains, mostly hips, shoulders, very fatigued, losing appetite and also have edema; not just feet and legs, but my entire body. It is very difficult to walk, get dressed, climb into bed. I am on a Lasix type med for the edema and don’t find this problem anywhere in Prednisone withdrawal. Cardiologist’s PA is looking into it. Any suggestions? Hard to find another internist when you are on Medicare. I am sorry for you young people suffering this way.
Snap Rita. I am in UK and had the same biopsy. That was July 2013. I was on high dosage of prednisolone for one month then tapered over three months. Result is 2 and a half years later I am still having very serious problems with very weak legs and no vitality. I feel stronger now but walk very slowly because I cannot speed up even though I want to. I read an interesting article about coenzyme Q10 today. Look it up. I am seeing my doc about it next week. I really do not think the docs know enough about prednisolone and they ought not to prescribe it.
Have radiculopathy. Neurologist that saw MRI said I needed surgery (pressing on my spinal cord) then the genius prescribes prednisone 60mg x 5 days 40 x3 20 x 3. Was OK till I stopped. Holy sh*t came unglued… was sleepless, dizzy, internal trembling and muscle twitches and pains back, leg, ribs, etc. Its been 5 weeks still have them the symptoms but slowly reducing. I was not in that much pain, but now I am worried I am compromised / not my best for my surgery in a week. What was that Dr thinking putting a patient in a variable Pea soup of side effects prior. Really? Just tells you how some doctors are absolutely clueless about this very dangerous drug.
My mother was first prescribed Prednisone for her asthma and COPD 30 years ago. With the exception of a few sporadic years, she has been on it since then. Her average dose was 50mg. That’s 50mg for 30 years. No doctor told her about the side effects. No doctor warned her about long term use. The doctor’s basically said “here, take this miracle drug, it’s perfect”. Now, 30 years later, she has an adrenal deficiency – without AT LEAST 5mg of Prednisone, her body cannot function. She has steroid induced Cushings Syndrome.
She has osteonecrosis, and is now on a daily injection to fortify her bones. She just healed from 6 months from two broken legs from a fall, and now has 6 fractures in her spine (they’re guess is from sneezing or coughing). Her bones are extremely brittle from steroid use. She has steroid induced type 2 diabetes. She has edema and neuropathy, and water retention, which causes her legs to swell so much that it hurts her to walk, and she sometimes gets interstitial fluid leakage.
She has steroid induced prolapsed bladder, causing severe incontinence. She has had 2 TIAs (mini strokes). She gets tremors in her hands and head/neck. She also takes an entire plethora of medications to counteract the effects of Prednisone. This has all happened within the last year. And the doctors blame it entirely on long-term Prednisone use. She argued and fought to be taken off the drug, and has tapered down from 50mg to 5mg, going down 5mg/month. She is now in severe withdrawal.
Her tremors are so intense they look like small seizures. Her speech has become slurred and stuttered. She trips over her sentences and gets confused easily. Her head shakes uncontrollably. We’re actually going to the ER tonight so they can treat her symptoms (its been about two weeks of this). When our doctor suggested we go to the ER, his initial response was “just take 50mg of Prednisone, you’ll feel better instantly. Because of course, when in withdrawal from the drug that’s killing you, take the drug that’s killing you to ease the withdrawal.
Never ever ever take this drug. Doctors use it as a treat-everything medication, and NEVER warn about the potential complications. It’s a dangerous drug, and it’s killing my mother (who’s only 59, I might add).
Four years on prednisone. Up to 60 a day and now down to 7.5 Took almost a year. I had Adrenal issues and my doctor put me Achtar Gel injections to wake up my Adrenal System. It is called an infant drug and used on infants to stop siezures. Been around for 60 years. I don’t think I could ever get off Steriods with out it. My wife has me on vitamins like vitamin C to help support the Adrenal recovery. Worst thing about steriods is they shut down your Adrenal system. We kind of need it to function when start cutting back the steriods. I am lucky cause I have a great Rumy that get’s it.
Wow! After reading these comments I feel I must add to them. I was googling the side effects of prednisone withdrawal as my Mother has become terribly depressed after tapering off them to nothing. She is elderly and was prescribed them for Polymyalgia a year or so ago. I hope she comes right soon as when she spoke to me she sounded so low and I can tell she is almost suicidal. She has even given up playing bridge and is just getting no enjoyment from anything whatsoever.
I am worried it might take her quite some time to come right now. We live in christchurch, New Zealand and she was having a hard enough time after the earthquakes as many were/are as half her street has been red-zoned and demolished. Her Dr should have told her what the side effects might be of this drug. Her Polymalgia was brought on after a bout of suspected Legionnaire’s Disease which was inconclusive, however I believe it was due to the contaminant in the land her house is on.
It was an old orchard and is classified as being unsuitable to grow veggies on and graze chickens, etc. due to either storage or overuse of Pesticides and so on. The earthquakes brought all to the surface with liquefaction and so on. Of course nobody will ever say much as they are too frightened of being held accountable :-/. Poor Mum.
I went to a doctor for an allergic reaction that caused a rash. He prescribed me with 60mg a day for 5 days. After the 3rd day I thought I was going insane: very nervous, anxiety, shaky, insomnia… I went to the doctor and told him how I was feeling and he told me to stop taking the medicine. Its been three weeks since I stopped and have never felt more horrible in my life. I feel like my adrenaline is on full speed. I’m hoping that I will be back to my normal self soon. What worries me is that it will take months for that to happen. Feeling pretty crappy. -Makkyo17
For an allergic skin reaction, I took Prednisone for 7 days (60 mg daily), then 7 days (40 mg daily) and have been off it now for 2 days. Almost immediately it made me feel off, like my head was a little cloudy. It was manageable, but definitely a concern. After 5 or 6 days I started to experience intermittent knee pain and moderate-level headaches.
After 10 days, the rash was 90% gone, but the drug itself was becoming more and more of an issue. I felt edgy and lashed out on more than one occasion, completely out of character. After 2 days off of it, I am experiencing the following: fatigue (I slept from 9:45 PM to 7 AM), bad acne (just started today) and intermittently my head feels a little cloudy. I will try to re-post in a week.
This is the worst… I took 5 mg for 18 days. Off 5 days. Back On 4mg for 4 days. Have experienced: Panic attacks, nausea, headaches, severe anxiety. I’m out of work and my thinking is totally distorted. I was taken off of it after 4 days and have a history of bipolar disorder. My psychiatrist increased my Latuda from 20 to 60 my question day. Still very anxious. Trying to stay on top. Any suggestions? Thank you.
I took from 60 to 30 mg of Prednisone for over six months because of chest pain caused by Sarcoidosis. I tapered off by 5 mg every two weeks and reached zero ten days ago. I have experienced most of the withdrawal symptoms described above. I thought I had the flu at first. The headaches, weakness, fatigue, joint pain and anxiety were the worst. This withdrawal is worth it to me because my Sarcoidosis was so much more debilitating. That said, I sure hope I get some relief from these withdrawal symptoms soon.
Hi Gary, I have been taking Prednisone for about 3 months for Sarcoidosis also. I started with 20 mg, and am now down to 2 mg. In 2 weeks I should be off it completely. Since I was down to 3 mg I have had joint pain, palpitations, high pulse, hot flashes, cold flashes, I get shaky and tired, it’s quite horrible. Was just wondering. How long after you got off it did you feel like you were back to normal again? And did you get any of the Sarcoidosis symptoms back when you quit the steroids? I’d really appreciate a response. Thanks!
Read a lot of the comments after the fact. I just recently was told I was going through an episode of PTSD. I then the same day contracted poison oak which took several days to show up. I had gone out into the woods to blow off some steam and must have rubbed it all over my face because that is where it first showed up. With my eyes swelling shut, I decided to go western meds… they put me on a pretty aggressive high dosage, which I felt great the first few days after dealing with a lag in energy from the depression/anxiety.
But by day 6 I had such a horrible reaction (like I’d taken a whole bottle of no-dose) that I stopped cold turkey. Was fine the next day up until night time when the anxiety kicked in big time, my gut felt like it was in knots and no amount of fat/protein would do away with the hunger feeling…just made digestion a b*tch. Finally after another day of high anxiety and not sure where it was coming from. I was watching my thoughts and such, I called and got in with my psychiatrist.
He practices Cognitive Behavioral therapy (love it and have had great success). He simply commented I had done what I needed to do for the eyes swelling and now we could use some Ativan to help me with the anxiety and to keep myself busy when it came up. Yet, I have been doing this today with great success so far and wanted to share: * after reading about the need for sugar/salt – Instead of going for just heavy, filling foods, I added natural sources of sugar (honey, maple syrup, fruit), but still am keeping the fat/protein (otherwise you risk insulin disturbance and more crazy making).
If I keep a pretty constant slow intake of sugar (so you don’t spike your insulin), I felt I could manage the anxiety and low energy. I got some Raw Adrenal support at Whole Foods (that has bovine supplements in it), took one pill right away and another after a meal an hour later. Wow, that has helped TREMENDOUSLY. While my anti-anxiety meds helped keep me calm and to calm my gut last night (and am sure I am still benefiting from this), I have been spraying the Rescue remedy stress relief at the first sign of anxiety + get some sugar/salt in me – and I haven’t needed to take any more of the Ativan yet today and it is now 12 noon (last does was .25 11 hours ago).
The adrenals love salt and potassium. In “Nourishing Traditions,” Sally Fallon suggests drinking a broth of potatoes and zucchini. I’m adding some burdock root, parsley, real sea salt and some maple syrup. To me it seems the anxiety comes in from the body not having any energy supply it can use with the adrenals shut down…so if you can keep the body fueled, at least for me, this is helping. Yes, food didn’t sound appealing at first, but getting the sugar/salt in there has helped tons to wake up my appetite.
When I was feeling really nauseous, I started slow and gave my body time to respond. This helped tremendously. The body needs fuel, and the nauseous seems to have gone away when it got the fast fuel of sugar. Oh, for the poison oak I am now doing the high dosages of Vitamin C (when you start having the runs back off) and a baking soda/water mix on top for 10 mins and that seems to help. Yes I used prednisone for a reason which at the time I trusted was the right one. My doctor showed me that instead of beating myself and the doctors up for this choice, to trust it and to move on.
It was me, knowing the body from a holistic standpoint, that decided to do more than even the doctor decided and I’m feeling better in just 3 days after coming off the stuff. I hope this helps someone out there take charge of their health and not buy into all the negative stories that this stuff is evil, the doctors are evil, etc… because those negative, downward spiraling thoughts can cause just as much damage if not more to your health at the moment. Blessings. -Holli
Thank you Holli for your positive outlook. How are you feeling now? Any other tips and tricks you have learned to help with the anxiety?
I got the flu, then bronchitis and asthma complications. I needed the prednisone 2 times in a month and it helped. Then it appears pleurisy set in either from the flu or a reoccurrence of valley fever. Put on 20mg for a week, tapering off to 10mg, then 5mg. I started having symptoms the first night – burning, tingling in hands, torso, legs and feet. Joints ache, just feel like crap. Wake up in the middle of the night with body tingling and pain. I feel like a junkie, want to get off but can’t function. Oh, I forgot about dizziness, shakiness and weakness in my legs. HELP.
Wow, I can barely believe this. I have been asking my doctor about the side effects while actually stopping prednisone and he says what I have been having is not normal, but apparently it is. No appetite (none, zero!!! I could go 3 days without eating), no energy, fatigue, pain, nausea headaches…he only asked me about thrush on the tongue, but didn’t acknowledge any of the other symptoms I described as being prednisone related.
I took it for 6 days for sciatica and it did control the symptoms, but I am have a difficult time readjusting. I feel exausted… and when I was taking it, my head hurt like heck. It felt like my brain was rattling and I couldn’t sleep. Not something I will take again, even if prescribed.
I used Prednisone on and off for almost four years. I was weaned off it for 3 months. I stopped more than 2 months ago. I still have the most horrible pains and sometimes feel as if its getting worse. I feel weak, depressed, joint and muscle pain and cramps. My hands and feet hurts. I am going through menopause at the moment and as soon I sweat it feels like I’m allergic to my own sweat. I used Prednisone for a lung condition that was diagnosed after 3 years as Aspergilloses. I so wish I can feel normal again!
Gastroenterologist put me on Prednisone for ulcerative colitis / crohn’s disease. Went as high as 60mg. 3+ years. Recently began to taper down by 5mg. Presently at 30mg. I also take Zoloft (for around 10 years) for anxiety / panic attacks. As the tapering down of Prednisone began, the anxiety / panic has returned in full force. Has anyone else had this reaction? The Zoloft had given me my life back again. Now I fear / feel I’m becoming agoraphobic. If I had known about these side-effects and the possible return of panic, I’d never have started with Prednisone…
I have taken it for many years for a rare IBD called collagenous colitis. Beware that the most difficult taper starts when you have reached 10mg because you are a long term user. My GI doc took 6 months to taper me from 10 mg to 5 mg and 9 months to taper from 5 mg to prednisone free.
I warn you particularly because of your anxiety/panic attacks. You may need to be on one of the anti-anxiety medications when you reach this part in your tapering. I have also read this elsewhere on the internet. Check it out and don’t let your doctor tell you otherwise.
It has been 12 days after weaning off of prednisone. I now am going through a tough time of it. I have lost all of my ambition and do not want to do much of anything other than sleep. My days are no longer days but nothing more then a continuation from the last time I awoke. I move only by instinct only to eat and that’s very little. I’m always thirsty and prefer liquids rather then solids. I feel as if I’m in another dimension and if it weren’t for the pain in my joints I believe that another dimension would be indeed a reality.
If it were not for my son, I would be lost as he keeps me straight. I feel as if I’m at death’s door and wonder whether I will ever awake from this nightmare again. However, I try to soften the pain with over the counter pain killers that help some what. I believe the doctors do not know how to cope with my problem as the say nothing. If it weren’t for this website I still would be taking prednisone.
I was on prednisone for 5 days for an ear infection. I was told to take 40mg for the 5 days. After the first 3 days I couldn’t handle it anymore, and went back to urgent care due to major panic attacks, and they told me to drop it to 20mg for the next 4 days. I did this for 2 more days and had to stop. I had major panic attacks, couldn’t sleep, had blurred vision and many other side effects. I was tested for everything, and my dr said it’s just me getting over the prednisone… it’s now been a month and a half and I am still having major anxiety issues. Anyone else have this happen and how long did it last? I can’t sleep because of it!
I’m having leftover psychological issues as well, Carrie. My guess is since prednisone is a synthetic version of the stress hormone cortisol that it can easily traumatize your body and psychology. Coming at it from that angle, I’ve been trying to focus on what I can to bring my body back to baseline both physically and mentally. That’s all we can do. Like I said in my post, Prednisone is fat soluble so it can take a while to actually purge it out of your system. So eating healthy, exercising, drinking lots of water, etc… Providing everything we can to our bodies to normalize themselves. I’m sorry you are having a rough time too!
I am 49 days off Prednisone after 2 yrs of treatment for Behcet’s, a less-known autoimmune disorder. My dosage was 25mg initially, tapering by 5 mg per day (5 days total) with remissions (no drugs) usually lasting anywhere from 3 to 12 days, then I would have to initiate the same regimen for symptom treatment again (and again) Sometimes I would just start at 5 mg and go 5 days at that, successfully to break the cycle. Because of my experience and past as a substance abuse counselor, I am on board with Jack in his pointing out that this drug is a fat-soluble compound and appears to be able to be stored in fatty-tissues, which affects length of lingering withdrawals.
My withdrawal experience/time period and most others here seem to overwhelmingly support that. The idea is that some drugs are capable of “binding” with fats stored in our bodies and seem to take longer to leave the body than others that are not fat-based. The same model is utilized, to some extent, in drug-testing and defining treatment modalities in substance-abuse treatment models for different drugs. Anyway, I thought that with breaks of up to 10 days a couple of times a month over my entire treatment period, that it would allow my body to “learn” to produce it’s own hormones again.
I could not have been more wrong. I am so grateful to all of you who have courageously shared here what published medical journals will not. Sadly, most doctors are paid to sell drugs, not heal people. We must help heal ourselves and continue to seek those who can help. My own current withdrawal symptoms are: impaired short-term memory, lack of appetite, sporadic fevers, severe depression w/suicidal thoughts, muscle aches in arms, ankles, calves, low back, slight headaches on occasion, very high levels of fatigue and anxiety. I also agree with the above that all bodies, habits, diets and and tolerance thresholds are different and react differently.
It seems that we might all avail ourselves of the most valid and useful information for our own personal challenge, rally our allies, then make informed, healthy, thoughtful decisions. My next move, as long as I have symptoms manageable with OTC stuff (i.e. without Prednisone), is to go on a safe, sensible, I repeat…., SAFE, SENSIBLE cleansing fast to eliminate as much of the drug from my body as I can for now and see what life feels like. After 2 yrs in the hole, I want to at least get a drug-free baseline, if I can, for reference in the future.
Now for the good part – After 6 + weeks, I can feel small improvements, but it’s weird. It’s not overall/all the time… It’s just like… the periodic windows of feeling more normal are getting longer/wider than before. I have no idea what the future will bring, but my own personal treatment alternative involving the taking of Colchicine (a type of poison) fills me with great inspiration to press on. You all inspire me to try harder. Ne jamais lacher le reve. (Never let go of the dream) ever.
Carrie, Jack, and Paul… How is everyone feeling? My side effect is the anxiety. I have cleaned up my diet (still not perfect), exercise (but not a lot). Unfortunately work is stressful and this does not help my anxiety. Has anyone had any success with the fasting?
I too have had a rough prednisone trip. I was already having enough problems to begin with and on top of it all the prednisone did nothing to help! I started feeling this general shakiness all throughout my body, increased heavier heart rate, and a kind of detached, panicky emotional state. These symptoms still are persisting now after a little over two weeks off this drug. I was on a short tapering course starting at 60mg for 3 days and working my way down to 10mg over the course of 11 days.
I stuck it out because everyone tells you not suddenly quit. Like a lot of people here, I am filled with deep regret for having taken it and am desperate for a time machine to take me back to stop myself. Honestly, hard drugs aren’t as bad as this. I’d take them over this in an instant. The toughest thing is that symptoms like the shakiness: they’re just sitting there. Not getting any better or worse.
Pretty scary. Anyway, we have to trust that our bodies know their baseline and have the natural inclination to return to it. If I recall correctly, Prednisone is fat soluble, so it’s gonna sit around in our bodies for a while as they wash this poison out. I know it helps a lot of people and it’s valuable in that regard, but for those of us sensitive to it, it is poison. I try to exercise, eat healthy, basically give my body everything it needs to handle this.
WORST DRUG ON THE PLANET!! I was on 65 mg daily for 2 months and was weaned off too quickly (10 mg/week). I took my last dose 12/27/14 and the side effects are horrendous: weight loss, shaking, insomnia, overwhelming depression, headaches among others. I’ve slept 4 hours in 2 days. It’s 4:10 am now and I haven’t been to sleep. I saw an endocrinologist yesterday and I’m having an a.m. Cortisol level drawn to see if my adrenals are shot. If only I could turn back time, I would NEVER have taken Prednisone. I pray all of us soon recover from this hell.
I’ve been on 10mg of prednisone for 1 1/2 years. I have an autoimmune disorder. I’m trying to taper 1 mg per week. I’ve had nearly every withdrawal symptom except suicide and vomiting. I’m down to 2 mg per day now. I’m concerned that some of the side effects mean that because of the autoimmune condition I won’t be able to be without the pred. I want to be off this drug. I’m taking Methotrexate so I’m hoping I can be free of the pred soon. I guess I don’t have a question just appreciate reading the other comments and having a place to vent :) I’m hoping all of you can be successful :)
Hi. I also have an autoimmune disease and on 50 mg of Pred. I’m hoping to go down by 10 mg each week until I’m off. Then I’ll be put on the Methotrexate. Do you have any side affects on the new drug you’re on?
Prednisone is now on my official “do not prescribe” list. I had sudden deafness in one ear, so my ENT put me on a high dose, per the text book diagnosis. Never have I had such a terrible reaction. I was on a: 60mg X 5 day, 50mg X 5 day, 40mg X 4 day, 20mg X 4 day, 10mg X 4 day. I’m normally a funny, fun loving person that’s easy going and playful. The first 3 days, I felt “roid rage” where I was mad at everything and aggressive, no matter how insignificant and petty it was. I drove my wife crazy and made my kids scared.
I had to avoid them just so I wouldn’t chew them out over nothing. By day 4, deep, dark depression hit. REALLY bad. I couldn’t get out of bed. It was horrible. I’m never a depressed kind of person. By day 6 my mind turned to suicidal thoughts. I’m lucky, I had enough awareness of myself and the side effects of this drug that not only did I tell me wife about how stupid I thought the aggression was, but I kept a telling her my running notation of everything that wasn’t me, aggression, anger, depression, and the suicidal thoughts.
I also called the doctor as soon as I realized how bad it was, my wife helped me out with that too. They tapered me off very fast, which helped with the mood swings, depression, and suicidal thoughts, but, now I’m left feeling burned out. I’m tired, I want to sleep in every morning, my muscles hurt, my joints ache, I have cluster headaches, heartburn, and after all of this, I still can’t hear out of my ear. So I essentially went through all of this for nothing. This was NOT worth it.
I have been on prednisone on and off for two years because of chronic hives. My hives are due to autoimmune issues. I woke up one morning with them and had never had them before. Most people get a few and they go away on there own or go away with a prednisone taper pack. Not me! I was on 60mg for weeks. My hives were debilitating in the fact they attack my joints, lips, eyes, and cover my entire body.
I have been to 9 doctors, been in ICU for angeodema, and missed countless days of work (I am a teacher and worked sick for years until I got hives). I have been on rounds of antihistamines , immune suppressant drugs, and shots. Prednisone is the only thing that works when switching medications. The last round has been 8 months and I am tampering now from 60mg. I have gained 45lbs during this last round. I am down to 2.5mg a day and feel like I am dying from the inside out.
My anxiety is high, muscle and joint pain are severe, and I have had bouts of nausea. The hardest thing is hiding these symptoms from my 2 year old and students at school. It hurts to carry my own child, especially up and down stairs. I feel exhausted and just want to sleep. I really feel doctors should be more upfront about the initial side effects and the side effects that can occur when you taper off after a long period of time.
I have said a million times this is the best and worst drug out there. Best in the fact I wasn’t in pain and could function without pain from the hives, and worst for the side effects. I have learned you must become your own advocate for everything. Research is key before taking or trying anything. Lesson learned! I never want to be on this again!
One day I went to the ER b/c of my asthma. The md gave me prednisone 60mg once every day for 5 days. Literally the next day off it the WORST side effects. The worst body ache. I felt like I did an extreme full body workout, had a migraine and a bit anxious. The second day I became faint and dizzy. I had a FULL BLOWN anxiety attack! My heart was beating a mile a minute. I felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest.
I thought I was going to die. I head back to the ER they do a cat scan,x ray, blood test, urine test everything came back normal. They could “supposedly” not figure out why my anxiety was high. I told them is probably a reaction to the prednisone, but of course they are not going to admit that. They discharged me with an ibuprofen RX! They did not give me anything for the anxiety or for my irregular heartbeat. I call my primary and she prescribes me xanax 0.025 and propranolol 10mg for my heart. The pripranolol helped with the heart and the xanax helped for a few hours.
At around 11 PM I get another full blown anxiety attack. I was mess!my body was shaking I thought I was doomed and was going to die. I cried and cried I thought I was going crazy. I call 911 and head back to the ER. They FINALLY gave some ativan to control the anxiety. This experience with prednisone is the MOST HORRIBLE experience I’ve EVER felt in my entire life. It has left me mentally broken with anxiety. I will never wish this experience to my worst enemy. Its been 5 days since my last dose and I’m STILL anxious.
Just came off three days of prednisone for 5 days at 40mg to control my asthma, I have been on prednisone before. But getting older now My wife and I both notice the withdrawal effects. I thought it was just me. The withdrawals range from mood changes to suicidal thoughts. Will I get back to myself? Worried!
I have been experiencing all of the side effects as listed here as I reduce my long term use of prednisone, and feel so thankful that I found this site. I now know that I am not imagining this, it is real and I feel that I can go back to my doctor and make her more aware of the dangers involved with withdrawal from this drug. Thank you so much.
Good luck with that plan!!!
I was on 40mg of prednisone for 5 days then tapered myself down to 20mg for 2 days. My original dosage was 40 mg for 6 days then off cold turkey. I’ve been on this frequently (at least once a year) for my asthma. I knew better then to cut it off like that. I usually get prescribed more of a taper. This time being on it had been hell! I have anxiety disorder anyways, out a steroid on top of it and I’m crawling out of my skin.
I’ve been off of it for 4 days now and am still getting anxiety attacks! My whole body had felt like a giant bruise and I’m super tired. A new symptom is my left arm feeling weak ( like it fell asleep ). It comes and goes, but is very unnerving! I feel like I can’t grip anything. Add a racing heart to that and I thought I was having a heart attack! This medication is horrible. I hate taking it :( and to think they prescribe this to kids too!
I have been on Prednisone since June 2012. I’m down to 2.5 mg per day. When I first started taking it, I was taking 10 mg twice a day. When my RA flares up, my doctor increases the dosage for short period of time. She told me that I should be able to stop since the dosage is so small. I thought I’d just stop a couple of days ago, but woke up with a horrible headache right behind my right ear.
So, I guess I need to drop it to even smaller doses before I stop. My sister, who is a registered nurse, griped at me and told me I couldn’t just stop. Guess I’ll need to watch my blood pressure too. It never was high until Prednisone and I’m taking meds to bring it down. Maybe I won’t need the blood pressure meds once I’m off.
Hi – I was prescribed 70mg per day of Prednisolone (which I guess must be the same as Prednisone) for about 16 weeks (for auto immune haemolytic anaemia) and then dropped down by 10mg per day for a week (ie. 60mg per day for a week, then 50mg per day for a week – then 40mg – 30mg – 20mg – 10mg) until I was down to 5mg per day for a week. I was then on 5mg every other day for a week then I stopped completely about 4 weeks ago. My symptoms are very much like influenza, i.e. joint and muscle aches, headache and nausea but the worst of it is I can’t walk very far at all without getting exhausted and a very aching lower back. From the above posts, it’s pretty clear these must be withdrawal symptoms but does anyone know how long they last for – especially the bad back?
Hi Tony, I only saw one comment from you. I also have autoimmune hemolytic anemia due to lgG. First I was put in the hospital and given two blood transfusions. Then my doctor put me on steroids for over a year. I underwent 4 injections of Rituximab (kind of like chemo). I have been off the steroids for about 3 months. My body hurts, feet and calfs feel swollen, hurts when I walk. Shoulder hurts making my neck hurt. How are you doing? Have you had any further problems? I do not know anyone else with this condition. Hope you are doing well and have good news for me. Sincerely, Beverly
Beverly -My husband was on prednisone for 1 1/2 years for hemolytic anemia. While he tolerated it well, and his hemoglobin is now really great, coming off of it has been horrible. He was down to 2.5 mg per day then off for about 6 weeks. Then the withdrawal kicked in. He was absolutely exhausted. He itched all over.
He went back on and felt better immediately. He just quit again and now is back to being exhausted. this time he feels like he has a bowl obstruction. I read it is called ilius. He just took a 10mg, to see if it helps. If the past is any indication, I feel it will. He just is non-functional. It’s awful that something that saved his life is now ruining it. I will check back to see how you are. Best of luck to you.
I’ve been on prednisone since 2006 for rheumatoid arthritis. I ran out and forgot to fill it… that was a big mistake. I am weak, out of breath, my stomach hurts, I have a headache and the joint and muscle pain is indescribable.
I was prescribed Prednisone in 2012 for PMR. Dosage was 20mg. Tapered starting immediately. Pain would return and Rhuematoligist upped dosage to 20 again with taper after 1 month. Since my last taper start, rheumatoligist said no longer have PMR. Feel like crap. Sore muscles, achy, tired. Sore shoulder for 3 months, had ultrasound that found no problems. Went away as fast as it came with no reason, then hip started hurting for no reason, then neck then chest and back.
Comes and goes with no reason. Doctor thinks I’m crazy. So happy to have found this site. I justifies my feelings. I thought, I had an injury, a disease, a pinched nerve, cancer, flu, low threshold for pain, was just a complainer, PMR, or was just crazy. After reading your posts, I realize what I have is just from the taper off Prednisone. My symptoms are not as bad as many of yours, I really empathize with your struggles.
The knowledge will not make the pain go away, but at least I will have the peace of mind of knowing what’s happening to me. I am currently at 3mg and plan to go to 2 today, 1 on New Years Day and 0 on January 5. I will put up with the symptoms secure in the knowledge that they will eventually go away. Thanks to all for helping me to find my problem.
I was given Prednisone for 5 days due to an abscess in my ear, and now I regret ever going to the doctor! I stopped taking the drug 2 days ago, and less than 12 hours after taking the dose, my entire upper body felt bruised and very sensitive to the touch. It started with the front of my neck, and moved down into my ribs, chest, shoulders and lower back. It got to the point where I was struggling to lie down without wincing. How is it possible to suffer such bad withdrawal symptoms after such a short dosage? I’ve also been shaking and my heart rate has been increased – Randomly started crying last night as well? Which is not like me at all. I will NEVER take this medication again, and wish that the doctor had actually explained the side effects before prescribing it.
Well now I’m wondering why I’m feeling so sh*tty. I have had two courses of steroids in about five weeks due to a neck injury during a massage (yes, it can happen). I have a pinched nerve in my C6/7 and still waiting for it to improve. The steroids really worked for my inflammation and got rid of the excruciating pain that I had from this. Worst pain I’ve ever had except for childbirth. I am having the worst anxiety and depression. I couldn’t figure out what is wrong with me until finally googling withdrawal symptoms.
I can’t sleep (not that I could while taking it anyway) and I can’t get in the Christmas spirit. I don’t give a flying sh*t about pissing people off and that is so not me. I don’t want to decorate, I’m short-tempered, I’m ready to rip people’s faces off and can’t wait for work this upcoming week – I hope I don’t mouth off at the wrong time. I am one of the happiest people on the planet and I cannot believe that this has affected me this way. I never ever am this way.
All the other comments are making me pretty nervous. Bad enough the effects of the pinched nerve but feeling like I’m coming apart at the seams is not good in my line of work. The weight loss is a good thing…lol…but seriously. Hope everyone is starting to feel better. I was on some kind of pack for 6 days, tapered off. Prednisone for 12 days, 60 mg for 3 days, 40 for 3, 20 for 3 and then 10 for 3.
I stopped taking it three days ago and I am seeing anxiety and depression and the short-temper that I haven’t seen in years. Reminds me of when I was married to my ex (LOL). For me to not have the Christmas spirit… that makes it worse. I took a sleep aid last night, muscle relaxant and a pain reliever. Wide awake after three hours. I’m cleaning and pulling out decorations to finish putting some up. This does not bode well for the day.
I was on prednisone for only 5 days 50mg per day for a sinus infection. The doctor told me I can quit cold turkey as I wasn’t on it for longer than 7 days. After I quit cold turkey withdrawal symptoms were horrible and almost unbearable. I was emotional angry confused, depressed fell like crying or arguing all the time and I didn’t have any motivation. I suffered all this just for having a sinus infection and the doctor not telling me side effects of prednisone. I’ve been off it for a week and still do not feel a hundred percent myself. I would never take this medication again and I would never recommend it to anyone unless it’s a life or death situation. Doctors shouldn’t prescribe this to anyone unless it’s the last resort. Others should be prosecuted as this medication can and will ruin the quality of someone’s life.