I'm 19, very healthy eater, and work out regularly. I took prednisone for 10 days on a taper, (60mg for 3 days, 40mg for 3 days, 20 mg for 3 days, 10 mg for one day). The last time I took prednisone was Sunday, it is now Wednesday and I'm still feeling the side effects of withdrawal (headaches, nausea, irritability, steroid acne fluctuation, water retention).
I took the prednisone for what my doctor believed was an allergic reaction to being on birth control for a week, turns out it was just hormonal acne that I had never had before so technically I didn't need the pred in the first place.
I've read many things on the internet that have scared me, people saying these side effects will last for weeks upon weeks... even ones that had only been on prednisone for a week or two. Hopefully that is because of their own body's metabolism or diet/lifestyle, or due to their lack of tapering-off.
Since the highest dose only lasted 3 days, and since then my body has been learning to adjust to lower levels of prednisone (taper) & eventually none ever since, I hoped that within 3 days I would see some improvement, but it's been very off and on.
How long will it take for my body to totally flush prednisone out of my system? What can I do to "speed up" or help my body recover?
Wow, I am def going to re read your whole post but this has helped me figure out my recent health situation. I was being treated with high doses of steroids for a month. I had a temporal biopsy however they start high doses of steroids immediately if there is any suspicion because a person with this can go perm blind, strokes etc. so after a month & I was tapered ( the steroids had me really feeling pretty bad but I did have a big decrease in my pain & my breathing seemed to be better as I also have COPD) So I started steroid therapy begin of dec 2013 & was off them the begin of Jan. so I guess it was 2 weeks ago I woke up feeling very lightheaded & dizzy, hurting all over. Could barely walk as I felt too weak. My head was & still is in a fog!!! I ended up going to the ER a few days ago as I couldn't function at all.. I just stayed in bed & when I did try to get up I felt like I couldn't do anything & just wanted to lay back down.
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Well because of my health history I was admitted with a Cardiac concern because my shortness of breath returned . They only kept 2 days to rule out any cardiac concerns & Not once was a steroid withdraw mentioned & they had all my history & why I was taking them as I was also admitted dec 19th 2 days after my biopsy because I had a TIA. so I was getting steroids when I was admitted because my results of biopsy were not back yet & I was tapering the steroids.. at that point I was at 20 mg a day. So all that.. yesterday I was discharged from my recent admit with no answers. Doc said he wanted a sleep study to see if sleep apnea was the cause. & mention perhaps going to the Mayo clinic?? It did not dawn on me at all that this could absolutely be related to the steroids wearing off & simply just making feel horrible. Cant win with them because personally I feel like crap when I take them & clearly worse when they wear off .. so I am hoping these horrible body draining symptoms will start to go away very soon because I do feel like I am dying slowly =[ But I am convinced this is the reason for my current health situation. no doubt now after reading these posts but specially yours as the dizziness & lightheaded foggy feeling is too much as I currently cannot even drive because it is simply NOT safe to be behind the wheel in this state!!! Hope all of you are on the mend & hope I will be too... SOON!!!
Anyone still on this page? I recently have taken a very high dose of prednisone 20mg 3x a day for 5 days and that's it. Its been 2 weeks of non stop hell:( the first few days I felt drunk and out of it. The next I felt like I'd been hit by a bus every morning in severe pain then I started to get dizzy spells and weird sensations in my head now the head dizziness and sensations of lightheaded and like I'm stuck on a roller coaster won't atop. I've been told I now have vertigo and then told I wasn't properly tapered off of the prednisone correctly but that the high doe is used to treat what I had which what costrocondritis and pleurisy. The ER doctor is who gave them to me so now my PCP wants me to take prednisone again and be tappered correctly I'm so scared. Do I wait it out or take the prednisone:(
Thank you.
I was on prednisone for 11 days for Eustachian tube inflammation (which did not help at all). 30 mg for 5 days, 20 mg for 2 days, 10 mg for 2 days and .5 mg for 2 days. I started feeling severe anxiety/panic attacks and nausea on the 10th day. The last pill I took was 2 days ago and I am still experiencing this symptoms. Today I feel shaky and lightheaded. I went to my Dr and he denied that all these symptoms of prednisone withdraw. He said that this is just my anxiety since I was already diagnosed with this disorder. He told me continue to take Xanax at night and prescribed me Celexa . I really don’t want to take another drug and Celexa also have the same side effects I am experiencing now.
Anyone was on similar prednisone regiment and how long they symptoms started to disappear.
Sorry to tell you this but rashes do not respond to prednisone therapy they respond to advil / motrin type therapies. My dermatologist told me this and my endocrinologist told me this because he is working with tapering me off of the prednisone which in 2 months created cushing syndrome with me. I have had costochondritis the whole time while I have been on prednisone with no relief. I have to wait until I taper off all the way and it is out of my system before I can start ibuprofen therapy program to get rid of the chest pain. You cannot take prednisone and ibuprofen at the same time. Good luck to you.
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Oh and by the way I was at 40 milligrams down to 20 milligrams down to 10 milligrams down to 5 milligrams a day for 3 weeks and just starting 2.5 milligrams a day for 3 weeks and then half of that every other day for 3 weeks because of the Cushing syndrome I have to go really slow on the taper down so if you're finding trouble after 5 milligrams you may have to go to 2.5 and work your way down from there. This is as per my endocrinologist that works with people who are affected by the prednisone. No wonder why it is referred to as the Devils drug.
Sorry did not mean rashes I meant to say costochronditis doesn't respond to prednisone. It makes me feel drunk too and should not have been writing this right now, but caught my error. I have a prednisone caused unidentifisble rash and confused my two topics.
I was recently put on prednisone to help battle an ear infection
At first it was helping. Then I started flushing on my face and arms. The flushing was so bad it was like the worst sunburn ever. I had to keep cold compresses on it. Then I couldn't sleep and by chance I did fall into a light sleep I would have terrible night mares.
I just quit the Meds having a few days left. And now 3 days later still suffering.
Head feels foggy. Wake up feeling empending doom. Head aches bad.
Hopefully this will pass sooner than what u have read on others post.
Omg!! This is exactly what I said.. I don't wish this upon anyone... Ever!!! I stopped the medication less then a week ago and idk if its still possible that I'm having effects.
Please keep me in the loop here. I need help with this med. It's awful!!!
I was recently placed on a 10 day regiment of Prednisone 10mg for Pleurisy; 50mg (x2), 40mg (2), 30mg(x2), 20mg (x2) and 10mg (x2). The day after my last dosage started the anxious, light headed, dizzy, nausea feelings. Thankfully I was with my sister (she has MS and used to the steroids) and she took care of me because I was "withdrawing." I had never experienced it before. I've taken steroids before but on a 5 day regiment for Bronchitis, so all these symptoms were completely new to me. So far I'm on day 4 of withdrawing, I have the headache still, drinking lots of water, and tiring easily. Just sucks, because this is spring break and I had all these plans with my son and now, it's all by ear. Does anyone know how much longer I may be experiencing the "withdrawals?"
about 2 weeks ago i had pain in my neck i couldn't turn my neck to the right went to urgent care the dr subscribed 20 grams of prenizone i was given 12 pills for 5 days but i had three pills left my neck felt better so i stopped taking it. then the day before i woke up with a bad heartburn and i thought i loosing my mind panicky gagging i made the call to 911 because it got so bad once in the er they check my heart lungs sugar every thing came back normal i felt better so this morning it started again heartburn and sick to my stomach and gagging i would like to know how long the withdrawal last? ty