Skip to main content

Do the side effects of Prednisone (puffy face, acne, joint pain) go away after you stop taking the?

Answers

Inactive 13 Dec 2012

Prednisone has some permanent problems, such as high blood sugar, weight gain, (not just water), and osteoporosis. It can also cause hearing loss, ringing in the ears, cataracts, and a host of other permanent problems at high doses. IT all depends on your dosage, and how long you have been on the medication.

Votes: +1
endlessPred 15 Dec 2012

Msfino, i disagree with some of the things you are saying. I do agree with some others. so i would like to clear that up.

Prednisone does not cause permanent type 2 diabetes. I have discussed this at length with my Endo. Prednisone does not cause permanent weight gain. Once the water weight is gone the rest is fat from over eating. It does not reset ones metabolism. So what you were before is what you can be again. This too was discussed with my Rhuemy and my Endo and Pulmonologist. My weight stays constant. Poor blood sugar control,and too many carbs creates weight gain. Lack of exercise when ill also causes weight gain as we tend not to adjust the food we eat to less.

Expand...

Prednisone does leach calcium from bones and teeth and that is why long term use has Fosamax, or one of those brands, and calcium supplements with vitamin D3. However, this happens with aging as well and runs in families too. So it may not be the only contributor to this condition. Lack of exercise is also part of this problem.

The cataracts are a special type of cataract which causes a slow growth of yellowing tissue. It disappears when off high dose. However, if on high dose a long time it may require cataract surgery to correct, if one is able to even have surgery when on high dose.

Ringing in the ears is from hearing blood vessels that are under high blood pressure or cholesterol problems causing a blocking of the vessel. High blood pressure is not from prednisone. Cholesterol problems are. I have never heard of deafness from this. Not in any literature I have read. Would appreciate a source on that.

It does thin the skin and one bruises more easily. It does affect moods as it is much like being full speed on adrenalin all the time giving one a hair trigger with anger or even tears. Antidepressant and anti anxiety meds control this side effect.

It saves many lives and can be the first line of defense with an auto immune disease. Never, ever stop cold turkey. It has to be done with a physician and coming down from long term high doses can take many months. Be patient. Wishing all wellness. Karen

Inactive 15 Dec 2012

I guess that we will agree to disagree then. You talk to your doctor, and I talk to mine. I also do research. but then that is why people shouldn't base all their decisions on these forums, because there never is any right answer, is there:

Prednisone Side Effects are many, dangerous and have been well known since they were first introduced in the 1950's. While there is no doubt that prednisone temporarily reduces symptoms in many diseases and has certainly saved MANY lives of those having life threatening asthma attacks or allergic reactions, is the risk of these major side effects worth it?

Expand...

For those with chronic illnesses, these corticosteroids can only suppress symptoms and never actually cure these inflammatory problems because they never address the reasons WHY you are experiencing continual inflammation. Have you ever thought about why your body is creating inflammation in the first place? There IS a reason, and corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as:

Prednisone
Prednisolone
Methylprednisolone
also called Glucocorticoids, Corticosteroids or Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories- these drugs should not be confused with the illegal 'Anabolic Steroids' that bodybuilders use nor with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, such as Ibuprofen. Corticosteroids are powerful drugs that can only be obtained by prescription (at least in the US) and are designed to reduce inflammation in many different illnesses with an inflammatory component. Corticosteroids come in many forms and can be given by the intravenous or injection form in hospitals, where they are known as Prednisolone or Methylprednisolone, or in oral pills called Prednisone or PediPred (for children) when taken at home.

While they absolutely do reduce inflammation, and they do their job extremely well for both acute and chronic problems, they also cause a WIDE range of short and long-term side effects that can range from a pleasant increase in energy to permanent diabetes and osteoporosis.

Short Term Prednisone Side Effects

These are just some of the short-term problems that prednisone and other steroids can lead to. I'll not go into these in depth since, as I've said, are only short term problems and some, such as euphoria, are actually pleasant rather than unpleasant:

Mood Problems(4)
Anxiety
Agitation
Euphoria
Depression
Psychotic reactions
Insomnia

Most of the negative short-term effects generally go away quickly after you stop taking these drugs. By contrast, when taking corticosteroids for long periods of time, the long-term effects below can lead to serious life-long health problems.

Long Term Prednisone Side Effects

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is such a common and well-knows side effect of these drugs that it is known as 'Steroid Osteoporosis' by doctors who rarely take any precautions to prevent this loss of bone in their patients(2). Bone loss of between 10-30% has been noted as a side effect of prednisone in many studies and can affect up to 50% of people taking these drugs. While some of the bone loss was regenerated after stopping the medications, it wasn't reversed completely(1) and if serial regimens of prednisone are taken over periods of several years, severe osteoporosis could be the result.

"Early experience with the new steroids revealed
the occurrence of minor undesirable side-effects,
such as facial rounding, hirsutism, diminished carbohydrate
tolerance, insomnia, restlessness, weakness, transitory
mental clouding, acne, increased skin pigmentation,
and vague abdominal distress."
* These are the 'minor' undesirable side effects
according to this study!
MAJOR UNDESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECTS RESULTING
FROM PREDNISOLONE AND PREDNISONE

Part of this problem could be the result of the Magnesium Depletion that occurs with these drugs. While most people think of calcium replacement to prevent bone loss, one of the Side Effects of Prescription Antacids is magnesium deficiency and bone loss as well. Since most US women get plenty of calcium, a bigger problem in general as well as a result of prescription drug usage, is a loss of magnesium that leads to osteoporosis in the long run.

Susceptibility to Infections
One extremely well-known problem with prednisone side effects is its ability to decrease the effectiveness of the Immune System. This can occur to such an extent that patients taking long-term corticosteroid therapy have acquired serious infections such as Tuberculosis and deadly blood infections requiring hospitalization.(10) Some of the infections noted in people taking corticosteroids, such as Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia (9), are so rare in the population in general that they are associated with the HIV infection or cancer nearly 100% of the time- except in those taking corticosteroids and other immune system suppressants. Think about this for a moment, Prednisone side effects can cause immune system dysfunction similar to of AIDS and HIV!

Muscle Weakness
Steroid myopathy is a well known problem that can occur when corticosteroids are taken. While it's a more Common Side Effect of corticosteroids taken for long periods of time, this muscle weakness can occur when drugs are taken even for short periods of time and can occur in up to 64% of people taking these drugs(8). Some people experienced muscle weakness so severely that it affected the muscles of the diaphragm and caused serious breathing problems. (7) When you already have a serious illness, having muscle weakness and breathing problems as a Prednisone Side Effect is probably not something that sounds attractive to you.

Appearance
Long term Corticosteroid treatment can also change one's appearance rather drastically. Weight gain, particularly abdominal weight gain, and facial hair growth are common problems when taking these drugs on a long term basis. The most disturbing appearance problems come from an induced condition called Cushing's Disease. The features of Cushing's Disease include all of the above mentioned problems along with a rounding of the face known as 'moon face' and a thick fat pad on the upper back and neck known as a 'Buffalo Hump'. These long term Prednisone Side Effects may or may not go away when you stop taking corticosteroids.

Diabetes
Blood sugar problems are an extremely common problem with the use of corticosteroids. It is SO common that people in the hospital who are placed on even short term corticosteroid therapy have their blood sugar watched carefully 3 to 4 times per day and treated with insulin when necessary. Long term use resulted in diabetes in up to 25% of users with up to 50% requiring insulin after corticosteroid therapy was stopped. In other words, about 12% of people become permanent diabetics with long term usage of corticosteroids.

endlessPred 16 Dec 2012

Msfino. Yes, I have thought about what is causing this. I have the JO-1 antibody which creates this disease. It is a genetic marker. Got a cure for that? It destroys the mitochondria in a cell.do you know how that works? There is nothing that can be done abut it. Only one form is currently treatable for a possible cure. This is called IBM. They have been performing a limited number of stem cell applications. Results have been good, but of course long term results have not occurred as they only started within the past year.

Expand...

I feel quite insulted by your position and I wish there was a compromise rather than the the unreachable you are right or I am right. Without room for growth, how does one gain knowledge? Each case is different. I am one who stays alive on this. I would be gone in very short order if I did not take it. There is no other treatment for this genetic disease and I am very grateful I have this. I do not and will not operate from the position of fear that something may happen. It is a limiting and destructive force that saps the life out of people and removes hope. Staying happy and having hope with full knowledge of ones condition makes a huge difference.

If decisions were based on fear, who would get in an airplane or drive a car? Our purpose here is to support people and their decisions. Scaring people with an emotional response is not helpful. Every day I have is because this medication is slowing the progress of a disease that will result in suffocating to death.

I truly believe that reading about something is very different than working with experts and having the background of microbiology, anatomy, chemistry and so forth. I have done research and am published. I have talked extensively with the expert in this field who confirmed that prednisone is my only defense. Mayo clinic lead rheumatologist. Where they invented it! And, I do not believe you have the extensive background in this field required to truly understand how prednisone and prednisone sparing drugs work. Please take a step back and remember people come here to ask for help and real Information. They are not here for someone's agenda. You are responding with your experience. Be sure you label it as such.

I am sorry to the writer of very legitimate concerns to be influenced through mis-information. Doctors are very careful giving out prednisone. It is not an aspirin. They are highly aware of the effects. In fact, they remain far more careful with this medication than they ever were with opiate pain medications. When they prescribe it there is a very strong reason for it. Any doctor worth his or her degree will tell you that. Please talk with your doctor about these concerns. And read, read, read. Then talk to your doctor again.

I wish you wellness and a day when medications like this are not needed. Until then, be strong. you have a lot ahead of you. Karen

Inactive 16 Dec 2012

I only wish you the best, and should I be in your position, I would have done the exact same thing. My answer was copied from a medical journal, after the first paragraph, therefore the colon. It was not personal, but I could't list the site as this site would not print my answer, There are so many differing opinions about everything in this world, and you as a researcher should know that there is never any right or wrong answer. People have to make up their own minds about what to do with their own health. That is why you shouldn't depend on a forum for answers.

roxy7699 20 March 2013

I have only been taking prednisone for a week & I and I have already gained 30 pounds rapidly I have major facial swelling stomach and abdominal pain and severe stomach bloating. And I had a severe headache. I'm going to be pissed if I don't lose this weight sucks

endlessPred 20 March 2013

Roxy. Call your doctor immediately. Strong retention of fluids and such rapid weight gain may indicate kidney or heart problems. This is serious and not normal. Weight gain over months is very different than what you are experiencing. Let me know how you are doing after talking to the doc. Ok? Karen

endlessPred 20 March 2013

Oh, I did have the same response but prior to the prednisone. Gain twenty-five pounds in a few days. Within a short time I was circling the drain. Organs started to go into failure. Though my experience, they were very happy I got to the clinic when I did. Please go now, Roxy.

roxy7699 20 March 2013

I'm actually on my way to the doctor right now my blood pressure is really high too it's 158 over 115

roxy7699 20 March 2013

I'm actually on my way to the doctor right now my blood pressure is really high too it's 158 over 115

endlessPred 24 March 2013

Roxy, how are you doing? What did the docs say? Karen

AnnD1964 9 July 2013

I was put on prednisone 50mg for myasthena gravis (ocular). I had a relapse and two muscles in my eyes were effected. My right was almost shut. After about a week the prednisone kicked in. It was great I had energy galore, but had trouble sleeping and joint pain in my wrist from over doing it. Also excess sweating. Now I have decreased to 30 mg and have acne like I never Have before. I'm almost 50. It is gross. So my question is has anyone experienced this? It wasn't until I decreased my dose? Anything can be done with treating the acne?

anitathom57 13 March 2017

I was recently hospitalized for an acute asthma attack and received large doses of Prednisone for 5 days in the hospital. When I was discharged fron the hospital, I was placed on an aggressive Prednisone 20 MG, 10 day treatment. I completed my 10 days of treatment 2 days ago. The Prednisone really helped my breathing. The swelling of hands, ankles, legs and face is coming down but now having numbness in hands and feet, diarrhea and extreme hip joint pain along with leg, ankle and foot cramps. I am trying to drink more water and low sugar Gatorade to help with the cramps. I am taking Ibuprofen for the pain and Immodium for diarrhea. Coming off of Prednisone is no picnic. I will be so glad to feel good again.

Seriditide 24 Dec 2017

Thank you anonymous for posting and persevering.
Have been on prednisone as seratide Aus for 13 years, for asthma and have all the hideous side effects, ravening hunger for carbohydrates and alcohol and broadly excess food.
corticosteroids change carbohydrate metabolism and pack fat on face, chest and upper back and back of neck, plus many other dreadful effects. Going on a diet or excercise is not the answer... food is absorbed and whoopee it goes into fat packs and you are ravening in hunger.

Expand...

Corticosteroids feed back on adrenals which get slammed down and so I have essentially no DHEA at all. So I have no armpit hair or arm or leg hair, my thick beautiful hair dropped out and grows to about 3 or 4 inches long.
My face now sags and the dhea deficiency has cut down on collagen and elastin synthesis so thin skin and worse .. I was beautiful and looked 25 years younger than I was before prednisone.
Beginning cataracts...
And deficiency or no Dhea causes lung walls remodelling hypersensitivity of lung airways and sensitivity of eosinophils and inflammation..So my asthma has got worse and is entrenched.
Plus fatigue, despair and general inflammation.
Needless to say I have paid an obscene amount to a number of gps who tell me prednisone is good for me and go see the socialist who taught them at uni to get told the same.
Today it's 3 days without corticosteroids. Had 3 days of azithromycin for my lungs and 50 mg dhea. I feel entirely different apart from the 30 kilos extra . And all after seeing a thin middle eastern doctor who bulkbilled instead of 85aud for a few minutes

endlessPred 12 Dec 2012

Yes. As you reduce it and once you are finally off it will subside. However that is only the water weight making you puffy. If you gained other weight, it will not change.

Prednisone creates a special type of fat that is high in water content. The fat disappears once you are no longer on prednisone. Should you go back on again in the future, the same thing will happen. Reducing from prednisone takes time. Good luck with this.

Votes: +0
Drugs.com free discount card

Related topics

acne, osteoarthritis, pain, prednisone, side effect

Further information

Similar questions

Search for questions

Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.