Methylprednisolone and Depression: What Users Say

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2016

Methylprednisolone for Inflammatory Conditions "This medication is very, very dangerous. I took it for only three days before I became depressed, raging, and suicidal. It is two months later and I have been in the psych ER three times, and I am still struggling and now on mood stabilizers. Before I took this medication, I was fine. Please Google 'prednisone psychiatric side-effects' before you take this medication. This should have a black box warning on it, but for reasons I don't understand, the FDA doesn't make them put one on there. It is known to cause extreme psych side-effects in up to 5% of the people who take it. Please avoid what happened to me and read before you start taking it. There are plenty of peer-reviewed clinical articles about it."

• No...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2017

For Inflammatory Conditions "WARNING! I was prescribed a Medrol Dosepak a year ago for sinusitis. Everything was fine until about the 5th day. I slipped into a very deep depression for the first time in my life. I became suicidal and felt like crying 24 hours a day for 2 weeks. I endured the crisis and eventually the depression resolved. Through support and prayer, I overcame, but it was touch and go for a while. I developed an anxiety disorder after that event that still persists. Be very mindful of the psychiatric issues that steroids may cause. From my research, it is very common to become hypomanic and less common to become clinically depressed. It will resolve over time. Just hang in there if it happens to you."

• CSA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2018

Methylprednisolone for Inflammatory Conditions "DO NOT take this medicine if you are prone to depression and/or anxiety! I was given the six-day 10mg dose pack for costochondritis. Everything was fine while taking it, but a few days after it ended, I began feeling like I had the flu. Then the most awful depression set in with the worst anxiety I've ever had. Insomnia too. Five weeks after finishing, it's still with me. Having to take Xanax and Zoloft now just to survive. I pray that it will go away soon and wish I had never taken this horrible drug. I'm sure it has a place, but not for those with depression or anxiety."

• kob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 12, 2019

For Inflammatory Conditions "I had a very bad experience with this drug methylprednisolone. I have a knee problem, patellofemoral pain syndrome, the amount of side effects that I had from using it is beyond imagination: headache, nausea, depression, confusion, restlessness, anxiety, eye pain, urinating a lot (like every 15 minutes) that I actually started to feel pain during urination, irregular heart rhythm (very fast), and more... I took six pills the first day, once in the morning, and on the day after, I quit. That was enough for me, I could not bear it anymore. It felt like poison to me and it didn’t even solve my knee problem. To my surprise, some of the side effects lasted for almost a year after I stopped taking it. But thank goodness I think it’s over by now. It was awful and I wish I knew better before I took it. I think that if it's not a life-threatening condition, there is no way that I'm using it in the future!!! And I wish they would find some substitute for this ASAP."

• Jim...
• August 8, 2015

For Inflammatory Conditions "I had my third back surgery on 12/31/15. Pain and tightness has been off and on since. Recently, the pain was so bad I couldn't take it anymore because my hydrocodone wasn't working. Went to the doc, and he put me in the methylprednisolone dose pack 4 mg. Overnight, it was better. You have to take it with food, or it will tear you up. Don't take it close to bedtime. No significant side effects other than mild depression and lethargy. May not even be due to the med, but it is a possibility."

• Blu...
• August 14, 2019

For Inflammatory Conditions "After reading many other reviews on here, I would ascertain that if you have any tendency of depression, anxiety, mood disorder, this medication should be avoided. I’m on my second day, and I’ve been seriously blue, depressed, and unable to sleep at night. I’m frustrated because I do think it’s doing wonders for my joints and double plantar fasciitis, which were so painful a couple of days ago I walked difficultly. That alone made my life depressing... but now, this feels very different. Not sure what to do at this point, but will definitely weigh the pros and cons and grab a couple of Xanax before bed for sure. UGH."

• T J...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2016

For Inflammatory Conditions "I went into the E.R. on Sept 8th, 2016, for a simple bug bite on my finger that became itchy and swollen after the 3rd evening. Was prescribed MEDROL along with clindamycin, Benadryl, and an antacid, none of which I've ever taken in my 39 years of living. After the 1st day, I became very emotional, low mood, I just kind of blew it off. 3rd day, my weight dropped 7 lbs! As of today, Dec 5th, down to 127 lbs & normally 138 lbs. SEVERE muscle loss, bulging eye, eyes blurry, extreme pressure in my head to the point I can't move sometimes, shakiness, depression, heart palpitations, bone & joint pain, painful jolts periodically, nausea, black stools, burning back & stomach, diarrhea & constipation, tingling, dizzy."

• kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2019

For Inflammatory Conditions "From the first dose, I got a lot of physical energy - which was great after being exhausted for a long time. Same time, it made me so irritable and depressed, I was climbing through the ceilings. After a couple of hours, it calmed down, but then I broke out in a skin rash. NEVER AGAIN."

• Ada...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2021

For Inflammatory Conditions "Prescribed for a back injury. Only took the 6 pills from the pack on the first evening and felt very strange within 2 hours. I got a migraine, felt my muscles tighten, I got very anxious, then depressed, all the while my heart raced. I’m just glad I found this site where I see that I’m not alone in experiencing side effects. Oh, I guess my pain is somewhat alleviated for now. We’ll see in the morning."

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2018

For Inflammatory Conditions "My side effects are mood swings, depression and elation, night sweats, panic attacks. Also, for the whole month I did not drive a car as I felt I could not make quick decisions. I forgot important things I needed to do. I asked the doctor if I could stop sooner, but had to decrease slowly. By the time I finished, it took me more than a month to feel normal."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2025

Methylprednisolone for Immunosuppression "My comment is about Solu-Medrol 1000 mg given via IV for 3 days while hospitalized for bilateral pulmonary embolisms. The goal, get my platelets up over 100 so that I can start my blood thinner again. My platelets slowly increased. I noticed an immediate horrible taste in my mouth. The next day, feeling like I had pneumonia. I couldn’t breathe and felt worse than I have ever in my life. The second and third days, nervous, several panic attacks, tachycardia. I had headaches, exhausted. My vision is still blurry after several days. My left eye is droopy. I had 3 chest X-rays, no pneumonia. I have never taken over 60 mg of prednisone. This bronchitis that I feel was a result of the immunosuppressant has really put me down and made me depressed. I’m at home on 60 mg daily, no energy."

• Jw7...
• May 29, 2016

For Gout, Acute "This drug completely alleviates pain and swelling associated with my acute gout, but I am experiencing side effects of anxiety, restlessness, gas, bloating, abdominal pain, insomnia, mood swings, depression, and paranoid thoughts. I'm looking forward to phasing this out, but thankful for the gout relief!"

• Drc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2022

For Inflammatory Conditions "All was good when I was taking them, besides a headache. I was, like everyone else, felt young again. I have rheumatoid arthritis. I loved the medicine, until it was done. I've had an opioid problem and had severe withdrawals from it. This is right next to it. I only did a one-week pack: 6, then 5, then 4, so on. I wish I was warned of the aftereffects, I would have NEVER taken them. If I never had to stop, they would be wonderful, but the withdrawals from just one week's use had been awful. It's been 3 days, and I still have a headache, muscle aches, fuzzy head, no energy, and sick to my stomach. I threw up the day after I stopped and have had an upset stomach since. Depression. I'm finally starting to feel a little normal. I will never take them again unless it's life or death."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2017

For Dermatologic Lesion "I was prescribed this in the ER for ulcers on my skin. Please, as I write this and am struggling with this. Do not take this drug. I was acting not myself for the time on it. I thought it was my anxiety disorder. After day 5, I fell into a deep depression. I have had panic attacks, severe confusion. I've debated if I loved anyone and cried and have screamed because I was having thoughts about my significant other. I couldn't and am still struggling to go outside. I can't get out of bed. They wanted me on antidepressants and high dosages of anxiety meds. I saw a doctor at urgent care, and they asked who was stupid enough to prescribe you this and why. I'm hoping all these feelings and emotions are from this drug. I haven't been myself since."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2015

For Inflammatory Conditions "Day two of methylprednisolone 4 mg. Tendonitis in elbow hurts worse than it did before beginning medication, general feeling of lethargy and slight depression, but no other apparent side effects."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2017

For Inflammatory Conditions "Side effects: mood swings, depression."