Prednisone for Inflammatory Conditions User Reviews (Page 3)

• Mam...
• August 3, 2016

"I have been taking prednisone for a rare condition, Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome. When I was diagnosed, I had severe double vision (both eyes were affected). I also had fatigue and dizziness. And, did I mention the headaches? I have been on prednisone for 2.3 years. I have gotten down to 5 mg/0 mg on alternating days only to relapse both times. With the right diet and exercise program, most of the physical side effects of the prednisone, if it is low dose, can be eliminated. In the last year, I have dropped 32 lbs and look damn good for a 42-year-old woman. The downside is that I have not been able to get off of the meds. The upside is that it helps me live a normal life. I can't live with horrible headaches and double vision."

• nav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 15, 2017

"I have degenerative disk disease and suffer from acute lower and middle back pain. It is almost always at a pain level 6 and can spike to a pain level of 7 or 8 and rarely goes down to a 4 with pain meds. I recently suffered an attack of Bell's palsy, so the doctor prescribed prednisone for 10 days: 60 mg for 3 days, 40 mg for 3 days, 20 mg for 2 days, and 10 mg for 2 days. Although the treatment had nothing to do with my DDD, I have discovered that it is actually helping, and I have used less of my pain medication, of which I normally take 50 mg of tramadol 4x a day, but while on the prednisone, I was able to cut to 2x a day. I was greatly surprised and may mention this to my regular doctor. I wonder if the shots would work as well?"

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 1, 2020

Prednisone "Most people don’t know what polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is, but it comes on fast and strong, and pretty quickly you can’t raise your arms over your head or walk normally. Pain and stiffness as if you ran a marathon yesterday and your legs are full of cement. One dose of prednisone after suffering for two months and finally some relief! But you have to continue taking it for 1+ years, tapering down to the smallest effective dose, until (hopefully) it goes into remission. The usual negative side effects of prednisone apply, which reduce as your dose does. I started on regular generic prednisone at 20 mg. Switched to Rayos delayed release at 10 mg seven months in. Rayos is great—no GI problems, and you take it before bed so it is working when you get up. Less morning pain. Prednisone is the only treatment that works for PMR, so you might as well embrace it."

• TC ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2015

"Typical 'bend over and injure lower back scenario' brought me to my knees. Excruciating. UC visit prescribed Prednzone plus Cyclob muscle relaxer. Amazing turnaround within 48 hrs. Had other inflammation in shoulder and wrist that had gone untreated and cleared immediately along with back pain. Though I'm not a fan of constant meds, the relief I realized coupled with zero side effects (9 days into regimen) causes me to give a big thumbs up to Prednzone for significant lower back inflammation."

• Jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2017

"This medication saved my life. I'm 21 years old and suffered a severe allergic reaction (angioedema) from a medication. My lips swelled up three times their size, and my eyes swelled shut, and I couldn't see. I also couldn't breathe. I was rushed to the ER, and the doctors gave me this medication, prednisone, in the IV. All my swelling immediately went away, and my breathing returned to normal. I was prescribed 10 mg of it for that next week, and it kept my inflammation away and my allergic reaction under control. Make sure to follow the taper-off schedule that comes with it."

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2018

"I stood up one day and had shooting pain in my side and hip. Thought I pulled a muscle, but by the next day I could barely walk and get out of bed. Went to the doctor and was told it was a pinched nerve in my lower back. The doctor put me on a 21-day prednisone tapering plan and oxycodone. Took three 20 mg prednisone for 7 days. Then moved to two 20 mg for 7 days and will end with one 20 mg for the last 7 days. On day 10. Started to feel better in a few days after taking. Still have pain and discomfort, but prednisone is helping. Now I can bend a little, walk slowly, and turn better in bed. The medicine is working wonders, and I still have 11 days left, so I hope I'm completely better by then. Only downside is that I've already gained 7 pounds so far."

• Bea...
• April 28, 2015

"Somehow, the prednisone is working within hours this time. I have lupus and all other arthritis-like conditions. First time, first day. Second round, about three days... this time, almost immediately. How weird?"

• Nui...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2017

"If you can't handle any more ibuprofen for swelling, I highly recommend prednisone. My glands in my jaw swelled up, and the only thing that helped it was prednisone. Yes, you're always hungry on it and can get an upset stomach. You can get very irritable on it. Yes, you do gain weight, but some side effects can be reduced if you take the same amount of the medicine throughout the day and not all at once."

• brn...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 4, 2015

"I was put on prednisone for the first time for a rare form of colitis. I was in terrible pain and had to use the bathroom about 20 times a day. I was hospitalized with dehydration and vomiting and the extreme diarrhea. After six days on a high dosage, I was much better and sent home on a maintenance regimen of 10 mg per day. This therapy did not cure my condition but cut down on my frequent hospitalizations. So, to make a long story shorter, I was prescribed prednisone in differing strengths for twenty years. At that point, prednisone had done so much harm to my body that I insisted on stopping it. I have developed severe osteoporosis, and my back is starting to get a 'hump.' My skin is so thin that it is like tissue paper, and I get bruises all over me."

• boo...
• October 29, 2011

"Diagnosed from MRI with bone spurs on cervical vertebrae. Took 10 mg, 48 pill pack on a 12-day schedule. Completely relieved pain and numbness for two and a half months. Starting new pack, now three months later. No noted side effects."

• Hil...
• February 27, 2011

"This was easy to take after leaving the hospital. Take it with food definitely. I started out with 4 pills all at once, and then gradually reduced them day by day, as directed by my doctor. I found I had increased energy and appetite. Also, they cleared up my seborrheic dermatitis that I have been treating for several years now with topical solutions. I would definitely use this steroid again."

• eas...
• April 9, 2015

"I have a bulging disc C4, 5, and 6, cervical radiculopathy, peripheral neuropathy, DDD L4-L5, and asthma. Prednisone works for me! I take 5 mg for 14 days. This med helps ease the pain, giving me some relief and helps me breathe much better. My neurologist is very hesitant about writing me another prescription. Don't understand why... only side effect is mild nausea."

• Pre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2015

"Prescribed 1 x 5 mg tablet 4 times a day to help me shift a persistent cough. Wasn't expecting to be pain-free with my tendonopathy. Within 2 days, I could walk down stairs without having to put my foot on the same step. I even felt like I could run up stairs. Back at the doctor's next week, here's hoping she lets me stay on them. Not had any side effects yet. Fingers crossed."

• Flo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 29, 2016

"I had a choking/allergic reaction where my throat swelled as well as my vocal cords. It was scary, but I'm glad it happened because I was living with a lot of pain that the prednisone helped from a bike accident, as well as other issues. I just took it for 5 days, and I did take a 5 mg about 3 weeks later as a maintenance dose. As far as the anxiety goes, my body adjusted to that after a couple of days, then it dissipated once I stopped taking it. I did gain 6 lbs, and it kept me awake the first couple of nights. The positive outweighs the side effects for me, especially with a short-term dosage."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 21, 2016

"On my second day of taking prednisone, just woke up out of my sleep at 4:04 am today, tossing and turning. I smelled rubber burning, became really antsy. Went to the kitchen to check the stove. Still smell rubber burning. Within another few minutes, my left arm felt tingly, burning, and cold. My face felt weird, so I had to check in the bathroom mirror if I wasn't having an allergic reaction. I have an EpiPen out and on standby. I'm up now, drinking lots of water and detox tea to flush this drug out of my system. Pill take instructions were take 6 pills on the 6th day, 5 on the 5th day, 4 pills on the fourth day and continue to day one. No thank you! Will not be continuing. Honestly, a little scared to go back to sleep. I do not recommend this drug."

• Anonymous
• November 15, 2015

"Undiagnosed neck pain also under the left shoulder blade and pain that shoots down the left arm. Ongoing since June, this is the middle of November. Seems to have taken some of the swelling down, and the pain is less noticeable, but still have the spasms in my back and down my arm (very painful). I am on day 5 of a 6-day treatment. Side effects have been pretty bad for me, I feel very weak and fatigued, extremely nauseous, dizzy, no appetite, cold sweats. I feel like I have a bad flu. I'm so dizzy I can't drive. Hope this is worth it and the pain goes away a bit more."

• kim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2012

"I was started on 60 mg in the hospital. I have a rare condition, I am told. I was good until I dropped down to 30 mg, then I was crying, mean, ill, swollen, and couldn't walk on my feet because of the pain (swelling). Went back to the doctor, they were dropping me down 10 mg every 7 days. My doctor has now upped the medications and is dropping me down slower. I do not like the weight gain. I feel very tight, and my face is very round. I am only 5 ft 2 and was 135. Now I am 145, and I can feel it. I am told that it may be 1 to 2 months before I am weaned off. But I guess having the weight gain is better than the alternative, my doctor also put me on Lasix and potassium."

• dom...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 14, 2015

"Following the surgical removal of 2 herniated discs in 11/2014, pain was less severe. Some relief, like a 7 on a scale instead of 9.5! However, the pain has returned. Fentanyl patches do not seem to work. Nor does Tramadol. I have been on and off of Prednisone for years. So I took a dose of 60 mg this morning. The pain has definitely subsided. I intend to take another high dose, probably 50 mg, at bedtime. I honestly believe that the Prednisone relieved my chronic lower back pain in a case where Fentanyl and Tramadol were not as effective."

• mag...
• July 4, 2015

"I suffer from bad urticaria/hives, and the antihistamines the doctor prescribed did next to nothing. Prescribed prednisone, almost instant relief, the only drawback is I stay awake longer, require less sleep, but I'm not tired, so no biggie. Just wish I had been prescribed this a long time ago. I only take 1 or 2 when the hives are really bad, about once every 2 or 3 weeks."

• Tal...
• May 8, 2017

"I've taken prednisone tapers on and off for chronic back pain and inflammation. Usually, when I've reached a point when pain meds aren't working, I give in to an injection and a steroid taper. Steroids weaken the immune system, so if your body is currently fighting an infection that you may be unaware of, the infection can become full-blown since your body can't fight it off... and this happened to me. I ended up with shingles of the mouth. Excruciatingly painful. I am now prone to getting shingles if I'm not careful. I think prednisone is a gamble. Take it if you have reached a point of not having too many other options. Try a higher dose of NSAIDs for a week, if no reprieve, then steroids. Best of luck."

• Fel...
• December 19, 2011

"I started taking prednisone just a couple of days ago (take my last dose tomorrow). In September, I received a very bad case of pneumonia. I have been having very bad breathing problems since then. The only thing the doctors can come up with is extreme inflammation. The first day I took these medicines (4 on the first day), I felt AMAZING, the best I have felt in months. It didn't last though, the next day I took 3.... felt okay.... today 2.... felt like my usually crappy self. So I didn't have such a good experience with it, except for that first day. Gosh, I could cry thinking about how great it made me feel."

• Anonymous
• October 10, 2010

"It has helped me like no other medicine I have ever been on. Almost to being a wonder drug. The only problem I have is the side effect of weight gain and swelling in three weeks. I've gained 6 pounds and am so swollen in my legs, trying to find a way to fight off the side effect. Will try anything. I feel like I have a quality of life with this medicine."

• Anonymous
• December 10, 2011

"Really cheap. I am a classical singer and had two concerts coming up and almost no voice because my vocal cords were swollen. Tried tea, water, sleep, vocal rest... a week later and I'm still unable to make sound come out of my mouth after a middle C (for non-musicians that's not very high!). I was prescribed 20 mg in the morning for three days and then 10 mg for three more. I'm still on day 1, but it already seems to be making a difference in my voice. I'm feeling the side effects though- 8 hours after my first dose I was jittery (no involuntary movements, but I felt nervous and needed to move around a lot). Hard to sleep and felt a little out of it- like I was on a mild dose of Vicodin."

• kel...
• March 13, 2011

"I took a medicine, and my throat swelled up to the point where I couldn't get a word out and had to write things down to communicate. My doctor prescribed me 75 mg of prednisone, and immediately I could feel the difference. Within 2 days, my throat was back to normal and I felt great again, loved this."

• A H...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2018

"I've had 14 years suffering with crippling pain in my abdomen. Just last year, I was diagnosed with Nerve Entrapment Syndrome from previous abdominal surgeries. I currently take 200 mg of Lyrica every day along with Cymbalta. I have had extreme pain recently, and my doctor gave me 5 days of prednisone. This medication has decreased my pain drastically. I have suffered from side effects like increased sweating (just of my face), lack of sleep, nightmares when I do, and a really bad chemical-looking burn in my throat down my esophagus. It is hard to talk and swallow. I will put the side effects aside and take this again to make my quality of life better."