Prednisone and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Bab...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 23, 2019

For Asthma "I have RA and fibromyalgia, also asthma. I think prednisone is wonderful. I'd rather take it any day than an opioid IV. Been taking it off and on for ten years, with no noticeable side effects, but not being able to sleep. But I don't sleep anyway. It is truly a miracle."

• Ter...
• July 3, 2015

For Ulcerative Colitis "Female (23). I was diagnosed with UC in 2008 at age 15. Got horrible abdominal pain, I'd roll up in a ball and just cry, frequent bathroom trips, blood clots, and dropped down to 100 pounds. I tried several medications, none of them worked except prednisone. I agree side effects are horrible. I've had different reactions all three times I've been put on them-feeling wired, not sleeping until 6 am, looking like a chipmunk, broke out in itchy bumps on my chest, jawline, and back, joint pains. BUT, as others said, it did stop my inflammation immediately. After that, I was put on azathioprine and it has been the only medication that has controlled my UC, thank goodness. Don't let UC control you. You control UC! Always be strong and very open-minded about your disease."

• Fff...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2016

For Inflammatory Conditions "Terrible pain in hip and shoulder, two hours after first 60 mg dose completely pain-free. Everywhere in my body. Side effects started immediately: severe anxiety, dry mouth, could not sleep, paranoia. By day five, severe rectal bleeding from being constipated. Doctor lowered the dose, still had side effects. I stopped the meds, pain is all back with a vengeance 24 hours after last dose. Side effects scary as hell."

• Apr...
• October 13, 2011

For Ulcerative Colitis "10 out of 10 for controlling the colitis and getting the healing process going, but 0 out of 10 for the side effects. Thus, a 5/10 average. Been on prednisone for about 4 months at a variety of doses (40 mg to start, then 30, 20, 15, 10, 5). Has alleviated many of the colitis symptoms and allowed for semi-normal bathroom habits. Used in conjunction with mesalamine, Canasa, and vancomycin for a stubborn C. diff infection. Side effects: stimulant effects at first (like too much coffee), elevated mood and MASSIVE appetite, puffy face. During the taper process: insomnia, anxiety, depression, rapid heartbeat. NOT FUN."

• Suz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2019

For Eczema "I've used prednisone off and on all my life for eczema (primarily on hands) or if asthma got bad. I do consider it a miracle drug, even though I have problems sleeping when I take it. Besides a family practice doctor or dermatologist, an allergist can be very helpful. I had a test on my back for chemical sensitivity. It was very helpful. You can also have a blood test for food sensitivity. All of these things can aggravate eczema."

• Dan...
• January 19, 2017

For Asthma "Plus side: Prednisone does indeed reduce the inflammation in my lungs so I can breathe. Con side: It wires me. We're talking spending the entire night staring at the clock because I cannot sleep while taking it. This time I was sent home with a four-day course of prednisone as well as a sleep aid to counteract the insomnia. I've taken two (generic) Ambien, and I am once again awake at 2 AM and have been since 1. I got maybe two and a half hours of broken sleep before awakening at 1. I mean, yes, I need to breathe, but I also need to be able to sleep to function."

• Anonymous
• December 10, 2011

For Inflammatory Conditions "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."

• Aft...
• September 13, 2019

For Eczema "I've had eczema all my life, but it was never bad, it was just like a small pink rash on my arm that would go away after a while. Well, after I fully matured, it got worse, much worse. Eleven years of trying to control it and finding some success, only for it to relapse, it has covered my whole body, even my eyelids. Day 4 thus far on my prednisone regime, and the eczema is completely gone on my face and arms and is fading fast in other places. The reason why I give this a 9/10 as opposed to a full 10/10 is because I experienced some side effects my first couple of days. Nothing serious, but my heart felt weird-not like irregular, just weird-but it went away within a few minutes. Then I had insomnia for the first couple of nights and woke up shaking, but those are common for starting a steroid regime. If you've been suffering with severe eczema all over your body like me, then I highly recommend you ask your doctor about prednisone or drugs like it."

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

For Inflammatory Conditions "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."

• ASB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2023

For Sinusitis "This drug was horrible for me. I have been having horrible sinus symptoms for a month and a half now, face throbbing daily, feeling dizzy and exhausted, etc. Got prescribed prednisone 60 mg for 5 days, then tapering down for 10 days. I only took it for 3 days, and it made my condition 10 times worse. I already have intense anxiety disorder problems that I occasionally take hydroxyzine for. After taking prednisone, my life became a nightmare. Worst anxiety of my life, no sleep for days, seeing and hearing things that aren't there, waking up drenched in sweat, elevated blood pressure, 2 ER visits, etc. My symptoms were so bad that I was too terrified to take it again and stopped taking it with no tapering. It's been 2 days since then, and I am still experiencing insomnia. Maybe it's because I didn't taper, but oh well. I would rather suffer through the withdrawal symptoms for a few days than continue to introduce this drug into my system. I will never take steroids again!"

• UC ...
• August 19, 2018

For Ulcerative Colitis, Active "This is the drug I love to hate. While this drug works wonders at high doses to kick your colon back into working order, the side effects are what make it the worst. If you’re on too high of a dose for too long, you’ll develop moon face. Good luck getting rid of that because it takes months. If you’re on too low of a dose, you’re miserable and will be begging your doctor to put you on a higher dose. You’ll almost always have sleeping issues: not being able to fall asleep, staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night constantly, etc., so be prepared with melatonin or some type of natural sleep aid. If you’re on a high enough dose, you’ll also be able to eat double your normal amount of calories, so learn to practice portion control and self-control because you’ll also have cravings for anything and everything at any time of day. Also, begin taking calcium and vitamin D supplements. If you are on this drug long enough, more than 3 months, you will lose bone mass."

• tob...
• July 16, 2015

For Inflammatory Conditions "I took this for temporal arteritis. I gained 70 lbs., developed moon face, swollen legs and arms. I was unable to sleep at night and was so sleepy during the day, I fell asleep anywhere. Developed cataracts, had them removed, but I still have blurry vision and have not been able to drive in 1.5 years. Hair is thin and very dry skin. Have a hard time walking due to vision and weakness."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

For Inflammatory Conditions "I was given a heavy 15-day supply of this drug after being given Solumedrol (another steroid) intravenously in the hospital after an episode of optic neuritis. After I began taking this, I have had migraine headaches every single day, pressure and tingling in my head, pressure behind my eyes and ears, ringing in my ears, sinus issues, anxiety through the roof, dry eyes, dry skin, blurred vision, insomnia, crazy acne, weight loss, and frequent urination. This drug is awful, and I would not be taking it if I didn't absolutely have to."

• Hig...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 11, 2016

For Bullous Pemphigoid "I took prednisone for bullous pemphigoid four years ago. It took over six months to get diagnosed, so it was bad by the time I started prednisone. At first, the doctor tried CellCept, but that did not work. Prednisone immediately took care of the itching and a week or so for the rash. It took a few months to be able to wean myself off it (I started at 60 mg and was dropping successfully until I hit 20 mg; after that, whenever I dropped, I would flare up, so I stayed at that level for something like two months). Now I only take it when I have serious flares, for only 3-4 days. As for side effects, I had insomnia, but not too bad; I did not gain weight, but my stomach did increase in size. I am perfectly willing to put up with that for the relief."

• ALE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 6, 2016

For Lichen Planus "I had an 8-week course of pred. While it erased my lichen rash, it made me gain weight, my face was unrecognizable (fat), and I constantly was eating. Also, I don't know if anyone felt tipsy on these meds? I began being clumsy and couldn't sleep. After 8 weeks of taking, 4 days after stopping, the rash came back. I was told to take 1 a day! Still on them, but now I'm getting bad joint pains, depression, and a short fuse (mood swings, excessive sweating)."

• Kri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 24, 2019

For Cluster Headaches "I have been dealing with migraines/cluster headaches my whole life. I'm 45 now, and at 3, I would tell my mom my head hurt. I've done everything from sinus surgery to acupuncture, CAT scans, MRIs, Botox, and back injections. Usually, once something doesn't work, the doctor gives up on me and basically dismisses my concerns. My last doctor diagnosed me with chronic daily migraines and gave me 50 mg of prednisone to take for 2 to 3 days if the Imitrex doesn't work. I love it!! It works!! HOWEVER, after taking it for a few days... I take 2 to 3 a day 'cause 5 is too much, I think. I got so swollen, irritable, broken out, and can't sleep. Then I think I was getting a rebound headache. Ugh... now I try to take just as needed, and it definitely works if I don't take too long. I'm excited to find something to take the edge off when nothing else works."

• No...
• December 18, 2016

For Asthma "First, it helped me breathe. I was wheezing and coughing terribly. The side effects suck. I get aggressive and irritable. Insomnia is terrible. I can feel swelling in my hands. I can feel my heartbeat in my hands when I have fingers interlocked. I try to avoid all medications, but this did help."

• Val...
• October 14, 2018

For Sinusitis "I have been a long-time sufferer of allergies since childhood and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive polyps as an adult. My allergy specialist recommended taking prednisone because I am at extreme risk for sinus surgery. I took this medication in hopes that I could be able to breathe again through my nose, but alas, to my dismay, the medication had no effect whatsoever on shrinking my polyps in both nasal cavities, and my nasal passages remain inflamed. The first round of doses of prednisone I took for one week straight at 20 mg and tapered off, and the second round started at 60 mg per week, tapered down to 20 mg for the fifth week. Still no change, no shrinkage of nasal polyps, and inflammation remains so bad that I am unable to get any sleep. When I am forced to mouth breathe to sleep, I stop breathing altogether and wake up. I'm tired, frustrated, and anxious because I'm unable to breathe through my nose."

• Pol...
• January 15, 2017

For Inflammatory Conditions "Started with 48 mg a day. The fever started dropping down, but still had chills. After a week, the pain was gone, but I started being deaf in one ear, depressed, had tremors inside of me, sleepless nights, and a salty metallic taste in my mouth. So I had to reduce the dose to 10-15 mg a day for 2.5 months. The pain is back, the neck is stiff. It seems like someone is twisting my arms and shoulders. I have my legs swollen from night to morning, terrible stomach pain. I need to get off it. The only drug that might help is Actemra. Now waiting for insurance approval. If I don't get it, I will go on cannabis. Hopefully, the law will get through by the end of Jan 2017 in NY. Suffer from terrible pain in my neck and both shoulders."

• day...
• December 6, 2009

For Lupus "I was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus after about 3 months of tests and suffering at the age of 14. Not long after that, I had a terrible episode and had to be hospitalized. I was put on 40 mg. The side effects are horrible. I got the 'chipmunk cheeks' or 'moon face,' I lost a lot of hair, I had extra hair in weird places, I had terrible insomnia, and I had a lot of water retention. People that I knew didn't recognize me. I was then lowered too quickly off prednisone and got an even worse episode. I was put on 100 mg, and it was horrible! But prednisone did save my life. I have long-term effects like osteopenia, lowered immunity, and stomach problems. I am now 34, been on it 20 years! Saved my life. There were no other options when they put you on prednisone."

• Kat...
• January 17, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "Put on Solumedrol IV and then take home prednisone, 60 mg, weaned down to 20 now. Reason for taking was not my fibro, but acute respiratory failure with hypoxia, sepsis, bilateral pneumonia, exacerbation of COPD, abnormal CT lungs. This is the WORST medication. I am even more depressed, anxious, hyped up, insomnia worse, no appetite, anxiety attacks, nightmare with terrors, upset stomach, indigestion worse than normal achalasia and GERD, post-op myotomy, Nissen fundo. I feel like dying! I still have some pain, even if all pain from severe DDD, fibro, CMPS, could not tolerate this med. Feel like I am dying. Any suggestions on how to cope? My future will hold many rounds of med with repeated pneumonias, COPD."

• reg...
• October 31, 2016

For Allergic Reactions "I had hives. Got prescribed this. About 4 days into taking it, every time I shut my eyes, something I was scared of would fly at my face, making me jolt up and open my eyes. I didn't sleep for about 36 hours. Even me knowing and thinking it was not real did not help even the slightest. Nothing helped, I just had to wait until it was out of my system enough for it to stop. But every single noise was amplified and scary. My boyfriend would knock into something, and it would send me into a panic. He would say something or even move enough for my vision to catch it, and I would actually jump and get scared. Basically, everything was terrifying, and I couldn't shut my eyes for more than about 2 seconds without it happening."

• May...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2020

For Eczema "Honestly, don’t waste your time if you have long-lasting chronic eczema. But do use it if you’re having just a flare-up. I stopped using steroids about three years ago and learned how to cope with my eczema. I had to move back home because of COVID, and my skin was NOT happy. My eczema started flaring on my back, which I’ve never had, so I was prescribed this. The side effects were horrible, I couldn’t sleep, and my chest was tight. It cleared my skin, but when I got off of it, my eczema got really, really bad. Worse than when I had started. Not only did the flare-up on my back come back, but I redeveloped eczema on the rest of my body/face that I had previously had eczema years ago. It basically revived every single past flare-up I had."

• ral...
• September 8, 2015

Prednisone for Sarcoidosis "Feeling hyperactive, like I can't walk fast enough, having to wait on a thought to process, always wanting sweet, salty, and crunchy food. Med after 7 p.m. keeps me awake at least 4 hours, although I feel tired. Only been on for 1 month for new sarcoidosis. Breathing much better! Chest tightness better! Energy level better!"

• Pro...
• August 22, 2012

For Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia "Though the prednisone is working so far for the anemia, the side effects are bad. Extreme retention of fluids, high blood pressure, moon face, little sleep, and indigestion. Now taking more pills to combat the side effects of this medicine."