Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Hi , I've been on prednisone since Oct 1st. Started with 1000mg IV treatments, went to 80mg, 60mg, 40mg, now I'm on 30mg. I was close to 100lbs overweight when I started. I haven't gained any weight at all but I also got into a dietician the week I started on the prednisone so that we could keep my weight under control. I haven't lost any either but at least I haven't gained. My protein levels have dropped quite a bit and my labs are all looking great so treatment has worked for me so far. As for side effects I've had problems with.... " moon face " big time I don't recognize myself in the mirror, lots of body " recontouring " thru my back, arms, stomach, etc. I haven't gained an ounce but I look much heavier than I did because the predinsone redistributes your weight into weird places. Mood swings have been a problem for me but we found it was more due to a electrolyte imbalance, though I'm sure the prednisone has added to them. They aren't severe enough that I've felt the need for an antidepressant, as long as I remember to vent to my family on a weekly basis that is. (I have a tendency to bottle things up) The hot flashes seem to fade out too the longer you are on the stuff. After 4 months I'm either used to the effects or they have disappeared. I had a lot of hair loss at the start when on very high doses but that has tapered off as my dose has reduced. I also had a problem with " fuzzy thinking " basically I feel like I have ADD most days, just can't concentrate on anything new. I've also had some night time joint cramping problems but found that drinking LOTS of water before bed has kept those at bay, I have to get up to pee more but I'd rather do that than be in so much pain I can't walk. If I had it to do over again I would only because I've had great results so far and my IgA is the aggressive form. Good luck with whatever you decide. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Hi , I tried Prednisone a few summers ago, and I did not do well on it. In fact, I had a discussion just today about trying steroids as a last ditch effort to buy me some time, and we together decided the side/effect vs possible benefits to me would not be worth it. In my case, my renal function is so low already that it does not have a good chance of being effective for me. We have had other members such as Amy, and who have realized improvements on Prednisone though, so it is worth a try at least to see how you do. Not everybody experiences the side effects as badly as I did. Good luck to you on your decision, and please keep us informed on when your biopsy is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 , That was one of my biggest problems with Prednisone too. I could not control my emotions, and would cry on television commercials even :-) Good thing I don't watch much TV and prefer to read! Talk about going overboard. I am one who normally stays very positive and rarely cries, so this was very much out of the norm for me. If I ever have to go on Pred again, I will ask for Zoloft too....at least enough so I can watch a 30 minute program without breaking down into tears :-) In a message dated 2/3/2004 11:33:36 AM Pacific Standard Time, garymattcohen@... writes: > : > > When I started on prednisone 6 years ago, I started at 120 mg every other > day. I thought I was going to go nuts. I could not control my emotions, > especially the negative ones. Everyone thought I was losing it. My neph put me on > Zoloft and after a couiple of days, the moods were much (and I do men VERY > MUCH) easier to control. Now that I am post-tx (only 5 mg/day of prednisone), I > still take the wonderful little blue pill. I would talk to your doc - it > worked for me. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 , That was one of my biggest problems with Prednisone too. I could not control my emotions, and would cry on television commercials even :-) Good thing I don't watch much TV and prefer to read! Talk about going overboard. I am one who normally stays very positive and rarely cries, so this was very much out of the norm for me. If I ever have to go on Pred again, I will ask for Zoloft too....at least enough so I can watch a 30 minute program without breaking down into tears :-) In a message dated 2/3/2004 11:33:36 AM Pacific Standard Time, garymattcohen@... writes: > : > > When I started on prednisone 6 years ago, I started at 120 mg every other > day. I thought I was going to go nuts. I could not control my emotions, > especially the negative ones. Everyone thought I was losing it. My neph put me on > Zoloft and after a couiple of days, the moods were much (and I do men VERY > MUCH) easier to control. Now that I am post-tx (only 5 mg/day of prednisone), I > still take the wonderful little blue pill. I would talk to your doc - it > worked for me. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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