PREDNISONE

[Guest guest]

to all

someone that know about the side effect to a low dose of prednisone. let

me know. please let me know what to expect. i am on 5mg. will that low

dose cause me to gain weight, will it be hard to get off it. i suppose i

don't have a choice, i am in so much pain. i am on the morphine patch

plus up to 12 tynol a day 600mg, & 1200 mg of neurontin a day for pain &

depression. all that meds don't touch my pain but a little while...i was

in remission for about 9 months. i still had the pain from the stroke

that left me in pain from nervers ending which i will have pain from

for the rest of my life.

sonny

[Guest guest]

Sonny, I have been on low dose and high doses.... I think if you drink plenty of water and watch what you eat, you may not put on weight. When I found out I had lupus, and I had just had two late term misscarrages and was told You will never be able to have children. I was crushed, Ralph's Dad died and his step mother was Satan's sister. and Mom and Dad left, they moved to the Beach, 5 hours away. and Ralph just worked and worked and buried his depression into his race car. and I was just so depressed... I ate my way through the years, I did not care how much weight I gained, I wanted to just crawl into a hole and pull the dirt in over my head. If it had not been for Ralph and My Aunt's Peg and Shirley, I would have done the worse thing I could have done... Kill myself. I was so depressed. My Aunt told me What do you want to do. and I said go to nurses school and help people... So she paid for my way to college. and The college tried to stop me.. Sezures. The head of the nurses program told me I needed a job where I don't come in contact with people.. My Aunt Peg is well off. Very rich. and She went to this Director of Nursing and told her, You admit Carol or I will sue you and The college for Discrimation of the Handicapped.. and She don't think I won't do it. and Gave her the number of her lawyer, who told her I'm waiting for a call. I'm here at the court house in Charlotte and ready to file.. What will it be lady!... So guess what I got in the nursing program and The director was my Teacher.. So I caught hell.. But Aunt Peg was there.... and let her know that if she rode me or flunked me with out good cause.. Her lawyer would file the suit aganist her...lol So I'm a nurse and I told Auntie Peg that I would take care of her in her old age.

So that is my story... and Yes I went form 125lbs to 350 lbs.. and now it is impossible to loose the weight.. I can't walk or do exercise with out my poor knees going the wrong way and putting me in bed. Your in my prayers. love Carol

PREDNISONE

to allsomeone that know about the side effect to a low dose of prednisone. letme know. please let me know what to expect. i am on 5mg. will that lowdose cause me to gain weight, will it be hard to get off it. i suppose idon't have a choice, i am in so much pain. i am on the morphine patchplus up to 12 tynol a day 600mg, & 1200 mg of neurontin a day for pain & depression. all that meds don't touch my pain but a little while...i wasin remission for about 9 months. i still had the pain from the strokethat left me in pain from nervers ending which i will have pain fromfor the rest of my life.sonny"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

carol

i want to thank you so much for sharing that with me. are you still on

prednisone. sonny

[Guest guest]

I have been on prednisone steadily with no let up since the summer of

1985. I cannot go below 10 mg without having problems.

I was put on 80 mg a day for six weeks by a doctor for a severe asthma

attack. Then I was stopped cold turkey. Two days later I was in the

emergency room with irregular heart beat and I thought I was going to

die. I wasn't making sense when I talked to people. Tests were run and

it was deemed I wasn't on illegal drugs.

Then the ER doctor found out I had been prednisone and that my doctor

had stopped it. He gave me a dose of solu-medrol (IV corticosteroid ..

it's like prednisone) and my heart beat went back to normal and after a

two day observation stay, I was released from the hospital.

High doses of prednisone can do a lot of damage .. like any drug that is

good for you .. high doses can hurt. Especially if you are not weaned

off from them.

5 mg is considered a very low dose. If you increase your water intake,

you may eliminate a lot of the weight gain. Prednisone tricks the brain

into thinking you are hungry, when in reality, since prednisone is an

anti-inflammatory, you are losing water. Along with this water you lose

the minerals magnesium and potassium.

By increasing your water intake, and eating foods rich in potassium and

magnesium, you can decrease your chances of having the negative side

effects from the prednisone.

I have been on prednisone now for 18 1/2 years now.. I have put on

weight (135 in 1985 to 210 right now).. I have decreased adrenal gland

function and my bone density has been compromised.

I have been taking Actonel for bone strengthening for about 3 years now.

When I had my first bone density test, I rated a 2.9 on the scale and

was told I had osteoporosis. The bone density test I had last month I

rated 2.4. Which is an improvement seeing as I am still on prednisone.

Now I am classified as having osteophenia, a step up from osteoporosis.

But .. if not for prednisone .. I would not be alive today .. so I have

to give it that in its favor!

" Rion "

[Guest guest]

Sonny - Does your doctor know you are on that much Tylenol???? Tylenol tends to be very toxic to the liver. I mean big time toxic. Everyone who takes Prednisone is different. The side effects you have on 5mg may be little or none - or you may gain weight etc., etc. Trust me though hon, Prednisone is NOT your big concern right now, it is all that Tylenol along with your other medications. You need to see your doctor soon and see about a pain clinic. People often think that since something is sold over the counter it is safe to take. This should be true - but can't be if you take way too much. I know that is every four hours, but when you add that with your prescription medications and your liver and or kidneys could end up in a world of hurt. I seriously hope you see your doctor soon and get a referral to a pain clinic, serious med changes, something so you have the pain relief you need without all that Tylenol. Please let us know how you are.

Hugs - a

PREDNISONE

to allsomeone that know about the side effect to a low dose of prednisone. letme know. please let me know what to expect. i am on 5mg. will that lowdose cause me to gain weight, will it be hard to get off it. i suppose idon't have a choice, i am in so much pain. i am on the morphine patchplus up to 12 tynol a day 600mg, & 1200 mg of neurontin a day for pain & depression. all that meds don't touch my pain but a little while...i wasin remission for about 9 months. i still had the pain from the strokethat left me in pain from nervers ending which i will have pain fromfor the rest of my life.sonny"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

No they have stopped it, so that I can try to loose some weight. I now weight in at 340 pounds. All I can ever loose is about twenty pounds then wham it is back on me. I hate it. All my mom and sis say is, If you would loose down to the size you use to be. It would be so much easer for me to buy you clothes.... Which is stupid, There is s and they have 2 stores near me that sell big sizes 16-34 and you can find great prices.. all ways having a sell and there are clothes that are to big for me... <big grin>

Mom, Ralph and all when there Friday and got me some clothes..

and they all came back is packages...lol love Carol

[Guest guest]

thanks paula

yes my doctor told me not to take no more than 12 tylenole a day. i

went to a pain clinic for a little over a year, that why i am on the

morphine patch....i was aware of the liver involvement that's why i ask

him about it.

hug sonny

[Guest guest]

brenda

can i have some diet drinks along with the water. diet 7up, diet coke

etc, oj.

hugs sonny

[Guest guest]

deanna,

thank you, i save it. MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Guest guest]

Hi, all!

Just wanted to add my greetings for a very blessed and wonderful holiday season!

And wanted to add a few other tips about coping with prednisone:

1) Even if you're on "a little" prednisone, you should still have a MedicAlert or other EMT notification bracelet/necklace or other id on your person AT ALL TIMES (for that matter, all lupies should have this). your prednisone intake might affect what the EMTs do for you and how quickly they treat you if you are in an accident.

2) When I was going to be put on high dose prednisone for the first time, an astute rheumatologist told me that I should first go home and toss out anything in my kitchen that had fat, salt, sugar, or was processed. She said, "You're going to crave those things, and if you have them handy, you'll eat them...and the weight will come on." I did what she suggested, and I did NOT gain prednisone weight. Whew! Yes, the cravings were horrible at times. But the beforehand preparation made them a bit easier to cope with.

3) Prednisone can bring on short-term AND long-term side effects. We have to be aware of the weight/bloat/mood issues, but we also have to watch out for long-term bone loss and cholesterol/cardiac issues. If our physicians won't suggest check-ups and bone density scans, we should demand them at regular intervals. All part of taking charge of the disease.

I hope these help.

Again, BEST WISHES for the holidays! And a very marvelous 2004!

Maureen

www.maureenpratt.com

[Guest guest]

thanks , Those are some great ideas, Ihope you have a pain free holiday. love Carol

Re: PREDNISONE

Hi, all!Just wanted to add my greetings for a very blessed and wonderful holiday season! And wanted to add a few other tips about coping with prednisone:1) Even if you're on "a little" prednisone, you should still have a MedicAlert or other EMT notification bracelet/necklace or other id on your person AT ALL TIMES (for that matter, all lupies should have this). your prednisone intake might affect what the EMTs do for you and how quickly they treat you if you are in an accident.2) When I was going to be put on high dose prednisone for the first time, an astute rheumatologist told me that I should first go home and toss out anything in my kitchen that had fat, salt, sugar, or was processed. She said, "You're going to crave those things, and if you have them handy, you'll eat them...and the weight will come on." I did what she suggested, and I did NOT gain prednisone weight. Whew! Yes, the cravings were horrible at times. But the beforehand preparation made them a bit easier to cope with.3) Prednisone can bring on short-term AND long-term side effects. We have to be aware of the weight/bloat/mood issues, but we also have to watch out for long-term bone loss and cholesterol/cardiac issues. If our physicians won't suggest check-ups and bone density scans, we should demand them at regular intervals. All part of taking charge of the disease.I hope these help. Again, BEST WISHES for the holidays! And a very marvelous 2004!Maureenwww.maureenpratt.com "The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies