Prednisone Withdrawal And/or Side Effects

I am interested in hearing about any bad experiences with the prednisone. My husband has been taking it for 1 year. He started on 50mg and has been trying to taper all year but in the past his disease has flared up as the dose got lower and so it was increased again. This time he has been luck and got down to 10mg and then began losing his mind. In the last couple of weeks he has had panic attacks, mood swings, brain fades (moments of complete blankness where he is unable to talk/move or anything, inability to speak, dis inhibited behaviour and peculiar behaviour where he will simply repeats words over and over. His specialist says that it's the prednisone withdrawal and this will all improve as he tapers (he is down to 5mg now). He can't work or socialise which is so sad for our whole family for this time of year. Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences like this or knows of them?

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Yes, unfortunately, what he is experiencing is very common effects for people who have been on this kind of steroid therapy, at high doses for a long period of time.

Their side effects and withdrawal effects can be hard even for people who have been on short-term therapy. That is why many doctors do not like to use them if they can be avoided and are not absolutlely necessary.

That said, his specialist is right, they will eventually taper off and ease up as his body adjusts to the lower dose and then stopping the medication entirely. It is, however, going to take time.

Rebound issues, such as what you mentioned with his disease worsening, is also a very real possibility.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Prednisone/­

Are you staying in regular contact with his doctor, so his condition is always monitored?

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Have been on and off 60mg..tapered to 5mg several (3),times, currently on 10mg for 3 months now with minimal side effects. Your situation is not typical. Current physician started from lowest dose necessary to control symptoms rather than top down method. Worth a try.

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I have never seen the topic of 'what time of day ' to take prednisone .. and it's important to know....so ask your doctor!
Prednisone will suppress the daily early-morning release of the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) that is necessary for certain body functions including adrenal gland functioning. This release happens in early morning , so that if the previous dose was given in the evening, some elevation of remaining steroid in a body will suuppress that release of ACTH .... So generally, prednisone is given in mornings, say after 8AM , so that by the time of the next brain release of ACTH there is very little endogenous steroid present, and ACTH isnt much affected, if at all ...
DO talk this over with your doctor!!
And it might be nice were this topic more-widely appreciated.
( I am NOT a practicing physician and am NOT offering medical advice to any person in any way. What I might say is purely for educational purposes)

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