What Is It Like to Take Oral Prednisone?

Corticosteroids may affect the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. If you notice a change in your blood or urine sugar tests, be sure to discuss it with your physician.

Corticosteroids can produce mood changes and/or mood swings of varying intensity. These mood alterations can vary from relatively mild to extremely intense, and can vary in a single individual from one course of treatment to another. Neither the patient nor the physician can predict with any certainty whether the corticosteroids are likely to precipitate these mood alterations. If you have a history of mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder, for example), be sure to share this information with your physician. If you begin to experience unmanageable mood changes or swings while taking corticosteroids, contact your physician so that a decision can be made whether or not you need an additional medication to help you until the mood alterations subside."

What was your personal experience taking oral Prednisone?

I am so glad you asked.  I was warned by others that I would feel Hostile, Hungry, and Horny.  Was this going to be a heightened version of PMS?  I had no idea what to expect.  I was given a 12 day taper of 10 mg tablets to be taken in the following manner:  Six pills or 60mg for the first four days, followed by four days of four pills or 40mg per day, and then finally two pills for four days of 20 mg a day.  I was given this prescription after coming into the office with symptoms that were growing in intensity (vision problems, convulsing on my right side) and in duration (they were going on over a week and even woke me up from sleep). 

The nurse told me to take all the pills for the day at once during breakfast.  That way, my sleep would not be as disrupted.  She did warn me that during this time I could gain up to five pounds.  Armed with my prescription I warily got it filled and brought it home. 

By the third day of taking Prednisone, I could feel the full effects of this drug.  I felt great!  I felt like I could walk through fire if I needed to.  But I was feeling a bit jumpy.  I noticed that even while sitting, I was still wanting to move.  I had a constant case of jitters.  The mood issues never did come about during the duration of taking this drug.  As a matter of fact, I felt really good. Prednisone also worked the opposite for me as far as appetite.  I had very little appetite and lost pounds while on it.  I was simply too busy and too motorized to feel a great need for food.  I didn't notice a difference in any other appetites either.  Things were pretty much the same for me.  It just goes to show you that everybody will be different in how their body will adjust to certain drugs. 

I do want to say that the Prednisone did keep me up some at night.  But I took melatonin to combat the insomnia and this worked well.