Prednisolone daily side effects on the body

[Joseph260268]

Good afternoon all, I have taken Prednisolone along with various other medication for nearly all my 50 year life from being on a maintenance dose of 5mg a day to 40mg when I have been hospitalised with chest infections. I know it’s a double edged sword and comes with a whole list of side effects such as a moon shaped face and sometimes a swollen stomach not sleeping and occasional mood swings. I was just wondering how everyone else copes with the daily problems it can bring and if anyone has any hacks to share with me they would gratefully be appreciated.

Kind regards

Joe x

[mrsmummy]

Hello. They are the little smarties we all love and hate. A 'necessary evil' is probably a good description.

[shassh]

I have been on steroids for years 5mg daily with an increase to 40mg for ten days after an attack. I always take mine as soon as I get up in the morning as if I take them later when I'm on a higher dose they do interfere with my sleep. I hate the things but I don't know where I would be without them, I'm hoping to get into the doctors today as my chest I'd bad I have been ill for three months .. off work all this time, had three courses of steroids and four antibiotics but still feel really ill so I'm expecting to be back on the darn things as I'm wheezing like an old kettle again.

[Joseph260268 in reply to shassh]

Sorry your still feeling unwell. Thanks for your reply.

[hallentine47]

If you change the 50 years part of your story to 14 years then you were writing about me!! And I have suffered all the side effects you list including loss of most of my teeth so says my Dentist and the need to take Alendronic acid following a bone scam test indicating steroid induced Osteoporosis. They have made my skin into tissue and because I had a small stroke I take blood thinning meds and so I bleed endlessly if I catch myself even quite slightly. BUT I have tried reducing down to 5 mg a day and suffer extreme difficulty in breathing so I keep taking them at 9 mg a day and deal with it all a day at a time. I have Emphysema/COPD very severe and I am 71 years old.

[ArcherPaul]

I also have to take Prednisolone steroids regularly. As like you, I get pumped up to 40mg in and after hospital. I always ensure that I get some 20mg tablets in my stock/supply as they cut down on the number of the little evil smarties tablets that we have to take.

[Symes]

The side effects of Prednisolone can be wide ranging and extreme.

Almost 5 years ago to the day, back in April 2013, I went into hospital with an asthma attack, and after also taking my blood glucose levels whilst there, which were rather high at 18.1, they ran the hba1c tests - which came back positive for Diabetes Type 2.

They sent a specialist diabetic nurse to see me on the ward, and she explained that my diabetes wasn’t due to the things you’d expect - family genes, or obesity. My diabetes came about as a side effect of all the prednisolone I’ve taken over the years for my chest infections etc.

Prednisolone - fixes one problem, lands you with more. Luckily as it’s type 2, I’m controlling it with diet and tablets. Not insulin. And I’m drawing blood every day to make sure my bg levels are ok. And all because of those tiny little white steroid tablets.

[Joseph260268 in reply to Symes]

Thank you for getting back to me.