Is it ok to take prednisolone at night

I am meant to be starting a 10 day course of pred to try and speed up my recovery from a bad spell with my asthma, but have been putting it off. Today I've been for a run and I already had a cold so it's really set things off again. Not so bad that I feel too worried but I was going to start the pred now to get it going and then take again tomorrow morning. It's only a 20mg dose.

It says on the pack to take in the morning so I wondered if anyone else ever took it later in the day?

I hope this is an appropriate question!

Thanks

Emma

[Hidden]

Hi Emma,

I think the reason it says to take it in the morning is that steroids cn keep you awake so it's best to take them as far away as possible from when you want to sleep, though they can still keep you up sometimes.

I'm not sure about taking two doses relatively close together. I know you have to be careful sometimes with the doses and tapering so even though it's a low dose it may be better to leave it till tomorrow morning and take the doses a day apart.

Having said that I'm hardly expert, have only ever had one course which did nothing for me at all!

[Hidden]

Thanks Philomena!

You're right about the sleep thing - I sleep badly at the best of times so it's probably best to wait till tomorrow now. I hate taking it but when I start I will finish the course so that was part of my motivation to start tonight. Also you're prob right about not taking too many too close together.

I'll start tomorrow! x x

[Hidden]

Returning asthma after years of no probs

Hi everyone, I'm on a course of prednisolone after antibiotics doing no good, I have 7 day course 4 once a day, I didn't realise about the sleeplessness so first took mine mid day when I got them, as it's important to take same time each day I have kept to that time. I do find it's hard to get to sleep and I can get up ok and I feel quite high during the day. I wonder if it matters when you take them re sleep as they are in your system 24/7 anyway. This is my second course within a few months, not had any real problems with my chest until this year....is it getting older? I know it can lay dormant for decades and then hit you...as anybody else found that? Most of my serious problems with chest was during childhood/teens then some bad chest infections and one or two asthma attacks but now things seem more persistent these last couple of years. I hope it's not the start of bad times with the asthma.

Does anyone have similar story

Lottie

[Hidden]

Hi Lottie

I am similar to you in that I was really well controlled for years and last year it flared up,I needed Pred which I'd not had before, and have had several courses since - and like you I don't sleep very well on it and it affects my mood.

It's frustrating isn't it! I take a small dose of a sleeping tablet when on Pred because it helps me get better sleep.

If things don't improve ask to be referred to a consultant at the chest clinic maybe? They will look at your meds and see if there is anything else they can do.

It is scary when you think things are always going to be stable and then seemingly out of nowhere they flare up and it takes time to get the control back. But what they said to me is that so many things can trigger it (hormones etc) that it can be hard to identify, but just because it is bad now, doesn't mean it will always be this way.

[Hidden]

They are usually taken in the morning as keep you awake.

A few times when been AnE They have given me pred to take there and then and been at night and told the next morning to take the morning ones and then every morning after till they have gone.

So not sure if ok do it at night all the time but could ask your doctor xxx

[yaf_user681_15459]

As far as I believe, pred is taken in the morning in order to mimic the body's natural steroid pattern. It is highest in the morning.

However if the first dose of a short course needs to be taken in the day or evening, as far as I understand, that is fine and them you stagger the remaining days.

Obviously I'm not a medic and this is only the advice we have been given in the past. X

[Hidden]

You should start it whenever necessary, whatever the time on the first day, then it's fine to take it in the mornings after that. I've discussed the exact same thing with my respiratory nurse. Yes it may affect your sleep, but Pred tends to do this even if taken in the morning. Far better to get it in your system and working on your airways. After all, if you go to A&E with your asthma they may give hydrocortisone IV and they'll give that whatever the time of the day - the treatment is far far more important than the side-effects.

[Hidden]

That's great, thank you!

I ended up starting it in the morning. I don't really feel I'm 'bad' enough to need the pred but doctor disagrees so I'm taking it.

Thanks again for the advice. I know the side effects are nothing compared with the importance of taking it, but they are annoying!

Emma x

[Hidden]

if you need to start pred then it's perfectly ok to take pred the first day in the evening, but don't do it every day, revert back to the morning the following day. Docs have told me to do this to help speed the recovery process.

[Hidden]

Hi,

I just took 40m of pred. at 9:00 p.m....and I'm wide awake! I usually take the first dose as soon as possible after realizing I need it, as it really does affect my sleep, and then first thing in the morning. This time though my doctor told me to split the dose, and I guess I will because I've been having more problems in the evening over the last year or so, while it used to be mornings were worse. I took my sleep aide though, and it's still not working. Let us know how it goes.

Take care,

Bee

[Hidden]

Thanks for the feedback. I've been taking it as soon as I wake up as I sleep so badly at night anyway but it's good to know I could take it in the afternoon, and then go to taking it mornings, if I need it in future.

It's like a double edged sword tho - works on the lungs but the sleep and other side effects still make me feel pretty rotten!