Oops! Too much Prednisolone!

[Spotty-ewe]

While I was away in Keswick I had all my pills with me and found on the first night (Wednesday) that the 4 Prednisolone I was taking were labelled Thursday (I use a marker pen to label each dose to avoid confusion?!?!). I assumed I must have labelled them incorrectly and that once I got home I’d find enough pills left in the box to complete the course - 2 per day from Thursday for 1 week then 1 per day from next Thursday for the last week. Wrong! I was 4 short! 😲 The anxiety/excitement of going to Keswick on Wednesday must have caused me to take the 4 pill dose twice on Tuesday night!!!! 🤭 Looking at the Prednisolone data sheet I see I should have told my GP and/or gone to the hospital if I took too many. 8 in one night does sound too many & I’m a bit concerned.🤢 But it seems a bit pointless going now, 4 days later, so not sure what to do. I’ve to report back to Rheumy on Monday how the rash is doing after being on the steroid for 10 days so will tell them then. Do you all think that will be okay?

No wonder I managed to walk the 10 miles around Derwentwater! I was on steroids!!! 🏃‍♀️ Advice/opinions appreciated. Thank you, Spotty.💕

[PMRpro]

Don't worry - loads of us on my home forum take that sort of dose daily for a long time (months) and it doesn't kill us! One day gives you a wonderful steroid boost. You timed it right!

[Spotty-ewe in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks so much for the reassurance! It was a well-timed high dose as you say! Haha. Thanks again. 😘 Spotty.

[Kevin53]

The power behind an excellent day! Lol. Well done.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Kevin53]

Indeed! Thanks Kevin 😆

[suzannah16]

I have taken a higher dose than that so it shouldn't be harmful. I remember once being "high" on steroids and cleaning out the garden shed swatting giant spiders. I normally struggle with a money spider.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to suzannah16]

Haha! 🕸 Poor spiders! 🕷 Good to know I’ve not overdosed and the ‘high’ did me good at the right time. Thanks Suzanna. 🤗

[MEW53]

Like others have said I’m sure you’ll be ok.

I was taking 35mg 5 years ago and now take 5mg.

I expect the extra steroids gave you a boost, maybe the Doha athletic championships have got you going!

Maybe get a daily pill dispenser with the days of the week on them, may help when away or even for everyday use.

As PMR says ‘it doesn’t kill us’ when most of us have taken higher doses at some time.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to MEW53]

Oh yes, the Doha championships no doubt stimulated me as well as the steroids! 😆 I have a daily pill dispenser but use it for supplements. Maybe I should get another for medications as you say. Good idea. 👍🏻Thanks Mew. 💕

[Hidden]

Ha, ha! You may have found the key to energy (kidding. I don’t want anyone to OD😱) Glad you are ok. Maybe the excessive walking helped metabolize the extra meds?

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Hidden]

You might be right Brook about the energy and I’ll have to plan another walk next time I’m on steroids!🏃‍♀️ Haha. Thanks for your concern. 🥰 Thankfully I feel fine, apart from aching legs, so maybe as you suggest I have walked off the high dose. 😉. Spotty

[Hidden in reply to Spotty-ewe]

😊

[overnighthearingloss]

Taking extra for just a day and then reverting to normal dose is ok. It's only an issue if you have taken a higher dose for a while and then want to reduce. In such cases it is necessary to taper to reduce the chances of side effects.

But feeling like superwoman for a day should not have done any harm.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to overnighthearingloss]

Thanks for the reassuring information. 😁 Yes, feeling like superwoman for a day was terrific! 🏃‍♀️🤸‍♂️💃. Spotty 💕

[MEW53 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Strictly next year!💃

[Spotty-ewe in reply to MEW53]

I wish! I’d also like to 🏄‍♀️🧗‍♀️🚴‍♀️🏊‍♀️⛷, but more likely to be 🍽🚶‍♀️🛀🚽 🛌. I can drea though! 😉

[Spotty-ewe in reply to MEW53]

Sorry the m fell out of my dream! Story of my life! 😆

[Spotty-ewe]

Hi Pippa,

Yes the tiny white tablets are all similar to one another. I take Citalopram too which are similar in size. 😑 It is all a bit of a challenge to the little grey cells remembering what to take and when to take them, especially if distracted by talking to others when taking medication. 🤭 I think Mew’s idea of another daily pill dispenser is a good one. Now I’ll have to try to remember to buy one! 🤔 Spotty 💕

[damage]

How many mg was each tablet? I have been off of prednisone for 2 years.

My doctor doesn't want any of his lupus patients on it. It is very bad for

you in many ways and can cause you to become diabetic. My doctor at Ochsnerin New Orleans is an outstanding doctor and well known in his

medical field.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to damage]

That’s both interesting and worrying. 😟 My tablets are 5mg so I should have been on a loading dose of 20mg that night but ended up with 40mg having taken the dose twice. However a few here assure me that 40mg isn’t completely out of the ordinary and that just the one off won’t do any harm.🤞 I’m only on them for 3 weeks, the last 2 weeks reducing to 10 mg per day then 5 mg per day. Without them my flare and rash were worsening.🥺 What does your doctor use as an alternative?

Many thanks for the info! 👍🏻 Spotty💕

[PMRpro in reply to Spotty-ewe]

I'm on pred permanently, it is the only drug that works for my a/i illness.

If you cut your carbs a lot you can reduce the risk of developing steroid-induced diabetes and also the weight gain that too many doctors insist is inevitable. Most adverse effects of pred can be reduced and managed when you know how. It isn't rocket science - just needs a bit of discipline.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to PMRpro]

That’s very good to know Pro. 👍🏻 I try to keep to a low carb diet as my Mum was Diabetic (Type 2) and I definitely avoid mixing carbs and proteins in one meal as I find that piles the weight on me.

Sorry to hear you are on Pred permanently, but it sounds like you’ve got the knowledge and discipline to manage the possible adverse effects. 😉 With best wishes, Spotty 💕

[PMRpro in reply to Spotty-ewe]

It gives me a life - and I'm lucky I have doctors who don't push me to get off it. Quality of life is all

[Spotty-ewe in reply to PMRpro]

So very true! 😘

[Eternity6 in reply to PMRpro]

Yes I don’t have a dr that pushes me either PMR pro, I’m of the mind set that if you worry about meds giving you some other illness further down the line we would never take anything. And end up with health anxiety just jog along doing what I have to and take each day as it comes

[Eternity6]

Yes I’ve muddled my 50 levo n 5mg pred similar size on more than one occasion

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Eternity6]

So easily done Ruby, especially if something, or somebody else, is on your mind or distracting you. 🤦‍♀️ My mother had blister packs made up by the pharmacist which were a great asset but because my medication alters regularly they’d have a job keeping up! 🧐 So I’ll have to invest in a better thinking cap! 🧢 Spotty💕

[PMRpro in reply to Spotty-ewe]

Dosette boxes come in all shapes and sizes. I use a daily one with 4 compartments (need 5 really) which I fill every night before bed. It also comes as a set of 7 daily boxes in a holder so you can fill them weekly. They are big enough to be able to leave some medications in their wrapping if that is a requirement. It is by my bed overnight,, in my handbag in the day. And a phone alarm is set for the ones I might forget.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for sharing that Pro. I’ll try to get a suitable box and get myself properly organised. My husband uses his phone alarm to remind himself and me when we need pills, but we still manage to get it wrong sometimes. 🤭 Distractions and being out of ear-shot of the phone are the main reasons for that. Well, that’s our excuse anyway!🤫

[MEW53 in reply to Spotty-ewe]

The NRS web site has several different types of pill boxes, they are the NHS approved equipment supplier etc.

nrshealthcare.co.uk/househo...

Good luck.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to MEW53]

They look good. Thanks Mew! 🤗

[Eternity6]

I wish I could come off my steroids I’d love to but unfortunately every time I taper down even by one mg I flare, some of us are not that fortunate to come of them sadly

[Spotty-ewe]

Totally agree that distractions can throw you when taking pills. I obviously wasn’t concentrating on what I was doing when I took 4x5mg Prednisolone marked Wednesday on Tuesday night, having already taken them earlier!! 🤔I didn’t even notice the day was wrong until Wednesday night when my next pills were marked Thursday! 🤭Really paying attention!

Good to know there are others like me! 😋

[Barbara17]

No wonder you felt so good! As others have said lots of people take 8 tablets a day and it was a one off. A very well timed one off! I know what you mean about completely forgetting if you have taken today’s tablets or not so I sort out the week’s tablets on a Sunday. But I refuse to go down the road of old people’s pill dispenser!!!

[Spotty-ewe in reply to Barbara17]

Yes, well-timed indeed and a lucky mistake as it happens 😉

[Eternity6 in reply to Barbara17]

I know what you mean by refusing to have a dossier box what I do now is take my tabs out of the blister packs when I get up and put them in groups as one has to be taken straight away n rest after breakfast, so I can’t forget them if I notice they are still there 👍

[NeuronerdDoaty]

You’re fine. 😁 I hope you talked to your doctor. Often, we have patients do a ‘bolus’ dose anyway.

[Spotty-ewe in reply to NeuronerdDoaty]

Yes, I’ve reported the ‘mistake’ to my Rheumy.🤦‍♀️ Thanks for your reassurance. 😊