Prednisolone and urge to pee

[Gottarelax]

Edited to add, after contacting the consultant's secretary I have a new appointment in 12 days so will just continue with the steroids as I'll be on 10 mg then . Peeing is much better since cutting out carbs too.

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I'm back with another question. While I await what I hope is the final conclusion on my query RA illness I'm taking a 4-week tapering course of Prednisolone. I'm on the last dose of 20 mg today and moving down to 15 mg. My stiffness is remarkably better but I'm not sleeping and have the urge to pee all the time. I'm not too surprised about the sleeping as I've heard of that but the urge to pee is a surprise. I thought I had a UTI but that's clear.

I'm a little nervous as I have a long wait to my next appointment (steroid course finishes 2 weeks before my next appointment) and contacted the consultant after a few days on prednisolone and asked about extending the steroids until I can see him again as I was feeling so much improved in the joints. Now I'm not sure which is worse, the exhaustion of no sleep and going to the loo every 30 min (which is also restrictive) or the pain/stiffness. I've not had a response yet so will drop dose tomorrow anyway.

If anyone has had this symptom, did you find a steroid dose that worked without these side effects.

[Swanfull]

yes it made me wee a lot when I was on a course x

[Runrig01]

So prednisolone does cause your body to retain more water, which can result in frequent need to pee. It also raises blood sugar, which tends to increase your thirst and make you pee more often. Do you have a glucometer to check your blood sugar. Although it wouldn’t normally affect so quickly, some people are sensitive to it. You are also right to query stopping as advice is usually anyone taking longer than 3 weeks should taper off, as your adrenals tend to need nudging awake.

[Gottarelax in reply to Runrig01]

thank you Maureen. So I decided to do a very low carb day yesterday just in case sugar was a factor and the urge seems to have reduced significantly so you may be on to something with the blood glucose. Unfortunately I don’t have a meter but will continue low carb anyhow.

[Angels54]

could have urine infection, drink lots of water if no different get checked out 👍

[Gottarelax in reply to Angels54]

I've been testing just in case but all clear. Drinking more anyhow just in case

[cathie]

the steroids with increase your blood sugar levels. Peeing a lot is a sign of that.

[Sunflower1921]

hi I tapered prednisone to 2.5 mg but cannt come off them as my Dr said, I've been on them too long so I m stuck with them for life. I recently had a kenalog injection in my knee joint which caused masses of very serious side effects for me. Hope you manage to wean your self off them how long have you been taking them for?

[Gottarelax in reply to Sunflower1921]

This is just a really short course so stepping down should be OK. I had a week at 20 and now down to 15 today ...I'll be doing a week at 15, 10, 5 then stop. I think that's fairly standard fo a 'short course'. My side effects started pretty much straightaway. Not eating carbs seems to be helping with the urination but I am exhausted from only sleeping a few hrs each night. I take them in the morning. I had a kenolog injection in my thigh 2 months ago and that didn't react...didn't help that much either.

[Sunflower1921 in reply to Gottarelax]

hi sounds like you will be fine reducing your prednisone you have only been on them short term. All the best. Xx

[Amnesiac3637 in reply to Gottarelax]

This could be entirely unrelated to your steroids. It’s no good trying to guess while time goes by and you could be cooking up an infection, your bladder may be irritated by something else. Please get medical advice and if it does turn out to be the steroids then you’ll know that the problem will stop once they reduce or stop. Hope it all settles soon as it’s def knackering getting up to pee at night more than once!

[Gottarelax in reply to Amnesiac3637]

Thank you. I am prone to UTIs so have test sticks at home. I have tested and it's not that. Last night, after not eating carbs all day and having more to drink, the urge was much reduced and I only got up once....still not sleeping though. As you say, the urination may just be an irritation. I'll keep taking the steroids and finish the course as it's not a long one...but inform the consultant when I see him so that he can make the right decision when considering my ongoing meds.

[farm123]

I think I urinate more after steroids but have always thought about it as the inflammation/fluids way of leaving the body. After injecting various biologics I can have certain days that are more frequent. Simplistic view perhaps. Also for me steroids will affect my sleep above a certain level and improves as you reduced dose level.

[tyncwmmarchhywel]

Hi I take 5mg daily predislone does not interfear with sleep or urge to go to toilet,but mor would be better, but at least you get a bit of a life on a small do