Prednisolone

[Jane123]

HI, I been on prednisolone for months , reduce the dose gradually to nil 3 weeks ago, now I am feeling very depression is this the tablets and now long doe,s it last?

Thanks Jane.

[Hidden]

Hi Jane123,

I can not say I know much just that prednisolone makes you feel well, eat well etc and it enhances B12 uptake for some reason, so coming off it may leave you feeling as you do now. Perhaps you need to top up on B12 more now and or need folic acid, a blood test may help, so going to GP and explain how you feel may help to start off with.

Sorry I can not be more helpful!

Kind regards,

Marre.

[bowler in reply to Hidden]

Is it a fact that Prednisolone enhances B12 ? I have looked up drug interactions and it states " no interactions with B12 and Predisolone !! ] I'm a bit concerned as I have been taking Prednisolone for 15 years for Giant Cell Arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica, I also take B12 sublinguals 5mgs. per day.

[bowler]

Prednisolone can cause depression and mood changes, and coming off too quickly can cause depression, It will take a while for your body to adjust but shouldn't be too bad if you have only been on it a short time, not like me, I have been taking it for 15 years and no likelyhood of ever coming off it.

[bowler]

Just read that there could be a REDUCED loss of B12 when taking prednisolone ?

[Hidden in reply to bowler]

I can not find the info I had, its years old, but it implied more B12 in body with prednisolone, if that is because of better uptake or better retention, or reduced loss I do not remember, sadly enough.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ah I've found loads now, all implying increased uptake/ absorption of B12 with prednisolone. It is old though, see:

J Clin Invest. May 1966; 45(5): 803–812.

doi: 10.1172/JCI105395

PMCID: PMC292757

The effect of prednisolone on gastric mucosal histology, gastric secretion, and vitamin B 12 absorption in patients with pernicious anemia.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

And:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Abstract

Eight patients with Addisonian pernicious anaemia were given 20 mg of prednisolone daily for up to 20 weeks. Improvement in absorption of vitamin B12 as judged by the Schilling test occurred in six cases and was pronounced in four, and there was increased secretion of gastric intrinsic factor in four cases. Gastric biopsies showed regeneration of specialized gastric glands in four cases; chief cells were demonstrated histochemically and parietal cells by an immunofluorescent procedure using serum containing parietal cell antibody. There was no correlative change in titre of serum antibody to gastric parietal cells or gastric intrinsic factor. The improved absorption of vitamin B12 was not maintained after prednisolone was stopped, indicating that the regenerated gastric mucosa reverted to the atrophic state. These effects of corticosteroids on gastric function in pernicious anaemia are in keeping with their known capacity to modify damage resulting from antigen–antibody interaction.