Oh, I've been an emotional wreck. Have always been a worrier but this is unreal, I've never been so stressed. Dr says I have anxiety ! !! Will prednisone play with emotions this badly?? I'm driving everyone away as they don't understand. I don't understand.
Thanks
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
Sorry to hear you’re in such a bad place at the moment. Unfortunately if you are prone to stress, and from your previous post and this it’s seems you are, then Pred can make that worse.
As your doctor has recognised you have anxiety, is he doing anything to help you address that? If not, then he should be. Sometimes you cannot cope on your own, you need professional help, and it sounds as if you are at that stage! Please make another appointment and impress upon him you need help.
Yes, pred can have these sorts of side effects. Your GP needs to listen to you and take it seriously as sometimes it may require medication to calm you down. AS DL says - make another appointment and be firm. If he won't help - ask another.
Sorry that you are feeling so stressed and emotional,l hope that your doctor can help you with this,the medication can cause side effects and make you feel not your normal self,l hope you will feel better soon.
Oh dear Maggie. What a pickle. It sounds trite but don't forget to breathe. When we are anxious we forget to breathe deeply and get that oxygen in. Then there's pred, having an illness and the problems you mentioned previously. All contribute to anxiety and aniety attacks are terrible and scary. You must get some support. I take medication for anxiety and depression but it is more anxiety when stress builds. Make sure you are on top of your blood sugar too. Just stay a bit high if you have to...better than getting anxious about hypos. Things will get better as you reduce but do seek help from Dr as you don't HAVE to feel this way. There are talking treatments and medications that can help. Hope you feel better soon and try and ensure you rest and breather. Best wishes🌻
Yes, Pred made me anxious and emotional especially at higher doses. I avoided the news on tv or radio, only read nice stories and watched slushy rubbish. If you are really struggling try the GP and really describe what it’s like rather than just saying you feel anxious.
I think sometimes I like to watch something that I know will allow me to have a good gasping cry. Unfortunately I never know what might do it. I come from a family of cathartic cryers. We girls used to sit on the settee watching the Sunday afternoon movie with a towel across us and mum in the middle. You just have to let rip sometimes.
I’m a great fan of the functional cry
Hi Sunshinemaggie9
If you mean that you cry easily, you feel unendurabley irritable at times, you occasionally feel really low, often jittery and now and then you feel giddy high, then join the club. I am afraid that these moods swings are a side effect of Prednisalone and of course you have a significant systemic disease that makes you feel tired and unwell. As you decrease your dose these symptoms get much less. I also think, from my own experience that there is a kind of settling down of mood as time goes on. I know it’s horrible but you need to explain to your loved ones that it’s not you it’s the steroids. Having said that my husband still snaps back at me when I am finding him the most annoying individual on earth ( 2 years on).
Make sure that you are getting enough rest, avoid particularly vexatious people, stressful situations, and just breathe. You’re ill, this too will pass.
Hi Maggie,
so sorry that you are feeling this way.
If your family and friends don't understand, it may be worthwhile showing them this post. If they read your comments and the replies, they may just get a glimpse of what is happening to you.
Be strong and get to see your doctor for the help you need.
This forum is also a great place to let off steam, you will get help, support and understanding.
Wrote a fairly long reply on your other post. Yes, pred can cause mood swings, I think, and if you, like me, are prone to reacting emotionally to life events it's not helpful! Of course you have anxiety, I think that's a perfectly normal response to your situation. You need someone who will help you sort things out and maybe even give you a hug. Tell your doctor (you say he is young and inexperienced) exactly how you feel. Maybe write a few notes so you don't get sidetracked when you see him. You probably don't need medication, you need company and help.
Yes - I know not much consolation - but Pred can cause all sorts of emotional responses. When I started it - I could NOT stop crying - literally uncontrollable crying that forced me to have to go home from my workplace I was so bad. I rang the Consultant at the time and begged her to reduce my dose to see if I could get a handle on things. I mean I was only on 15mg at the time but I'm not good with meds - always get rotten side effects. At home I was walking the house like a caged lion - I felt I was losing my mind. You will start to feel a bit more human as you lower your dose. But do make sure you get some help. Best wishes.
I was depressed, anxious and emotional, crying easily for no reason whilst I was going down from 15 mg to about 9 mg. I had some counselling to try and get over what felt like yet another bereavement, this time of losing the life style I'd had previously. Now I'm down to 6 mg. after 18 months and my mind feels much better, clearer and more positive. My legs and arms still ache a bit and I can't walk very far without resting but I prefer that to the depressed state I was in previously. So as you reduce slowly things should feel better. Last October I went to Cats' Protection to find myself a new cat after my other two had died sometime ago. When my new cat chose me by rubbing and fussing me I cried my eyes out and had to explain to the woman at the cattery that it was my medication because she was so thoroughly bewildered by my reaction!
Hi Sunshine, yes, pred can cause emotional dysregulation...anxiety.
Mine became so acute that my doc prescribed anti-anxiety meds, which HELPED!!
Please ask for help, it is not weakness to get chemical assistance while you go through these rough periods.
What is your dose of pred? My anxiety declined as I was able to taper my pred. But first things first... you need the pred to control the PMR... and a short run of escitalopram (or other anxiety treatment) can help you get past this rough patch.
You will be OK again, I promise.
Kind regards, Jerri
I had the same problem. It got so bad that I couldn’t even go any place anymore. I finally made an appointment with a psychiatrist and got meds. I take 7.5mg(very low dose) of mirtazapam at bedtime and sometimes .5 mg lorazepam if the anxiety gets bad during the day. Just with those low doses I am SO much better. It really helped me. I was getting really”loopy” on the prednisone. 🤪
Yes, prednisone makes you a nervous wreck and mean. I have to take Lorazapam while on high doses. You have to be careful about that too though, since you could need to slowly come off of that if you take too much. I take it in the morning to get me through the work day, then sometimes at night so I can sleep. Once you reduce to a lower dose, you'll feel better. It's a long and slow process, but you have to accept that this is the new 'normal' for now. Don't skip the prednisone - it's saving your life and sight. You'll have a bunch of horrible days, but then you'll enjoy many wonderful days too. I notice that I'm much worse when the weather is changing - barametric changes. Good luck to you!!
PMR and prednisone
Understanding PMR
Prednisone and Metformin - PMR
Bloods pmr 
