Prednisone paranoia

[winfong]

I'm on 20mg of prednisone for large vessel vasculitis. I have some of the typical side effects - insomnia, brain fog, irritability - but none of them too bad.

One atypical symptom, though, is feeling a bit paranoid. Now, this doesn't mean thinking that the CIA is directing my thoughts or anything like that.

It just means things like office politics are considerably sharpened, a spouse's being a little distant has all sorts of nefarious possibilities, a friend's not getting back to means we're definitely on the outs ...

There's a fair amount of literature out there on people having actual psychotic breaks (usually with paranoia) on corticosteroids. Anything out there on much milder cases? Anything like this you've ever experienced yourself?

[PMRpro]

You are more likely to find broad experiences of pred on the PMRGCAuk forum - everyone there is on pred and there are a couple of thousand currently active members.

[123-go]

Hi winfong. You are not alone! When I started on my steroid journey I was prone to mood swings. I'd become angry over an innocuous remark my husband would make and respond with a loud, totally unjustified prolonged comment which, frankly, put the wind up me! I was sorry but I couldn't bring myself to apologise. As time went by this faded to irritability and now, on a low dose I'm much more settled although I do occasionally snap. My husband is a saint! Just remember it will get better 🙂.

[Investigator1]

Hi Winfong, I started on 60mg per day a year ago and now on 15mg should have been off them completely but had minor relapse. Look I was the most paranoid person ever, every slight ache was major to me, every slight throw away comment and I was at at like a dog with a bone, the thing was I knew I was doing it, my wife went through a testing time with me but we got there. I did apologise and made sure I did. It gets better really.

[Paprika60]

Yes, all things you have listed and also invisible things... but the best thing I find is to remember that it is a temporary set back (!!) and try your best to lower the dosage when possible and wean off...your condition has to improve well clearly. Construct your daily schedule to keep you in a better condition. Eating good ingredients (anti inflammatory), stretch, have a daily walk no matter how little and stay positive and do whatever that may help you feel better. Deep breathing (done often whenever you remember throughout the day) would help you calm down and also keep in a better state of mind. Hope you can come off in good time. I stayed on for 6 years but finally managed a year ago. I was on 1 mg. for over 18 months! But got there like a snail. Now I am working on getting better sleep! It never ends. Best of Luck to you!!

[Oldharry]

Hi' I'm 76. I took Triamcinolone then Prednisolone for Asthma for nearly 30 years before they realised it wasn't something you should be taking long term. Traumatic getting off and I stayed off for many years until recently when Anca Vasculitus hit me, 60 mgs per day for 8 weeks, followed by 45 mgs per day for several months. After Rutiximab and various others I'm down to 5.1/2 and 5 mgs on alternate days. It's taken over a year. I'm fortunate in that I'm someone who can tolerate it but I've now got the low immunity, Osteoporosis ,thin skin etc which follows years of treatment but without it I would have gone years ago. It takes time for the body to acclimatise. It's been a wonderful drug to me but I know it doesn't suit everyone. I've had the bad moods, depression and all the other affects so I can't complain. Easier said than done, but I'm stubborn and tried to tell my brain it would be ok. Best wishes

[AdoptMeow]

Hello winfong ( wingding according to autocorrect 🐱) Taking long-term meds increases our nutritional needs. You may get some needed support with a B-Complex containing the eight essential Bs. All our neurotransmitters, hormones, enzymes and immune system functions are made from B vitamins. The body requires more to process medications and keep the nervous and immune systems strong to lessen side effects. Omega 3 fatty acids are also important for brain health and strong cell walls and nerves.