predisone

July 27, 2002

> Hi everyone,

I don't really know anything about steriods other than

the allergist periodically gives them to me. I always

feel better when I take them but my other dr says they

are bad for your bones. Maybe you can explain to me

why you take them and what this let down is that you

are all talking about. Thanks. Iris

>

__________________________________________________

July 27, 2002

Hi Iris...for me, I only take prednisone tapers when I have a stubborn

flare. It is not a small, stable dose day after day...rather a higher

dose, tapering lower day by day per Dr's instructions.

The prednisone works well to lessen inflamation...such as in your

bronchial tubes during asthma, and your joints as well. However, there

is, for some folks, a jittery, nervous. almost manic feeling when at

higher doses. It can cause anxiety, sleepessness, mood swings,

increased appetite & edema.. Then, sometimes without a clue, you become

sad, tearful, moody. Such was my day today...a real roller coaster.

However, I feel lucky as I'm just on a 5 day taper. In general, I don't

take prednisone because of how it increases your blood glucose levels,

and I am a Type 2 diabetic. Actually, I've only taken prednisone 4

times in the past 9 or 10 years. Even through terrible flares I've

refused...but I've decided if I can stop a flare in it's tracks by using

pred for just 5 - 7 days, I shouldn't be so stubborn. When I'm on it, I

try to eat more protein & less carbs (to help my blood glucose) and I

drink a lot of water and light cranberry juice to flush through my

system, helping the edema.

When I was in my early twenties and having problems conceiving, I was on

a high dose of prednisone for several months, as they thought it would

straighten out my erratic ovulating. All I got was a nasty bump at the

back of my neck which persists to this day. It bothers me a lot.

I'm sure a, and other folks can better explain the science

behind all this.

Hope your night is restful & pain-free.

Love...

Tess

July 27, 2002

Hi Tess I have appreciated and remembered similar experiences in the 70's I

joined a wonderful group which really gave my life backk deealing with

childhood issues. There was a wonderful singer... Day who wrote some

tremendously challenging songs about how she dealt with her

childhood...those songs got me through some tough changes...I always wanted

to give back to others in the way she did..and have found occasions where I

could...even though it is not through music...I played her tapes over and

over and found strength and healing...when I think about the changes in my

lifestyle and my ability to develop long term relationships...much of the

credit goes to Day...it's great that you were able to find a way to

touch lives through your music and public speaking. I am sure it brings you

peace and healing too...I am glad to see you on line and feeling more like

yourself...the low points are tough, especially when memories flood through.

I appreciate your openness and supportive thoughts to otheres....I am new to

this group...but already sense how much you are thought of...hope today is a

great day for you...looks like my day started at 4:00 a.m....probably a nap

in my future today....take care of you today...and I hope you find some fun

and enjoyment in your life today. marge

Re: [ ] Predisone

> Hi Iris...for me, I only take prednisone tapers when I have a stubborn

> flare. It is not a small, stable dose day after day...rather a higher

> dose, tapering lower day by day per Dr's instructions.

>

> The prednisone works well to lessen inflamation...such as in your

> bronchial tubes during asthma, and your joints as well. However, there

> is, for some folks, a jittery, nervous. almost manic feeling when at

> higher doses. It can cause anxiety, sleepessness, mood swings,

> increased appetite & edema.. Then, sometimes without a clue, you become

> sad, tearful, moody. Such was my day today...a real roller coaster.

>

> However, I feel lucky as I'm just on a 5 day taper. In general, I don't

> take prednisone because of how it increases your blood glucose levels,

> and I am a Type 2 diabetic. Actually, I've only taken prednisone 4

> times in the past 9 or 10 years. Even through terrible flares I've

> refused...but I've decided if I can stop a flare in it's tracks by using

> pred for just 5 - 7 days, I shouldn't be so stubborn. When I'm on it, I

> try to eat more protein & less carbs (to help my blood glucose) and I

> drink a lot of water and light cranberry juice to flush through my

> system, helping the edema.

>

> When I was in my early twenties and having problems conceiving, I was on

> a high dose of prednisone for several months, as they thought it would

> straighten out my erratic ovulating. All I got was a nasty bump at the

> back of my neck which persists to this day. It bothers me a lot.

>

> I'm sure a, and other folks can better explain the science

> behind all this.

>

> Hope your night is restful & pain-free.

>

> Love...

>

> Tess

>

July 27, 2002

Dear Tess,

Such terrible side effects. I guess you really have

to weigh the effects versus the help. You certainly

have more than your share with RA and diabetes-.

My husband is a diabetic and does not behave himself.

One night when his dr called to say that he wanted to

up his medicine because sugars were too high I told

the dr about him drinking at least 3 pepsi's a day.

He gets mad when I ask him to take care of this awful

disease that I want him around for quite a while

longer. Tess_St_Pierre@... wrote:

> Hi Iris...for me, I only take prednisone tapers when

> I have a stubborn

> flare. It is not a small, stable dose day after

> day...rather a higher

> dose, tapering lower day by day per Dr's

> instructions.

>

> The prednisone works well to lessen

> inflammation...such as in your

> bronchial tubes during asthma, and your joints as

> well. However, there

> is, for some folks, a jittery, nervous. almost manic

> feeling when at

> higher doses. It can cause anxiety, sleepessness,

> mood swings,

> increased appetite & edema.. Then, sometimes

> without a clue, you become

> sad, tearful, moody. Such was my day today...a real

> roller coaster.

>

> However, I feel lucky as I'm just on a 5 day taper.

> In general, I don't

> take prednisone because of how it increases your

> blood glucose levels,

> and I am a Type 2 diabetic. Actually, I've only

> taken prednisone 4

> times in the past 9 or 10 years. Even through

> terrible flares I've

> refused...but I've decided if I can stop a flare in

> it's tracks by using

> pred for just 5 - 7 days, I shouldn't be so

> stubborn. When I'm on it, I

> try to eat more protein & less carbs (to help my

> blood glucose) and I

> drink a lot of water and light cranberry juice to

> flush through my

> system, helping the edema.

>

> When I was in my early twenties and having problems

> conceiving, I was on

> a high dose of prednisone for several months, as

> they thought it would

> straighten out my erratic ovulating. All I got was

> a nasty bump at the

> back of my neck which persists to this day. It

> bothers me a lot.

>

> I'm sure a, and other folks can better

> explain the science

> behind all this.

>

> Hope your night is restful & pain-free.

>

> Love...

>

> Tess

>

__________________________________________________

July 27, 2002

Hi Iris...yes, sugared pops had to go a long time ago. I think I drink

too much diet soda pop, but I'm hearing lots of questions about the

safety of aspartame, so I'm trying to cut down. My favorite diet pop is

Canfield's Diet Fudge. We stopped getting it here out West about ten

years ago, at least I can't find it. Well, we found it on the internet,

and Em ordered a 12 pack for my birthday! I have one six pack hidden

away for when I really " need " it, and 3 left in the fridge.

Does your hubby check his BG levels and such? It's annoying at times,

but really necessary. I also know you can't make someone do something

they don't want to. I wish you & yours well, dear Iris.

Much Love...

Tess

July 27, 2002

Dear Tess,

I've never heard of Canfields; must not be in this

area of the country. How sweet and thoughtful that

Em found some for you.

My husband is in a study for some type of new medicine

and that is the only reason he goes to the DR. I told

the DR because I didn't want his results to be skewed

by someone that was drinking full sugar drinks. So,

his bloodwork is done every 3 months, not by himself.

I am afraid that at any time he can get full-blown

diabetes. His father and grandmother had it. Why

won't men take care of themselves?

__________________________________________________

July 28, 2002

Hi Iris,

I have been prescribed steriods off and on due to their strong anti-

inflammatory nature. When I have a bad flare that causes my

lymphnodes to swell and I start developing carpal tunnel, steroids

are the only drug that helps the inflammation to subside.

Unfortunately, for me, I also developed mild osetoporosis because it

draws calcium from the body.

Many people also develop serious mood swings which can be a very bad

side effect.

Hope this partially answers your question.

Al in IL

>

> > Hi everyone,

>

> I don't really know anything about steriods other than

> the allergist periodically gives them to me. I always

> feel better when I take them but my other dr says they

> are bad for your bones. Maybe you can explain to me

> why you take them and what this let down is that you

> are all talking about. Thanks. Iris

> >

>

> __________________________________________________

>

July 28, 2002

Dear Al,

Thank you for answering my post about steriods. The

osteoporosis must have been what my dr was talking

about. It is interesting that you have lymphnodes

that swell during a flare. I have had this happen a

few times in the past several years but just chalked

it up to allergies. As someone that has a tendency to

become depressed, I certainly would want to avoid that

complication caused by steriods. Wishing you an

restful Sunday. Iris

--- kb9vrq <kb9vrq@...> wrote:

> Hi Iris,

>

> I have been prescribed steriods off and on due to

> their strong anti-

> inflammatory nature. When I have a bad flare that

> causes my

> lymphnodes to swell and I start developing carpal

> tunnel, steroids

> are the only drug that helps the inflammation to

> subside.

> Unfortunately, for me, I also developed mild

> osetoporosis because it

> draws calcium from the body.

>

> Many people also develop serious mood swings which

> can be a very bad

> side effect.

>

> Hope this partially answers your question.

>

> Al in IL

>

> >

> > > Hi everyone,

> >

> > I don't really know anything about steriods other

> than

> > the allergist periodically gives them to me. I

> always

> > feel better when I take them but my other dr says

> they

> > are bad for your bones. Maybe you can explain to

> me

> > why you take them and what this let down is that

> you

> > are all talking about. Thanks. Iris

> > >

> >

> > __________________________________________________

> >

July 28, 2002

Hi Iris,

I also suffer from Still's Disease and that causes my lymphnodes,

especially the ones in my neck, to become inflammed. The prednisone

helps a lot for that.

I hope you are having a restful and pain free Sunday.

Take care,

Al

> > >

> > > > Hi everyone,

> > >

> > > I don't really know anything about steriods other

> > than

> > > the allergist periodically gives them to me. I

> > always

> > > feel better when I take them but my other dr says

> > they

> > > are bad for your bones. Maybe you can explain to

> > me

> > > why you take them and what this let down is that

> > you

> > > are all talking about. Thanks. Iris

> > > >

> > >

> > > __________________________________________________

> > >

June 5, 2006

In a message dated 6/5/06 5:50:51 PM, foxybratgirlkm@... writes:

> HELLO MAYBE I CAN GET AN ANSWER HERE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PREDISONE

> STOPS WORKING AND I TAKE TWO A DAY

>

How many mg?

Pris

June 5, 2006

Sorry that you are experiencing so much pain, . What else besides

prednisone are you taking? What have you taken in the past?

In any case, please call your rheumatologist ASAP.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] PREDISONE

HELLO MAYBE I CAN GET AN ANSWER HERE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PREDISONE

STOPS WORKING AND I TAKE TWO A DAY, WHAT'S MY OTHER CHOICES? I'M NOW

TO THE POINT WHERE I'M SICK AT NIGHT DUE TO THE PAIN. I HAVE TO CALL

MY RA DOC.

I'M 26 GOING ON 27 JUNE22 AND I'M GETTING VERY FUSTRATED WITH THIS

DIESE! TAHNKS FOR THE HELP!

LOVE,

KIMBERLY

February 1, 2007

Lynn,

Don't worry. Your posts did go through. Both are at the group site.

has had some major mail delivery problems lately, so all mail may not

have been delivered to your inbox yet. Some things I sent several days ago

seem to be still lost in cyberspace.

I hope you and your family are doing well.

Not an MD

[ ] predisone

>I sent this the other day and for some reason it didn't go through. Hope

>it helps!!!!!

>

> Hi Paige,

> Hope it is okay that I jump in here. I got off predisone last year after

> taking it for 9 years. I did it very very slowly. I would only drop a

> 1/2 mg ever 3 or 4 weeks. It took awhile to do it but I was able to get

> off of the drug. I was told that after being on it for so long I would

> not be successful. Maybe that made me determined. There were a couple of

> times I had to increase the dosage for a few days. I was successful and I

> am off of predisone. My Rheumy and I worked out that if I knew I would be

> say taking a long trip. You know a very long car ride then I would take a

> little prior to the trip. I didn't do it when I went to Conn., and was

> sorry. Coming home I took a little and the ride was so much better. I

> had to have eye surgery that I was told was due to the predisone. So I am

> glad to be off of it. I consider myself lucky that I did this. But for

> some it is not possib le.

> While tapering down go slowly it will be easier to get off of it. Don't

> worry how long it is taking you. Just concentrate on the fact that little

> by little you are dropping the dosage.

> Hope this helps. It is a long road but one that you will be able to do.

> Good Luck with it. If I can help don't hesitate to ask.

> MeMom

February 1, 2007

, my rheumy has me doing the same thing, I drop half a mg every

couple of weeks. If I'm having a bad time, I just wait a little

longer for the drop. I'm down to 2mgs now, hope to be off the *#%^

stuff in a couple of months. I do have permission to take more if I

need it, but I've had enough side effects to last me a lifetime, I'll

have to be really bad to up it again. I've been on it close to three

years now, and have osteoporosis and diabetes as a result. I've also

been able to cut the MTX in half since I started Humira. So far so

good with the Humira, no side effects in 6 months. Maybe I'll be

lucky this time!

Paige, good luck, hope you can figure out a way to get off the stuff.

On 2/1/07, lindacaimi@... <lindacaimi@...> wrote:

> I sent this the other day and for some reason it didn't go through. Hope it

helps!!!!!

>

> Hi Paige,

> Hope it is okay that I jump in here. I got off predisone last year after

taking it for 9 years. I did it very very slowly. I would only drop a 1/2 mg

ever 3 or 4 weeks. It took awhile to do it but I was able to get off of the

drug. I was told that after being on it for so long I would not be successful.

Maybe that made me determined. There were a couple of times I had to increase

the dosage for a few days. I was successful and I am off of predisone. My

Rheumy and I worked out that if I knew I would be say taking a long trip. You

know a very long car ride then I would take a little prior to the trip. I

didn't do it when I went to Conn., and was sorry. Coming home I took a little

and the ride was so much better. I had to have eye surgery that I was told was

due to the predisone. So I am glad to be off of it. I consider myself lucky

that I did this. But for some it is not possib le.

> While tapering down go slowly it will be easier to get off of it. Don't worry

how long it is taking you. Just concentrate on the fact that little by little

you are dropping the dosage.

> Hope this helps. It is a long road but one that you will be able to do.

> Good Luck with it. If I can help don't hesitate to ask.

> MeMom

>

--

Shoreview, MN, until April! brrrr!

South Pasadena, CA

You can see my galleries at http://www.pbase.com/arenared986

February 1, 2007

Well this way worked for me. It does take a long time but I do believe it is a

good way to do. As I said if I know I will be riding a lot, I will take a

little. I was with my grandchildren for a day, it was a community day of

activities. I knew I was going to feel really bad. So two days before the

event I took a little and then the day of the event. It did work for me, I

through everything well. I also have had bad side effects from predisone. I

guess we are the lucky ones, we got off of it. It isn't possible for everyone.

-------------- Original message --------------

From: " Overell " <patricia.overell@...>