After reading all the information in reguards to the side effects from prednisone and how it can contribute to osteoporosis, it concerns me that my Dr. would put me on it since I already have osteoporosis. I take a daily vitamin for women 50+ and try to drink a full glass of milk when taking my meds but not sure if that is enough. Although I have to admit the prednisone reduced the swelling in my ankles within just 2/3 days of taking, however my ankles/feet do not look the same anymore. There seems to have a permanent discoloration and they look old now! I'll have to bring this up at the next appt and see if he plans on eventually weening me off of it once my other meds kick in. I always hated taking any medications so now having no choice (plus being on bp meds for 10 yrs now) some days I have to take 10 pills. Life sure can change very quickly. I am fortunate that I have a daughter in her last yr of college for nursing so she will be an RN as of this May and she knows and understands exactly what I am going thru, which is certainly helpful. I try to talk to my adult son, who lives with me so that he can better understand, but he's not a good listener, LOL! Oh well at least one of them gets it.
Osteoporosis also occurs post menopause When on prednisone it is standard to also take Vit d and calcium supplements to counteract the side effects You also should be undergoing bone scans and supplemental calcium sparing drugs if osteopenia is evident. I am 66 and on long term prednisone- osteoporosis is far less threatening than my disease out of control
While I hate the side effects of prednisone, for me they are far better to tolerate than the joint and muscle pain of Lupus. The main issue I've had with prednisone is the weight gain and the 'moon face' - I'm just accepting the fact that I dont look as good as I used to, lol. Well, come to think of it, I never feel as good as I used to either. Definitely a change in life!
After 6 months of Plaquenil and Prednisone, I've been unable to wean off prednisone without the pain and exhaustion coming back, so I'm trying to stay on the lowest dose possible.
My physician has recommended high dose calcium daily (1000 mg) along with Vitamin D since I was in my 40s.
I’m glad I read ur concerns about press but I have come to realize that without it I begin to have aches pain and swelling but I think I should take Vit.D. Thanks again
I am post menapausal and have both osteoporosis and osteopenia, which showed up in my bone scan at age 50, and again as of recent. Was hoping the multi-vitamin would be enough but I should probably add extra D and calcium, thanks for your response.
poobie said:
Osteoporosis also occurs post menopause When on prednisone it is standard to also take Vit d and calcium supplements to counteract the side effects You also should be undergoing bone scans and supplemental calcium sparing drugs if osteopenia is evident. I am 66 and on long term prednisone- osteoporosis is far less threatening than my disease out of control
I hear you on the weight gain, haven't heard of the "moon face" yet, I will have to check that out. From what some of you are saying, it sounds hard to come off the prednisone but I remember my sister was on it for RA and said they would take her off every so often because it was not good to stay on it for too long a period of time and I do remember her saying when she was off it she hated it b/c the pain would be so bad. Unfortunately she passed 2 yrs ago from breast cancer so I can't talk to her about it but it's scary just thinking that I will probably have to depend on it for ever. This is all so new to me, I'm trying to fill myself with as much knowledge as possible. They say knowledge is power. Thank you to all for your responses, I appreciate them all.
Nikki said:
While I hate the side effects of prednisone, for me they are far better to tolerate than the joint and muscle pain of Lupus. The main issue I've had with prednisone is the weight gain and the 'moon face' - I'm just accepting the fact that I dont look as good as I used to, lol. Well, come to think of it, I never feel as good as I used to either. Definitely a change in life!
After 6 months of Plaquenil and Prednisone, I've been unable to wean off prednisone without the pain and exhaustion coming back, so I'm trying to stay on the lowest dose possible.
My physician has recommended high dose calcium daily (1000 mg) along with Vitamin D since I was in my 40s.
I am totally with you and do not get when doctors starting passing it out so freely. When i first was on it for poison oak so very low dose, i was warned about serious side effects than again with lupus though my doctors did say when i got poison oak and had to put me on it...i was severely allergic, that it should help how i felt after being on it and it did but not still not worth side effects, such as losing kidney function plus so many other negative serious side effects.
It not just bone loss but kidneys fail on long term use. Vets warn us more about this it seems for our animals than some doctors do their human patients. So like a dog on it for long term use..few months or longer, you can easily die eventually from your kidneys failing..sure we have dialysis but if you even sat with friends on it or family...it is not fun. Plus, your body and just stop producing it on it own naturally like it should.
There are so many serious side effects that i do not get when doctors started caving in and prescribing it long term. My one great doctor had something about not taking time to do their job and prescribe safer but just as helpful drugs. In other words doing research or sending their patients do doctors who know more than they do and can help us in safe ways to prolong our life as safely as possible.
You not only need bone scans but should be having the endocrine checkups with the 4 hour or longer test to see if your body is even producing cortisone any more or what your levels are at. Endocrine doctor is one that can tell you completely all the severe negative side effects and often is one that help deal with many of them along with other specialists in organs that fail due to too much steroids....plus your body is addicted to it physically which is not good for any of us at all on any drug that causes physical dependence.
So i am with you...i say avoid it unless you are ICU place and even than with my brother who in his 20's had bones of 60 something they still watched his uses and kept it at 10mg per day and for only few days than started to reduce it...it also helped to not have kidney usage so he was on dialysis...which is given if you use it long term. Dialysis is not pleasant as you cannot travel unless there is place to do it near by.
i opt now for other drugs as i had to use it for about 2 to 3 weeks often as kid due to severe poison oak allergies and also when i did have Lupus. I can recall doctors saying in one way it is good you have to use since help you feel better but in other ways it is not good either.
I have had the shots which are much safe. They take a good 6 months just to wear off and if you use them too often even they will start to destroy your joints on their own instead of helping them.
I just hope people get informed ...plus there are those that are allergic like my older sister..made to door going outside and collapsed after her first cort shot for Ra...so now not even option for her. She had to be hospitalized due such a severe reaction. After knowing how many both i and our brother had all our lives she never even thought she react...nor did doctors but she did and you rarely hear of this but i guess from what they told her afterwards it happens a lot more lately than it use too.
just inform yourself...if you are on steroids see endocrinologist to make sure what organs should be checked regularly and how often because i know it is more than just bone loss...plus if you have lupus kidney issues you should not even consider it most cases from what they have told me once my kidneys also were involved ..we can but it like my brother it was only in severe cases and very conservative.
So really try hard to educate yourself in reliable places, ask all your doctors not just rheum and no matter what i still try to use it short term. No way any doctor can say it is safe as long term and be saying the truth because too many studies show it is not over and over for over 50 years now!
I am not sure why you blame prednisone for kidney failure- it is the disease lupus which causes eventual kidney failure and the prednisone helps to decrease the inflammation which is destroying the kidneys to begin with. Kidney involvement is fairly common with the auto-immune diseases and one of your more serious complications of this nasty disease. I had fulminating kidney involvement and it is ONLY because I used prednisone that I am now 40 years later still not on dialysis. Steroids do have a lot of negative side effects but the autoimmune diseases have even more - and can do devastating and widespread PERMANENT internal damage to your body if not controlled. At least with prednisone many of the side effects dissipate once the drug is tapered or can be managed. I am not the least bit afraid of steroids but have a very healthy respect for what this disease can do unchecked