Prednisone, aaargh!

[minkydog]

I have been to the doctor twice in the last 4 weeks with a ghastly itchy rash on both forearms that we can't seem to fix. It's gotta be an allergy of some kind(we've already been through the bath products/laundry/new clothes interogation).I am normally not an allergic person; I mean, the pollen count has to get to 3000 before I even get symptoms. She put me on Medrol dose-pak 10 days ago, which helped for 2 days, then teh rash came back with a vengence. My arms are so red & scratched up, it's embarrassing to wear short-sleeves.

So, three days ago she put me on a larger, longer course of Predisone.Yikes! i'm eating myself out of house & home. I need a shirt that says, "Run for your Life! Mad woman on steroids!" I can't sleep, I'm having anxiety like you wouldn't believe--I got claustrophobic two nights ago because my DH hugged me in his sleep. yow! I was up until almost 4am because of that. Tried Atarax for the itching and to help me sleep--it drugs me for about 16hrs, which doesn't improve my mood, let me tell you, and did nothing for the itch.

Acck! Only 11 more days to go. If the rash doesn't go away I'll have allergy testing. I can't imagine what this is. In the meantime, whine, whine, scratch, scratch, scratch...

 

[meandtheguys2]

I hate prednisone! I think that I ate a pkg of Keebler Fudge cookies everyday I was on the stuff! Didn't sleep for three weeks!

Poor Minkydog! I hope they improve pronto! Vent here so that your family doesn't desert you! Just add an addendum to your siggie statiing that you are a mad-woman on steroids, so that you don't get banned or something!

 

[pamlet]

I've been on it for a condition I have as well... eeeeyuck.... I avoid it if at all possible!!

Word of warning - Take the directive NOT to stop it immediately... it needs to "ramp down". I knew a woman who REALLY went into a deep depression when she "just stopped taking it".

Could your rash be a type of hive? I've had 2 incedents of hives in my life - both were in conjunction with high "allergen" activity... they never found any ONE thing I was REALLY allergic to - just when the "combination" was right.. (or wrong.. laugh).

The put my on an antihistimine tho'... I can't remember the name.. I'm thinking hydro... sumpthin... I just know it put my on my rear... the first time I took it my mom called and asked if I was drunk...

 

[Tiggeroo]

believe me it's worst coming off of it. I not only follow the directions to ease off I do it even more. By the end I'm cutting pills in half and end taking halves of the tiny 10mg pills i'm on.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Wow. i am sorry you are miserabe. Have you talked tp your doctor? Maybe its to high a dose. On a side note for itching try the tube of VO5. Its like a cream for the hair but it releaves itching. My FIL has exama(sp?) and he uses the VO5.

 

[disneyworld!]

oh, I feel your pain!! being on it for over 2 years myself! 60mg daily....If I needed to sleep I usally had to take something..to get in a few hours. But I never ate on it....it was more shopping for me!!! you cannot stop me!

good luck finding out what is going on!

 

[RadioNate]

I was on it for 6 weeks in Dec/Jan and I gained 20lbs! It was horrif.

I was nuts from not sleeping and constantly eating. I don't think I slept more than 6 hours a night.

Coming off was the worst! I had horrid knee pain by dinner time I could hardly walk.

hopefully you'll kick the rash so you don't need anymore!

 

[palmtreegirl]

I was on Prednisone a few years back because of an allergic reaction too.

I didn't feel any more hungry and I didn't gain any weight but as they took me off the stupid drug my poor face broke out like I was back in High school, it was terrible. I had another allergic reaction a year later and they tried to give me prednisone again- I said no, thank you!

 

[grinningghost]

Don't get me started...

Have you ever been on the IV version? That's a living hell.

I not only got fat, but I broke out all over my body, itched like crazy, had a metallic taste in my mouth and seriously felt my mind starting to bug out.

When you have MS, prednisone becomes a part of life - but NOT a good one.

I feel your pain.

 

[HoneyPooh]

I had an allergic reaction to the Prednisone. My face looked like I had on a red mask! Weirdly enough the red stopped right at my jaw line and hairline. My bloodpressure went through the roof as well.

 

[disneyworld!]

Don't get me started...

Have you ever been on the IV version? That's a living hell.

I not only got fat, but I broke out all over my body, itched like crazy, had a metallic taste in my mouth and seriously felt my mind starting to bug out.

When you have MS, prednisone becomes a part of life - but NOT a good one.

I feel your pain.

YES!!! for 10 days at a wack, almost every month for a year!!!!! they needed to put a PIC in me.....now how painful is it going in! they had to move the line almost everytime due to it killing my veins!!!!

I would just sit there and blow up like a blow fish! you did not evven have to eat!...oh...the horror!

 

[MinnieM21]

Taking Prednisone stinks huh?

I have to take it for the rest of my life, I've been taking it since I was about 8 years old. I have a kidney disease so I'll never be able to get off of it.
Thankfully the whole "wanting to eat the whole house" has stopped and I don't really get moody anymore. But I totally know what you mean about being a "mad woman on steroids"!

I hope you start feeling better!

 

[Liz]

My DD takes a low dose - 5 mg. every other day. She doesn't have symptoms at that level. But she's been on high doses a few times in her life and she gets the weight gain, mood swings, very hungry, etc. Its awful to watch her go through all that. Once when she was a baby they weaned her off it too quickly and she had a seizure. I guess its good we have these meds when we need them but the side effects can be brutal.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Add me to the "I hate prednisone" club. Thankfully, my current infusions for Crohn's are working, otherwise I'd be on that junk everyday as well.

When I have been on it, I slept very little and cleaned constantly! Last time I was on it, my doc prescribed a sleep and anxiety aid to help with that.

Be sure and taper off of it like they tell you to, or you'll be paying big time for it.

 

[twinklebug]

You poor thing... could it be eczema or Psoriasis?

IMHO, because the side effects of the drug can be nasty, including painful blisters, weight gain and physical dependance, taking prednisone should be a last resort.

What creams have you tried? Have you been to a dermatologist or just a general practioner?

 

[CheshireVal]

Aw man, I actually LOVE prednisone, because it's the *only* thing that gets rid of my crushing headaches when I have a sinus infection.

I have to go on it (a taper pack) at least 2-3 times per year. I've never experienced any side effects, but maybe that's because I'm usually only on it 6 days at a time.

 

[BethR]

Oh boy! I don't think that I should have read this thread...

 

[katerkat]

Aw, man, that sucks! I was on it for two weeks when I had the horrible rash of pregnancy. Even though the rash went away within days of giving birth, I had to take the pack till the end in order to not go crazy. Imagine all those steriods AND a newborn!

Have you tried Aveeno oatmeal baths? They helped me...sometimes...

 

[BabyTigger99]

Add me to the Prednisone-haters club!! It was one of the drugs in my chemo cocktail. 160 mg a day for 5 days after chemo. The not sleeping was what I hated the most. I didn't have much problems with the weight gain, but that was due to the nausea from the chemo, unfortunately.

 

[minkydog]

Thanks for the good vibrations. I'm definitely allergic to something; these hives are still going strong. I went through something similar about 5 years ago,when I had 2 anaphylactic reactions in 3wks(cranberries and red wine!) But this time the rash has been much slower to respond. I'm not putting anything on it because it's so itchy & raw--even soap and water burns. Aveeno helps a little. I'm leaving it open, except when I go outside I wear long sleeves. My DH has been taking prednisone for almost 2yrs now--he says, "welcome to my world." Ugh! He promised to share his tranquilizers with me tonight at bedtime, haha.

Now if I can just not off my 18yo...