Started Prednisone

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MrsL77
MrsL77 Member Posts: 5
edited 10. Aug 2021, 08:52 in Living with arthritis

Hi everyone,

I’ve just joined the group after a bad flare of what has now been identified as Psoriatic Arthritis (previously thought to be RA) after my COVID vaccine having been in remission for a few years.

I have started a course of Prednisolone whilst I get the tests done for Methotrexate but the warnings about mental health complications are worrying me a lot. There is a history of mental health problems in my family although not myself. I’ve never had steroids before. What are other people’s experiences please?

Thank you.

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  • pisica
    pisica Member Posts: 19
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    I work in a GP surgery (admin and dispenser), and we prescribe it a lot. I've also had it numerous times myself. In my experience, any sort of mental health side effects are very rare, and as far as I'm aware stop as soon as the drug is stopped. Some people get a bit grumpy (I'm one of them), and one patient of ours describes herself as "like a hamster on speed". She has declined having any more. In the 10+ years I've been working there, she is the only person badly enough affected to have to stop taking it. Steroids sound scary, and they shouldn't be taken lightly, but they can be hugely effective for short term relief. I hope they help you.

  • MrsL77
    MrsL77 Member Posts: 5
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    Thank you for your response, that’s really helpful.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,466
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    Hi @MrsL77

    Nice to meet you.

    My daughter needed to be on dexamethasone (also a steroid but almost 7xs stronger) for leukaemia a while back for around 2 or more years.

    It made her a little down yes and tearful sometimes, but she is ok now. It will really really help your pain in the short term without a doubt it will and you will not be on it long time because it has downsides too. 'They' rarely keep us on it any length of time.

    Like you I have had short courses of it for pain management and haven't noticed any issues at all.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroids/

    Take care and let us know how you get on.

  • Mike
    Mike Member Posts: 11
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    My experience with prednisone is that it does a wonderful job of relieving pain and sometimes you would have more mental health issues if you were in pain anyway

    most of the time prednisone is a shorter treatment until you get on something else so any side affects are unlikely

    Best of luck

    mike

  • MrsL77
    MrsL77 Member Posts: 5
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    Thank you @frogmorton and @Mike for your responses, both really helpful. You are right this is only a short course, tapering off over 4 weeks. I am hopefully starting Methotrexate soon if bloods etc. come back okay. I must admit I can already see some improvement with the Pred so with that and your advice, along with that from @pisica I am feeling more positive. Thank you all.

  • Hairobsessed123
    Hairobsessed123 Member Posts: 160
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    I’ve just finished a 4 week tapering !

    20 mg a week 15mg a week 10mg a week and 5 mg a week !

    I felt amazing for a whole month !! No pains no swelling I felt like superwoman I had so much energy ! I’m off them this week I feel ok just a bit tired x

  • MrsL77
    MrsL77 Member Posts: 5
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    Thanks for sharing your experience @Hairobsessed123 - so pleased you got good relief from pain and swelling. That’s exactly the plan I’m on.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    I have suffered from Osteo, ribromyalgia, polymyalgia etc for years.

    In the past, I have also had several asthma attacks, treated with 15-30mg Prednisolone for a week or so.

    I noticed no reduction in osteo or fibro symptoms.

    I have been taking a much lower prophylactic dose of Pred. and tapered down to 3mg p.d. This keeps off the polymyalgia.

    Recently,, I have dropped to 2 p.d. Within 3 days, my Poly flared up - in the upper arms.

    For me, Prednisolone works well for Poly but seems useless for arthritis

    I wonder if the others in this discussion actually have full OA and not some degree

    of Fibro or Poly or some other muscle-oriented condition

    pip pip

    Martin

  • pisica
    pisica Member Posts: 19
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    Pred won't work for OA because it's not an inflammatory or auto-immune arthritis. For RA, PsA, PMR, etc. Pred is likely to be helpful because it works on inflammation and the auto-immune process. I confess I don't know a lot about Fibromyalgia or its mechanics but I've never known anyone be prescribed oral steroids for it.

    As @MrsL77 has PsA, it should help.

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