Does the prednisolone affect your sleep?

Posted , 10 users are following.

I have just been prescribed prednisolone last week and they are helping. However, I have experienced real problems in trying to get to sleep. Over the last two weeks I have not slept for practically 2 whole nights and also when I have a couple of hours and then wake up I am not able to go back to sleep.  The strange thing is that I am really feeling as tired as I should given the lack of sleep. I am managing to function ok the next day, although if this goes on for a much longer time I dont suppose that I will be very functional!  It may be that I am just getting used to the medication?  Has anyone else experience anything similar?

thank you.

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  • Posted

    Hi Angela.  Apparently this is a very common effect of pred.  I have to say, however, that in my case the relief of pain was so great that I was able to sleep better.  As a lifelong intermittent insomniac I was not much troubled by the occasional sleepless night.  However, when I started to take one of my calcium doses with a small snack close to bedtime I found I began to sleep very well indeed, and this effect lasts to this day, more than a year later.  You may find as your body adjusts to the pred, and later as you begin to (slowly) taper, you will find it easier to stay asleep.  Just do all the things you need to be really relaxed and comfortable at bedtime, and don't stress about being wakeful at times.  

    • Posted

      Thank you for responding.  I haven't been advised to take any calcium as yet, early days.  I'st good to know that I there is a reason.  Not that I am a good sleeper at the best of times, but to be awake all night is very unusual together with not feeling tired, most strange.  It's good to have somewhere to share thoughts and worries. Thanks again.

    • Posted

      Calcium and D is nearly always recommended because of the bone thinning effect that pred can have.  The extra calcium and D help to mitigate this.  Ask about it at your next appointment.  There are other micronutrients needed for good bone health, and if your doctor is reluctant to prescribe extra calcium, at least make sure you are getting enough D.  To prevent any of the cardio side effects sometimes caused by calcium supplementation you should make sure you are also getting enough magnesium as well as Vitamin K (Vitamin K2 in particular, which is hard to get from the diet, unlike K1).

      Sweet dreams!

    • Posted

      Oh I should add that when I was first on pred I had boundless energy.  My husband said I was like the Energizer bunny!  I was just so happy to be able to do things without pain!  Enjoy this phase.  In my experience it doesn't last.  The pain should still be gone, but the energy level will settle....

    • Posted

      very informative thank you.  My doctor has been great with me so I am sure that he will do whats' right for me.  As I say early days, but trying to feel positive and not worry about if I 'weight gain'  !!!

    • Posted

      Angela,

      Just noticed your advice on taking Vit. K2. Please tell me more. Does it have side effects? I take a multivitamin, Vit. D and 5mg of Prednizone. Just upped my calcium too, as my dexascan showed borderline osteoporosis. They want to get me on an oral medication for the osteoporosis, but I'm worried about stomach upset. Mexotrexate messed up my stomach, so I'm resisting. Now they're considering Lyrica, an injection taken twice a year.

    • Posted

      No - won't be Lyrica, that's an oral drug for fibromyalgia. Prolia maybe?

      What are your t-scores? Like Anhaga, I don't want to be told "borderline" anything, I want the figures!!!! 

    • Posted

      Vitamin K2 is a form of Vitamin K which is necessary for guiding the calcium into the bones.  It's often lacking in our diet so a supplement is a good idea.  Magnesium also important, those are the biggies.  I think most other micronutrients are easily available in a balanced diet.

    • Posted

      Pam I was recommended alendronic acid.  I refused and went completely natural - diet, supplements and, especially, exercise.  In one year I improved my t-score enough that the drugs are no longer recommended and my doctor asked me how I did it!
    • Posted

      I think doctors tend to prescribe drugs because it is easier and possibly cheaper than suggesting any alternatives. It is a great pity I think as I am sure a lot of people could have a better quality of life with less medication. 
    • Posted

      I hate to be cynical but they are also brainwashed by the pharmaceutical industry.  My doctor, for example, was much more anxious I start the meds after she had been to some sort of osteoporosis conference!
  • Posted

    The first time I was put on Prednizone, 15mg, I was up and down all night. I'm betting I went pee 6-7 times. This scenario is pretty common with me. If I'm awake at night, I've got to pee. 😁 As far as I know this is pretty common when you first get on this medication. I felt somewhat wired the first couple nights. It settled down pretty quickly. My pain was gone too, so the excitement was overwhelming.

    • Posted

      Thank you for responding.  I'm with you on the visits to the loo.  I'm the same if I awake too long I have to go!  Hoping the sleeplessness will settle soon.  I still have a full days work to do!  Prednisolone certainly seems to be fast acting for most.

    • Posted

      At the beginning of PMR when I couldn't sleep, my rheumie said it was very important to be able to sleep in order to help the body.  He recommended the stronger common herbal remedy nytol just for a few weeks which worked very well for me.  I then discovered that the prednisolone was acting like a sleeping drug and stopped the herbal remedy.   It's all about experimentation as we are all different.  Good Luck...

  • Posted

    I'm assuming you have been diagnosed with PMR?

    This is a common side effect of pred, especially at higher doses. What dose are you on? You do take it all at once in the early morning? That gives your body a bit longer to calm down again!  The fatigue is probably due to the autoimmune cause of the PMR - the pred only relieves the symptoms, the real illness is still chugging away in the background and autoimmune disorders cause fatigue.

    Unfortunately there isn't a lot to be done - you will probably get used to the dose and it will improve but how long it will take is anyone's guess. The best advice is to try to rest when you have the chance - planning a rest in the early afternoon seems to help some people but that isn't an option if you are working. Others give up worrying about it and get up and go into another room and find something quiet to do, some even find new hobbies. Some listen to the radio - one lady has made great friends with the BBC World Service - or listen to relaxing music. 

    Patients on long term pred should be given at the very least calcium and vit D supplements - which are often enough to protect their bones from loss of bone density. You need to get your GP to send you for a bone density scan to get a baseline reading BEFORE you take pred for any length of time. But don't give in to taking alendronic acid without very good reason. I've never taken it and my bones are still fine after heading for 8 years on pred!

    • Posted

      I am astounded at how responsive you are and so helpful and knowledgeable.  Thank you all very much I will certainly heed all your advices.  Have any of you had any massive weight gain?  I've always been fairly slim and the idea of a massive weight gain is freaking me out!. Vain thing that I am.  

    • Posted

      I've had no weight gain. I'm a 63 yr old female. I've been on Prednizone for over 3 years. The only noticible change has been my bone density. I used to be a runner, so it was always high. I'm still somewhat active, but my last dexascan in December showed borderline osteoporosis. Not sure if it's just my age or post menopausal, but I'm sure the Prednizone isn't helping. So heed the advice of the others. Take the calcium and magnesium. I'm upping my calcium as we speak.

    • Posted

      I gained weight because of PMR (I wasn't diagnosed for over 5 years) - I couldn't exercise normally because of the pain. I started on prednisolone and the weight redistributed to the usual places - midriff, face and back of neck. I was switched to Medrol (methyl prednisolone), gained a LOT of weight and became really Cushingoid. I was switched again to a form of prednisone and went onto a low carb diet - and lost 36 lbs. 

      Cutting carbs seems to work for a lot of people - pred changes the way your body processes carbs and leads to the deposition of fat. And it helps reduce the risk of developing pred-induced diabetes.

    • Posted

      Hi Angela.  I was diagnosed with GCA in March 2016 and put on 60 mg of Prednisone.  I didn't sleep for a full night for months until I tapered down to around 16 mg.  Even with the help of taking Trazadone before bed, I'd still wake up between 2 and 4 AM and not go back to sleep.  But like you said, I was surprisingly not really tired.

      As far as the weight gain, I've packed on 20 awful pounds from head to toe.  Everyone suggests going low or no carb, but I've yet to try it so I have no room to complain.  I have also had chronic migraines for the past three years, and any type of exercise, even light, will bring on major head pain.  I used to be a gym rat and miss it terribly.  My point is, I haven't yet figured out how to lose or control these extra Prednisone pounds.

      Best of luck to you on your journey back to good health.  This is an amazing site with wonderful people and helpful suggestions.

    • Posted

      During my third flare of GCA I gained 40lbs with the 60 mg of pred I was on. Then with my fourth flare I put on 50lbs with 80 mg of pred while I still had 10lbs extra left from my third flare. I find it very hard to take off the weight since I have terrible spine and leg pain from my scoliosis. I took off twenty lbs now that my pred is finally down to 5mg. My pain management doc burned a bunch of nerves in my lumbar spine but so far it hasn't helped much.

      I'm also so fatigued, I hardly do anything except sleep. Very frustrating! I used to be so active - never took naps. I'm thankful that we moved to a lovely retirement community in central Florida. There are so many clubs and sports offered here but right now I can't take part in them.

      Jan

       

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