Feeling horrible after been on the steroid prednisone

Hi Daniel,

I took Deltracortril on 12th November 2019, 7x5mg for 3 days and I had very bad side effects, so I reduced down to 3x5mg on the 4th day and then stopped. I was advised by doctors and chemist. I had withdrawal symptoms which lasted almost 2 months. I now have a chesty cough and a doctor was going to prescribe me steroids and antibiotics but I refused the steroids. I explained what had happened and he agreed I shouldn't take the steroids. Whether its withdrawal symptoms or something triggered by the steroids it will pass. It's very scary and it can take a while to revcover.

been off prednisone 5 months still dont feel my self was only on it for 6 days . the only thing that's helped is reading this form . at times when my anxiety is bad . I have lost so much work. and I was 33 year old Male was healthy worked 60 hrs a week lucky if in can work 4hrs a day now

I have been off it for 5 months still have problems. weakness in legs and such .random dizziness. stomach problems, face feeling tight, it not as bad as it was but definitely still there and soon as u think oh I feel better it hits u again. the main thing that has helped me is this form .and knowing not alone .

Do you also have any of these effects?

-fast heartbeat, tightness in chest

-adrenaline

-huge appetite

-bloating of face

-thin skin

I have all of those side effects besides the appetite. My worst side effect is the weird "high" feeling that happens throughout the day for me. Like super disconnected and things feel off, anyone else ever feel that?

same here . it sucks I'm off of it 5 months now ughh!!

Don't think about this punishment in terms of weeks or months, think of it in terms of years. In one year there will be a massive reduction in side effects. Just be happy none of you got the worst side effect I got, every time the drug goes active I can feel the bones in my face tightening because it's causing me to lose bone mass.

yes all of them ! today has been horrible. I parked tryed to walk to store and had to turn around felt like I was not going to make it to my truck legs felt weak head felt heavy. felt like I was fixing to pass out . so just sitting in my truck waiting for it to pass . yesterday was great felt like a million bucks . thought I was back to normal and then it hit me today. like I had just stopped taking it . and yet doctors keep saying nothing at all from prednisone but yet everything comes back normal. so I'm so lost on what to do it gets my anxiety so bad I dont want to leave the house because never know when this crap will happen. they totally screwed my life up .on the edge of losing everything because I cant work full time .

how are u feeling now any better????

There is nothing you can do besides take a multivitamin and drink a lot of water each day. Every time you feel side effects, it means the drug is burning off and leaving your body a little bit each time. Today was one of my best days yet, almost feel normal again. From all the cases I've ready almost no one takes years to recover. Typical time-frame is 6 to 18 months.

You can read many posts from people who got the injectable version of this drug here:

https://www.drugs.com/answers/corisone-shot-injection-side-effects-how-long-do-449007.html?sort=oldest

thank you . today is little better from yesterday. after a bad day normally take a day or so to get to how I was before the bad day . going on my 7th month ugh this is horrible. and started to think my teeth randomly breaking is from this med too . the last 3 months I have had 4 teeth just break .

Yes it's interesting how it works the same way in me too. It's like I can be getting better but then out of nowhere have a terrible day, and it can take up to ten days to get back to how I was before. But each time it gets shorter and less severe.

It's been 18 months for me and i still do not feel better . My back aches most of the day and don't feel like myself any more . I also have anxiety which i didn't have any of this before this medicine. I ahad to quit my job and I'm unable to go to my college classes because I feel like this. Can anyone tell me what i can do to start feeling better? I take supplements and vitamins but nothing seems to work for me and all my blood work comes back normal.

For back take calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin K2, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM. Help bones and joints. What other side effects do you have?

I drink a ton of water . and try to keep same schedule. bed same times eat same times . I still have many side effects. from it I took if for 4 days . and I'm almost 8 months off it . it's a roller coaster. I have noticed same as danny9090 some foods trigger it . stress for me triggers it I'm in same boat on edge of losing everything. because cant hardly work anymore. what other side effects do u have ??

who else gets the random sweaty hands and feet. I have also noticed that prednisone plays a roll in messing with blood sugar.

Even light cardio triggers it for me, probably because it's linked to cortisol. I was feeling good all day but then I went for a short walk and it triggered side effects for a few hours. All that matters is time. I'm at 18 months now, but when I think back just 2 months ago it's a huge difference.

oh yea time is the key if I look back a few months it's a big change. just sucks at this point because u try and schedule something then it's like a bomb . messes everything up . I randomly have to travel and holy crap sitting in a truck for days screws it all up .

I have a lot of side effects my stomach is bloating like it tightens up. My feet tingle, I can feel fatigued my energy isn't the same or stamina my hands and face turns red my throat swells or tightens. I have joint pain. I just feel jittery sometimes too. Any suggestions I take a lot of supplements and I try to eat healthier. My appetite isn't the same I use to eat more than I do now. I tried changing my diet too. I just do not feel any better.

I stopped taking everything. and eat good meals . and lots and lots of water I probably drink a half a case a day of water . and 2 body armor drinks a day . I switched to decaf coffee. and when I feel the side effects coming on I just lay down and put a heating pad under my legs and read this form . that's the things that help me . your body has to push threw it and re set it self . is my guess is what we are all dealing with .

I think one thing after we all get better we will probably be healthier. because I was drinking 3 redbulls a day ate whatever I wanted. now I drink no redbulls eat healthy. and only drink water and healthy drinks . and I still have stomach problems too . it actually causes g.e.r.d. another thing I never had before.

It causes reflux problems because it weakens the muscles in your stomach. I had this in the first few months too but it went away.

I had severe muscle weakness in the first few months. I can say now though that my strength has returned and I'm lifting weights again, just very carefully because I'm afraid of breaking anything.

Also my testosterone levels in the first month were that of a small child, but I recently tested again and they're back to the upper range as they were before. So the side effects really do diminish with time.

While the drug is still in your body proper nutrition is more important than it's ever been in your life. These are the main supplements I recommend; vitamin C 1000mg, vitamin D3 100mcg/4000 IU, vitamin K2 300mcg, glucosamine/chondroitin (joints), fish oil.

Thank you for sharing how you all got better . I'm so happy we have this forum. One more question, for those of you that feel better did you cut out gluten and diary? I tried that but still no change.

It's definitely not out of my body yet, but symptoms about 80-90% less compared to the first few months. For me it seems like high-sugar food makes the symptoms worse. On the other hand, the symptoms get worse when I'm in a calorie deficit, probably because it raises cortisol. I think I started seeing faster progress when I started drinking liters of water a day and eating a lot of fiber. Symptoms are also reduced when I get enough sleep, I take melatonin to help me sleep.

yes mine get worse if I dont drink alot of water . I try to always drink water but the few bad spells out shopping and stuff have me so nervous to leave my yard lol it's like a comfort zone lol . but mine are probably 65% better after 8 months

I think the half-life of these steroids in people with intolerance is about 6 months. For comparison the half-life of alcohol is 4.5 hours. So the length of time depends on how strong the reaction was. Someone could drink a beer and feel fine 4.5 hours later and maybe feel a bit tired, but if they get wasted on shots they're going to feel it for much longer and then have a hangover. So my estimate for the side effects to fully go away is 1-6 months in mild cases, 6-12 months in moderate cases, and and 12-30 months in severe cases.

I knew the next day something was not right after I took the first dose. from that day tell now . I have never been the same . it sucks . I know someone else had same problem said it took her years to fully recover. my biggest problem is the anxiety it causes. like I said in older post I have got to where I dont like leaving home . if I worked hard around the yard for a day I feel it for a week or so after because my body just is not what it was . feel like I had ran miles and miles legs get weak to the point I feel like something else is going wrong .my face will feel tight. its horrible. eating dinner last night and another tooth just broke I was eating nothing hard or chewy . but from what I have read it makes bones and such very weak . the biggest problem is doctors will say 100% not from that. I bet they get paid good money to say that tho . truly said . how is everyone else doing

If you're getting the weak bones side effect then you need to start taking these supplements right away: calcium 1000mg, vitamin D3 100mcg/4000 IU, strontium citrate 340 mg, vitamin K2 at least 500mcg, magnesium 400 mg, zinc 10mg. I seriously credit these supplements for not breaking any bones, because I started feeling pain in my lower legs until I started taking them, especially the strontium.

The vitamin K2 is important because it transports calcium from your arteries to your bones where it belongs. Also strengthens teeth.

Yeh my side effects were very strong and kept coming back in waves during the first year. I started seeing big progress after I hit the one-year mark. I'm over 18 months now and just had my best day yet. Even the bloating is starting to go away, so I am starting to see my normal face in the mirror again.

Seriously you should to start taking those supplements, if your teeth are breaking off it's a very bad sign. calcium/vitamin D3/vitamin K2/strontium most important.

For vitamin K2, MK-4 type is best according to studies.

Also I've seen significant progress over the past month, I think it's because I started losing weight. I learned that corticosteroids are lipophilic which means they are stored in the bodies fat cells. When I start losing weight a month ago the side effects did become stronger for a few weeks, but I assume it's because the drug was being released into my system as I lost the weight where it was stored. So if you have extra fat, it's an option to try. The key though is to lose the weight slowly at a slight calorie deficit, because now is not the time to be malnourished while the drug is still active.

thank u will try. I just cant wait until this is over and I'm my self again. last few days have been hell . I just feel off and not my self . and feel tired

I'm not sure if anyone else has it like this. At this point it's like I'm getting one big rush of side effects each day. I can feel it start "building up" soon after waking up, and then eventually it releases and I get the rush of side effects for a while, but then when this period passes I feel better and I don't get another release until the next day. Can you relate to this at all?

yes I get that but not everyday. I can feel it coming on then like a bomb went off . then side effects for days

It's getting weak enough now that I'm going through periods of the day where I feel almost no side effects. During this time I get very tired, which is logical because the drug made me feel adrenaline and awake. I wonder if it will lead to a withdrawal phase where I'm tired all the time.

I took 2 Ibuprofen yesterday for a headache and man what a difference I feel a hole lot better. then I have in months! like wow . how's everyone else doing

Activated charcoal can remove the prednisone from the body.

My new regimen

Warning: taking activated charcoal on an empty stomach caused diarrhea for me. This is my new regimen:

I've been experimenting with different doses and frequency, because the cortisone is constantly circulating from the blood to the liver to the small intestine a little bit at a time. I'm taking activated charcoal in capsule form. You're also going to need oats or oat-based high fiber cereal. It's high in soluble fiber, prevents diarrhea and constipation from the charcoal, and it acts as a sponge to soak up both the charcoal and cortisone so the drug can be neutralized.

This is the regimen:

-When you wake up take 1g of activated charcoal. Immediately eat a very small bowl of oats or oat cereal. Do this every hour for the next 6-8 hours.

-You need to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration and constipation from the charcoal.

-Take a multivitamin and potassium at night because the charcoal also depletes vitamins and potassium from the body. If you take any medication take it at night also as far away from the charcoal because it also interferes with it.

-Start with a smaller dose to see how much your body can handle. I may increase the dose of charcoal in the future.

-I also experimented taking the charcoal on an empty stomach every hour. It worked quite well except this causes diarrhea.

-Last point, either use water or a very small amount of milk with the oats. I read that milk can reduce the effectiveness of the activated charcoal.

Don't expect an overnight cure. The cortisone is spread throughout all the fat tissue and blood in your body. It takes time for it all to circulate through the liver and small intestine where the charcoal can bind to it before it's reabsorbed into the blood.

Also, please report back on how it worked for you. I'm seeing huge improvement.

i have followed the drug website for months now. i had my steroid injection on May 15 (not sure what the mg was or the name was) and its now september 20. 4 months later. 2 weeks after the injection (which was in my left hip due to a sinus infection) i started having side effects. the first month was derealization/depersonalization, severe depression, negative intrusive ruminating thoughts, shakiness, weakness, muscle twitches, headaches, crying uncontrollably, severe anxiety (i have anxiety day to day) but nothing like this caused. this drug is poison to the entire central nervous system. this has been going on for months now and grows weaker and weaker as time goes on. now im still left with major anxiety that will wake me up out of a dead sleep with turning stomach, nauseous feeling and mind racing with racing heart beats. im still having heart palpitations and chest tightness. it has turned my life as i knew it upside down. and its been hell. im so ready for it to be over. i did hit a point that i was completely dehydrated, felt like o was withdrawing from a drug addiction. ive been on a forest but now i can see a light through the trees. i still have pains where i got the injection and notice i only have those pains when the side effects start acting up. its all coming in waves instead of being a constant battle now. im here to tell my story to help someone else. we are not alone and ive been on many forums to reassure me that its not me. its the drug causing all of this havoc. but danny, your story aligns with mine in many ways.

Yes it causes a similar reaction in people who get long-term side effects. I've discovered a way to to physically remove the drug from the body though. Activated charcoal didn't work as well as I thought after taking it for a year, but then I realized the drug must be in the blood. So I started donating blood at a hospital to remove the drug from my body. I noticed a difference but it can only be done every 3 months, so then I started donating plasma which can be done every few weeks and they take out 850 ml each time, almost 20% of total blood volume. I'm noticing a reduction in side effects each time I do it. So I can say try donating plasma.

i used to donate plasma, but it took a turn for the worse and i havent been back. my days are few between now and not constant like they were so im hoping im reaching better days. ill have 2 good days and then 2 bad days. its been a ride, thats for sure. i just hope im not always going to be like this. i want to be back to normal and my life again. one bad day seems like yhe end of the world sadly. its just that bad. thanks for replying. it shows tjat people are still active. im still pushing through. i bought some l-theanine today and im going to see how it works. im so ready for it to be over.

Well it gets weaker over time, just in my case it was extremely slow. You should know though that I've tried many things like detox supplements, cortisol-lowering supplements, drinking more water, exercising etc. and nothing made a significant difference until I tried donating plasma. I went for a second plasma donation 2 days ago and I feel a huge difference in side effects compared to 1 month ago.