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Prednisone doesn't always prevent sleeping

Posted , 7 users are following.

jean39702
jean39702

Many of the discussions on this and other forums lead to comments on  of prednisone and sleep.  I just wanted to point out that medication affects each of us differently.  I started on 40 mg of prednisone and definitely had problems staying asleep.  Althought I didn't like the idea of sleep aids (side effects and addiction) I succumbed to the recommendation of my practitioner to take 5 mg of Zopliclone. It worked and allowed me to get at least 6 hours sleep each night.  I had no noticeable side effects to the Zopliclone.  Five months later (after a relapse and return to 40 mg at 2 months) and at 30 mg I was experiencing excessive brain fog and fatigue throughout the day.  At the suggestion of Eileen and others I switched taking the prednosone to the evening around 9 PM.  When I did it I thought, what the heck, if the steroid is causing fatigue I'll drop the sleeping pill.  I did and have slept fine since!  Mind you I'm up every hour and a half or two hours to pee, but I go back to sleep.  Frequent urination in the first 8 hours of taking prednisone is one of the many side effects I suffer. 

So I guess the message I'm sending is that we all react differently to different medications.  It's wise to remain flexible.  What doesn't work for one, may work for another.

 

3 likes, 36 replies

36 Replies

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  • Debkimly
    Debkimly jean39702

    Posted

    I just checked my predisone and it just says take daily.  My Dr. said morning but now I am curious as to when others take theirs.  I only started it on the 6th so very new.

     

    • EileenH
      EileenH Debkimly

      Posted

      The recommended time and when the vast majority take it is first thing in the morning, as early as possible, as a single dose. That best mimics normal production in the body and helps reduce some of the side effects such as sleeplessness. Many people take a sandwich and a drink to bed with them, wake early and take it and then settle down for another couple of hours during which time the pred starts to work and you are less stiff by the time you get up.
  • pat73046
    pat73046 jean39702

    Posted

    Thank you . I will keep that in mind. I have tried to nap but did not get anywhere with that. Maybe I will try Chamomile tea. I appreciate you taking the time to write. pat
  • jennissw
    jennissw jean39702

    Posted

    Interesting discussion. I find if I take my ored in the morning, its not until about 6PM that I feel more awake, less stiff and generally feeling a bit better. I wasnt aware you could take it at night. I wonder if that would help me.
    • EileenH
      EileenH jennissw

      Posted

      I had that problem with Medrol, taking it at night didn't affect sleeping and I had more good time the next day. Other sorts of pred have worked much faster for me. Some doctors disapprove, others have suggested trying it. 

      Are you on enteric coated pred, the coloured pills, red and brown ones? That takes several hours to be absorbed so taking it at night is far better for us. I take another form of pred that is designed to be taken before bed and it releases during the night. Apparently the company were asked if they would cooperate in a trial between it and enteric coated pred and refused. Which we thought was significant - because if enteric coated pred would work the same way it is probably the difference between up to £100/month and only £12/month.

    • jennissw
      jennissw EileenH

      Posted

      Yes for me I have the enteric coated. I might try it in the evening. Can you suggest a time for a night bird who usually goes to bed at 12 or even 1am
    • EileenH
      EileenH jennissw

      Posted

      Yes - that would definitely account for the effect not being there until evening. You could work it out - if you take it at, say, 8am and the effect is 5pm, then taking it 10pm might give you a decent result in the morning. But it doesn't matter what time and with the enteric coated it has little to do with the lateness/sleep problems. The coated pills pass through the stomach and are absorbed from further down the gut once the coating has dissolved, hence the rather variable time it takes in different people. Try at 10pm and see what happens. Then adjust the time to achieve the best result for you. With enteric coated you don't have to worry about eating with them although whether the stomach has food in it or not will have some effect on the time it takes for the coating to dissolve. But that doesn't really matter - find the best time for you.
    • jennissw
      jennissw EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks I will try. I do have to have some of the uncoated to do some of the withdrawal, But at 10mg, can do the evenings for a while.
    • linda17563
      linda17563 EileenH

      Posted

      I think you have covered aout the idea of splitting a dose...I`m on 20mg, which is giving me really odd symptoms....not unlike Pat!   Four hours in from taking the Pred (about 8am) I am dizzy, heart racing and feel like I`m going to faint I feel like I can`t breathe for a few seconds...twice it`s happened quite badly and it`s a good thing I was indoors.... only started this dose 6 days ago.  Would 10mg am then 10pm work as well...is it worth trying do you think? 
    • EileenH
      EileenH linda17563

      Posted

      That happened to me occasionally but I worked out it always happened when I was trying to do too much. I rearranged my timetable so I would be at home for the period after taking the pred that was a risk. And deliberately didn't race around. It wasn't every day but happened a couple of times a week I suppose. I was only on 15mg, 20mg is fairly high and will lead to worse side effects. 

      This early into PMR you really are still "poorly" - you aren't back to normal. You will get more used to the pred after a few weeks - and I imagine your doctor will reduce the dose after a few weeks too once he feels the inflammation is well under control. You need to calm down a bit - not run around catching up!

      You don't get as good an anti-inflammatory effect in spilt doses and the side effects overall may be greater. Approx 2/3 and 1/3 is the usual suggestion and you may find your sleep affected - but everyone is different and you can't tell until you try. One lady who had a similar problem with very "wobbly legs" was told by her GP to try taking it all at night - which worked brilliantly for her and never stopped her sleeping, all the untoward side effects happened while she was asleep. 

    • linda17563
      linda17563 EileenH

      Posted

      Three years ago when I started on 15mg, I wasn`t like this.  I had got down to 7mg last October, but with the blurred vision etc, the doctor said we`ll start again but on a higher dose (20mg) I used to take the Pred before at night, but I lost so much sleep, and on the loo every two hours. I think maybe I will take it in the evening again and see how it is... Doctor said lower slowly after a month, I`m seeing her in two weeks so will discuss it, but hopefully like you say, it may not be as bad by then..I can`t imagine what effect 40 or 60mg for GCA would have on me...it dosen`t bear thinking about!  I envy people that can take any medication.  It`s the Fibromyalgia/ME that`s the culprit....must keep trying though!!  Thank You again.
  • debra60568
    debra60568 jean39702

    Posted

    i was diagnosed with PMR last month

    i feel i had it for quite a long time previous, perhaps several years. i had frequent urination during this whole time. after a month of treatment with prednisone it decreased noticably. i feel it is another symptom if the PMR.

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