prednisone abort

I recently cam down with moderately bad case of poison ivy. I went to my dermatologist who was not present and was seen by the physicains assistant. She prescribed a burst of  prednisone (5 days 2x20mg, 5 days 1x10mg). I took my first dose immediately (2x20mg). The rash began to subside but I don't like the side effects (insomnia) and would rather sit out the poison ivy. I wish the p.a. had discussed the potential side effects before prescriing this highly potent drug.

My question is: Can I stop taking the  prednisone after one dose of 2 20mg pills or will I suffer sever withdrawal and potentially hazardous reactions? Is it safe to just stop taking  prednisone after a single 40mg dose?

[Tuckamore]

Hi Xander,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am sorry you are experiencing insomnia from the prednisone. It does the same to me. It will get better as your system adjusts to it. I never feel comfortable advising someone to stop taking a medication that has been prescribed to them.

Please call the PA and discuss the side effects with them. They can best advise you on where you can go from here. If you can't reach the PA, contact your local pharmacist.

Sorry I am not answering your question directly. I strongly believe it should be your prescribers call. Best of luck to you.

Peace,
Tuck

[Mollyrae]

Hi:

I agree with Tuck in that..it is never a good idea to offer someone their point of view on whether or not to stop taking their prescribed medication. We are not Physicians and by telling someone how to take their medication could be potentially harmful.

Talk with the prescriber...they are the best qualified. Please take care and hope you get your answers quickly.
Mollyrae

[Dshell]

My three cents for what it is worth.  I have been on varying does of prednisone over the past few years.  Doctors and pharmacist seem to have different ideas regarding tapering and so such, so.....I would suggest you call your provider as well.  Good luck, prednisone is difficult with all the side effects but it does work.

[xander160]

Thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate your caution in advising on such a powerful and potentially dangerous drug. I guess I was wondering if anyone had stopped taking prednisone after an initial does and wanted to know about their experience was like. In any event, I did call my doctor and he said I could simply stop taking the pred if it was causing me discomfort. So that is what I am doing. I'll post back in a few to share my own experience.  So far it has been about 30 hours after the 40mg dose and I feel totally fine-no side effects yet (fingers crossed). Thanks again.

[Tuckamore]

Now that you have contacted your physician I can tell you that I have stopped taking prednisone after being on it for a few days. I had no ill effects and it was with the approval of my physician. You should not experience side effects after just 24 hours of usage. It is just my personal policy to never advise someone to not take medication that is prescribed by their medical provider. It could be dangerous.

Dshell is correct. It is a very good drug and provides great releif for many ppl. It is safest in short term use such as was prescribed for you. Please keep in touch.

Tuck

[lily121]

you should your doctor or pharmacist to advise you ppl here are medical advisers.