what's your experience with prednisolone for inflammation relief?

[acker]

i started a two week initial course of 20mg prednisolone - not sure if generic or name-brand. anyway i am usually resistant to pharmaceuticals but the pain was unrelenting and dr and i finally went for the steroid.
i have adrenal insufficiency, for last 3+ years.
i've so far found it relieving that inflamed feeling so i can now walk a bit better. great. it has disrupted my sleep - DOES THIS SETTLE?
when you've tapered off and discontinued medication, HAVE YOU FOUND THE SYMPTOMS IMPROVE AND STAY AWAY? or do they return?
cause dr said i won't be on them for life,  but i
don't know how my adrenals are supposed to recover after a course of prednislone, any more than they were going to before - ?
i'm on four tablets a day and i feel three would be sufficient - should i really take the full dose if less is fitting my needs?
did you find overall they have HELPED, or HARMED?
thank you..! :)

[mellie4]

I've just been wondering about oral steroids.  In the past, I had many cortisone shots (which helped, but over time caused more damage to my hands.)  My fiance just got put on a prednisone taper for his neck as he's having a really extreme flare-up despite taking 3 months off work.  (He's doing 60 mg. for 3 days, 40 for 3 days, 30 for 3 days, etc.)  The doctor said he may get significant relief from it, though it probably won't be permanent.

I had a lidocaine infusion last month (which did nothing) and am having another one on Thursday (because they said to give it one more chance).  I'm wondering if a prednisone taper would help me at all with my hands and my other arthritis hot spots.

I'm aware of the short-term side effects of prednisone as my mom had been on it many, many times in her life, but I'm not aware of long-term side effects or damage of it.  What are they?

Hope you get some relief, Acker, with your taper.

[acker]

ok thank you so much. now, i've been prescribed 20mg per day.
dr has emphasized the tapering business so i'm in no rush to get off them for that reason as well as i guess they give my adrenals a break.
my concerns match your experience re return to symptoms once eventually stopping. also i note that my case is not as severe as yours [you poor thing - ! - i guess my next line of questions would be along the topic of what keeps you going and what gives you hope and how you don't give up?!]
i sidetracked - dr said i wouldn't be on them forever but i wouldn't mind if i had to (at a smaller dose of course..)
yep i have sleep issues - and this on top of it has been blah but i'm encouraged that you say it improves...
THANK you again! x x o o
haha i also notice it has made me affectionate and a bit outgoing :)

[geminigirl1963]

I'm glad you've found the predisone (prednisolone) to be of help in reducing your inflammation and pain.

I can relate to the benefits AND side effects of prednisone, as I've been on it MANY a time throughout my life for my asthma, arthritis, lupus, etc.  I feel it can be a great medication when used for a short period of time.

I also have a terrible time sleeping whenever I'm on the steroid.  I ALWAYS have a hard time sleeping anyway, but it's MUCH worse when on the steroids.  That is very common.  It does (at least for me) begin to settle down some as you begin to wean down off the med, although it may take several days for it to fully go back to your normal sleeping pattern once you are completely off of it.

Unfortunately, the benefits of the prednisone also don't stick around (from what I've found) once the medication is stopped.  You may find that you're feeling better for a while after they've stopped, but it's definitely not a "cure" and at least in my case, my symptoms have always returned after a time.

One thing to be very, very careful about - especially with your adrenal insufficiency history - is to be sure you wean down off the med and don't stop it abruptly.  Since your adrenals already don't work as they should, I would suggest a slower taper than normal, even if imeans what was supposed to be a two week course ends up being 3 or 4 weeks long.  Since the steroid basically takes over the action of your adrenals while you're taking it, you definitely want to be sure to give your own adrenals a chance to start working (even at their reduced function) before you stop the steroid completely.  

With a steroid, you are better off with the least you can get by with, however, as I said, don't reduce the amount too fast or too drastically.  Before you reduce your dose at all, be sure to talk to your doctor and follow his/her guidelines as to tapering.  If, as you're tapering, you notice a big increase in your symptoms or start feeling sick, be sure to tell your doctor - the may want to increase you back up for a short time and then start the taper again - slower.

I feel prednisone has been very helpful for me in some respects and in a couple of cases, literally saved my life.  However, the long term damage of the high, long term dose that I was on at one point has also done irreparable damage.  So, as I said, I think they are really good  for short term and at the lowest dose possible - but if at all possible, don't stay on them very long or at high doses.

Out of curiosity, each of your 4 pills - what mg are they?  I'm presuming they're probably 10mg each, equally 40mg.  That's about an "average" dose - especially when beginning a taper.