Lupus Support Group

Hello all. I went to the er this past friday night for pain upon breathing. It ended up being pleurisy again. They gave me a prescrip for Naprosyn & Prednisone(60mgs once a day for 5 days)...I emailed my rheumy since I hadnt heard from her since telling her about my original symptoms.(she was going to do a short term prednisone treatment anyway)..she said 60mgs was way too much & called in some 5mg tablets so I could start 20mgs for a week then taper off dropping 5mgs each week till I was done. I took 60mgs 2 days in a row before I heard back from her to hopefully get some relief. Well,the pleurisy is better but the aching/burning in my joints is not. Im also still getting rashes & its making me sleepy. I have heard prednisone can do the opposite. When I told my rheumy how Im feeling she said its probably because it`s not inflammatory that im experiencing?!...or that its still early in the prednisone treatment...I just feel like it hasnt done anything for me...am I expecting too much? Does it really not work for some people by itself?...please Id love to hear stories from everyone! Side effects,etc. Thanks so much. Hope I find you all well. *hugs* -Lupie Britt aka LadyBug

Britt, in my experience with Prednisone I find that in higher doses...60-100mg/day I have almost instant relief and then when the taper down comes my pain returns. I do feel sort of nervous energy with it and have a hard time sleeping while taking high doses. I might be tired but unable to sleep well. So I have had several months recently of feeling pretty bad and finally went to the rheumy and he gave me a depomedrol injection and usually I feel better right away and this time I have had no relief with it. So I think sometimes (atleast with me) depending on how bad I am feeling it can seem like it takes the meds longer to work. I hope you feel better soon.

April

I agree with April. I also feel that the steroids don't take away the pain 100%. Try and exercise alittle bit, and get some rest.

The steroids have never taken away all my pain either. I have lots of unpleasant side effects from the prednisone though. I get tremors, irritable, weight gain, and anxiety. Have you thought of seeing a Pain Specialist? My rheumy doesn't prescribe pain meds so that is why I went to a pain specialist. I hope you feel better soon.

Take Care,

Amy

Britt.....All of these ladies had such great suggestions....I hope your feeling better today.

Eva (Lupie Mom)

I have to say so far for me, the prednisone has helped to resolve my current symptomatic flare with 60mg a day for ten days so far, I will be stepping off shortly and I am afraid of the consequences. As far as the side effects go, the alternative was much worse and I welcome the annoying side effects over the truck that ran over me!

Prednisone for me is my pain will act up more then it was in the first place I have tremmors, I don't think straight I feel like a zombe and I have hot flashes and weight gain and anxity really bad , I can't hold anything with one hand because my hands shake to much and i can't sleep . So I don't like to take it and I will keep my mouth closed about how I feel sometimes just because I hate the way it makes me feeling unless I just can't stand the pain or feeling really bad then I will tell my doctor and that is the first thing she calls me in. I guess it does gives me energy and it does help with my labs to kinda of level them back out so You will have to take the good with the bad.

Hi Britt I had IV Solumedrol and was on a short course of Prednisone and It didn't really work for me. I told my Rheumy I would never go on it again unless it was a life or death situation... I had weight gain and energy but it did not stop my flare. ((Hugs)) ~ Julie

Boy Julie, I just wish I could say the same

Yup...Prednisone is one of the pills I have taken...ONE. Little Brother Lupus, Bryan