paging Sally and Marsha.....

Maureen · Post by **Maureen** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:48 pm

You both mentioned withdrawal from prednisone....

I've been on a prednisone taper 3 times in the past 6 weeks. How long do you have to be on it to experience withdrawal from it.....just curious.

Love,
Mo

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:48 pm

Hi----MO--

Do feel better------ and keep in step :dancingpenguins:

with your positive feelings-----

luve Barbara :flyingdoveleft:

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:56 pm

I tried to taper off pred for three years when the FDA finally approved Entocort. I had never been able to get below 16 mgs. without returning to nearly constant explosive diarrhea. I went on Entocort thinking that withdrawing from pred would be duck soup. HAH! I had withdrawal symptoms for a month. The first couple of weeks were very severe. My feet hurt so much I could hardly walk. The Entocort did stop the diarrhea, though. But I made it and here I am!!!

Love,

Sally

Maureen · Post by **Maureen** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:57 am

Wow, that sounds horrible.......
I am going through drug withdrawal from plain old tylenol - don't ever take tylenol or even ibuprofen more than 2-3 days/week. I was taking it almost daily for headaches. I was also taking a really small dose of vicodin about 3 days/week. So the dr. thinks I'm suffering from rebound headaches.....the more pain relievers you take the worse the pain comes back....it's a horrible cycle.

I haven't had any tylenol or vicodin for about 4 weeks now!
I'm still suffering from almost daily migraines though......they are suppose to lessen as time goes on.....but it's torture in the mean time.

I remain positive and stick to my old motto: "This too shall pass"

Have a great day!
Love,
Mo
:flowersmiley:

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:36 am

Hi Mo,

I took prenisone 20mg. for about a year and a half, if I remember right. I also had Keflex shots, which is cortisone that stays in the bloodstream for 3-4 months before you need another shot. I never had cellulite until I took prednisone: I wish I'd never done it, because now I do.

But I digress. . . how I got off it was to "stairstep": go down to, say, 15 mg for 2 days, then back up to 20 mg for a day, then down to 15mg for 2-3 days, then up to 20 for a day, then 15 for a week. If that goes well, then try 13 mg (or 10) and follow a similar pattern. Cutting back without stairstepping was unbearable, & my complaints were hand and foot pain, like Sally.

I don't think prednisone helped my stomach at all, by the way. If it did I'd be tempted to stay on it, despite the side effects.

I've found Zoloft and Wellbutrin to be better pain relievers than prednisone.

Love, Marsha

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:12 am

I never took prednisone for pain. It did stop the diarrhea dead in it's tracks, though. I just had so many side effects, though. Glaucoma, high blood pressure, blurry vision. etc. etc. When I did wean myself off of it, it took me three months to do and then a month of withdrawal. Nasty business. I was taking 40 mgs.

Mo, it seems to me like you are weaning off a lot of things. How can you tell which med is causing you problems? Or am I all wet?

Lots of love,

Sally