Medication/steroid fear

[ady1779]

I have really bad health anxiety/ocd! I recently had a upper respiratory virus that has created wheezing. Had a chest X-ray today and no pneumonia but was put on 50mg of prednisone for 7 days. My dr did warn of being jittery and grouchy. Of course I looked up others stories with this on here and have now gone into full blown panic. Side effects are rage and anger!? Depression, nightmares and intrusive thoughts?! I'm a stay at home mom, I can't not be in control of my feelings and emotions with two little ones! This has me so upset that I don't think I can take this prescription! Any advice?

[Shazamataz]

Hiya,

I've quite a bit of experience with prednisone due to having Crohn's disease. The most I've been on was 80 mg a day and I was high as a kite. That said I was also in hospital and able to eat for the first time in a month.

It does make you jittery and you won't feel like sleeping much but if it's only a week you can get through it. It will give you lots of energy.

Seems like quite a high dose though.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I have asthma and until recently, every time I get a cold I end up with a chest infection that needs treatment. Usually this is antibiotics. But I went through a period of needing steroids every time too and this went on for maybe 4-5 years or longer, I can't remember.

I didn't have anxiety back then. But I experienced no real side effects from multiple treatments. I would say be careful with alcohol though because I remember going out for the night within days of ending a course of steroids and I got so hammered, more so than normal.

The side effects are scary. Many meds have a big list so will be worrying for people like us. But these meds are very commonly used and don't seem to have the same reputation that antidepressants have.

I can't say for sure I took this one but I took several different ones and with this one being used for asthma, it's very likely I did. My mum has also used it loads of times on her legs due to swelling for the last 10+ years and never had any side effects.

I'm not sure where you are getting those side effects from but I've checked on Drugs.com and rage, anger, nightmares and intrusive thoughts are listed. Aggression is so that might cover the rage & anger bit but I can't see anything which covers the others in either the lists or the section for medical professionals.

They give these to children so whilst the side effects are listed, they may be on the rarer side. Also, side effects can be reported with people on large doses for a long time so they may not apply to you.

If you experience any mood changes or depression, see your GP. It's unlikely I reckon and more likely to occur in people who have been on them longer than 7 days because after a week it does start to change your natural steroid production. You are safe there.

[ady1779]

Thank you both for your responses! I didn't Google side effects because that would be horrible for me but there were some stories on this site that listed these side effects. I've never had to take prednisone before and everyone I know who has had such a low dose they were fine. The high dose worries me and of course the idea that I would not be in control of my actions! Thank you for your thoughts and advice, definitely makes me feel some better!

[Shazamataz]

Thank you both for your responses! I didn't Google side effects because that would be horrible for me but there were some stories on this site that listed these side effects. I've never had to take prednisone before and everyone I know who has had such a low dose they were fine. The high dose worries me and of course the idea that I would not be in control of my actions! Thank you for your thoughts and advice, definitely makes me feel some better!

You will be fine. If I can survive 80 mg IV you can do 50 orally. Just don't get too worried about sleep as you may feel quite stimulated but you won't feel tired (in my experience). My house was never cleaner than when I was on prednisone :yahoo:

Take them with food and best in the morning, though you may be splitting the dose?

[MyNameIsTerry]

You will be fine. If I can survive 80 mg IV you can do 50 orally. Just don't get too worried about sleep as you may feel quite stimulated but you won't feel tired (in my experience). My house was never cleaner than when I was on prednisone :yahoo:

Take them with food and best in the morning, though you may be splitting the dose?

And IV administration of anything means a far more thorough and stronger treatment. I know this from researching a few things myself on supplements. This is because IV gets straight in there, fast and hits the blood stream quickly as well as getting into cells faster & more efficiently where appropriate. Oral doesn't achieve all that due to the need to be digested and then passed into the blood stream.

So, two doses the same strength are not equal if one is oral and one is IV.

I can't remember what dose my various steroid treatments were but they were oral. I remember sometimes you started on about 8 pills a day and it wound down to about 3-4 by the end of the schedule, something like that anyway...it must be 20 years I've taken then now.

[spacebunnyx]

I'm on 40mg prednisolone long term. It does make you feel a bit "rushed" for a few days... but nothing major. Take early in the morning with food to minimise any side effects. Xxx

[ady1779]

Thank you, that makes me feel so much better! Dr said today to hold off on taking it for 48 hours to see if it clears on its own. If not, then to take just 25mg instead of the 50. Definitely less panicked this morning than last night! I do pretty well theses days with handling my health anxiety after CBT treatment, but medications are my one, non-wavering hot button!