Some conditions, like an allergic reaction, may only need a short course of prednisone. Long-term diseases may require longer treatment. For example, a flare of multiple sclerosis may require treatment for a month. In diseases that require long-term treatment, prednisone can be given as alternate day therapy (ADT).
In order for prednisone to have the desired effect on the body, it must be taken at certain regular intervals. DO NOT stop taking prednisone suddenly without consulting your healthcare provider. Prednisone is a drug that must be tapered down slowly over a number of days, and in some cases, even over weeks or months.
It is very important that you DO NOT miss any doses of prednisolone. If you are taking prednisolone ONCE a day and you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose is due within 12 hours, skip the dose.
There's no limit on how long you can take prednisone. It depends on the condition being treated and the dosage. It could be as short as 3 to 5 days or up to several months or even years.
Long-term use of prednisone may lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. It can cause changes in the distribution of body fat which together with fluid retention and weight gain may give your face a moon-like appearance. Stretch marks, skin thinning, and excessive facial hair growth are also not uncommon.
When a person stops taking prednisone or other steroids abruptly, they may notice symptoms similar to adrenal insufficiency. These include lethargy, low appetite, weight loss, and a general feeling of being unwell. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that doctors prescribe to treat swelling and inflammation.
The fear of using corticosteroids is so common that it has its own name: corticophobia. For topical steroids, this fear stems from well-known and severe adverse effects like Cushing syndrome and permanent skin atrophy.
Even if you have side effects from the medication, don't stop cold turkey or cut back the dose on your own if you've been on it more than a few weeks. You could go into steroid withdrawal, which can have severe symptoms. It's safer to taper off prednisone. Your doctor will gradually lower your dose.
This depends on your health problem or condition. You may only need a short course of prednisolone for up to 1 week. You may need to take it for longer, even for many years or the rest of your life.
Short-term treatment (7–14 days) with oral prednisone is used for many acute inflammatory and allergic conditions.
If you abruptly stop taking prednisone or taper off too quickly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, including: Severe fatigue. Weakness. Body aches.
“Chronic once-daily intake of these drugs is known to promote obesity. Here we show that dosing the same type of drug intermittently — in this case, once weekly — reverses this effect, promotes muscle metabolism and energy expenditure, and curtails the metabolic stress induced by a fat-rich diet.”
Prednisone has a tendency to raise the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, which can cause increased body fat or diabetes in some people. It is important to avoid "simple" carbohydrates and concentrated sweets, such as cakes, pies, cookies, jams, honey, chips, breads, candy and other highly processed foods.
To avoid withdrawal after long-term use, prednisone should be reduced gradually according to a schedule set by your healthcare provider. Don't try to stop or taper prednisone without your healthcare provider's knowledge or advice.
If you've only taken prednisone for 3 weeks or less, you might not have to taper. The doctor will let you know. If you've been on steroids for more than a year, it may take 2 months to taper off. Don't try to speed up the taper on your own.
Side effects associated with low dose (7.5 mg/day or less) daily prednisone are less severe than those seen with higher doses (greater than 30mg/day) and can usually be managed with precautions.
Prednisone generally works very quickly — usually within one to four days — if the prescribed dose is adequate to reduce your particular level of inflammation.
“Some say it's okay for an RA patient to take 5 mg of daily for years if need be, while others think prednisone is dangerous and want their patients off it completely,” Dr. Tiliakos says. “I'm of the school of thought that it's acceptable to take 5 mg for long periods of time, though it depends on the patient.”
Some side effects, such as stomach upset or mood changes, can happen straight away. Others, such as getting a rounder face, happen after weeks or months.
If you take things slowly and taper off the prednisone, your adrenal glands can catch up and start making normal cortisol levels. This could be just a few weeks before you're at a safe level, or it could be months. Tapering the steroids under the supervision of your doctor is the safest way to go.
Prednisone can cause weight gain by increasing water retention and appetite. You may also notice more fat in certain areas due to redistribution. Not everyone gains a lot of weight while taking prednisone, but most people gain some. The increases should stop once you're on a lower dosage or off the drug.
It takes approximately 16.5 to 22 hours for Prednisone to be out of your system. The elimination half life of prednisone is around 3 to 4 hours. This is the time it takes for your body to reduce the plasma levels by half. It usually takes around 5.5 x half-life for a drug to be completely eliminated from your system.
The most serious prednisone side effects usually include allergic reactions, infections, gastrointestinal issues and elevated blood sugar. These may occur when people take larger doses or take the medication for long-term treatment.
Compromised immune system
Turns out, prednisone's greatest asset is also its greatest weakness. The very action that makes prednisone so effective — its ability to mute the immune system and relieve symptoms — can also lead to an increased risk of illness and infection, since your body's defenses are low.
People taking prednisone can also experience higher blood sugar, which is a special concern for those with diabetes. Because prednisone suppresses the body's immune system, it can also increase the risk of infection.