Official answer. Prednisone does not usually cause sleepiness but may make you feel dizzy, irritable with mood swings, or cause you to have trouble sleeping (insomnia). If your dose is stopped too quickly or if you take prednisone for a long period of time you may feel severely fatigued.
This is because it affects the hormones that help you feel energized (cortisol) and sleepy (melatonin). So it's common for people to report difficulty sleeping while they're taking prednisone. This is more likely when someone has to take several doses of medication throughout the day — including one at night.
Serious side effects
sleepy or confused, feeling very thirsty or hungry, peeing more often, flushing, breathing quickly or breath that smells like fruit – these can be signs of high blood sugar.
“It doesn't really interrupt sleep, but some patients find it keeps them awake when they don't want to be,” Dr. Ford says. What you can do: “If it's possible, we recommend you take your whole dose in the morning,” he recommends.
When people first decrease the prednisone dose, it is common to feel achy or fatigued. 2 These symptoms usually get better within two to seven days. If withdrawal symptoms continue beyond a week, talk to your healthcare provider.
A 5-day course of prednisone can cause short-term side effects, including changes in mood, appetite, sleep, and energy. The severity of the side effects depends on the dose of prednisone. Low doses are less likely to cause adverse effects than high doses of prednisone.
Yes. Prednisone is one of several medications known to cause weight gain. This is usually more likely to happen with long-term use or higher doses.
Most commonly, they can make you feel more active, or even euphoric. If you end up taking your steroid dose later in the day, they can keep you awake at night and impact your sleep/wake cycle. Steroids can also cause confusion, especially in older patients and when given in high doses for long periods.
Anabolic steroids can be used as performance-enhancing drugs that increase muscle mass and decrease fat, as well as causing many undesirable effects. Some people take them regularly to improve their physical performance and build up their bodies.
You could expect a dose of prednisone to stay in your system for 16.5 to 22 hours. 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 half lives for a drug to be completely eliminated from your system.
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.
Some people who take steroids say the drugs make them feel powerful and energetic. However, steroids are also known to increase irritability, anxiety and aggression and cause mood swings, manic symptoms and paranoia, particularly when taken in high doses.
Prednisone oral tablet doesn't cause drowsiness but can cause other side effects.
If a person experiences insomnia while taking prednisone, taking the medication in the morning may help minimize the disruption to the sleep-wake cycle. Alternatively, a doctor may suggest splitting the dose between morning and night.
Prednisone affects areas of the brain that manage the regulation of different neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine — the “feel-good” hormones. Feeling happy is a great side effect some people feel with prednisone.
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 people notice the effects of prednisone hours after taking the first dose.
Fluid retention can cause weight gain but as steroids are reduced, fluids will usually reduce as well, along with some of the weight gain. Drinking plenty of water and exercising can help with fluid retention.
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.
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.
Official answer. There is no set limit on how long you can safely take prednisone.
Steroid flare can last for up to a week. If you do experience a steroid flare, we would advise that you rest for a longer period of time until the pain subsides. It is not possible to predict who will get a steroid flare following a steroid injection prior to the injection.