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.
Steroids are commonly used for fatigue relief in terminally ill cancer patients. However, steroid-induced adverse effects including depression, myopathy, and hyperglycemia may contribute to fatigue. We report our experiences with aggravation of fatigue with steroid use in three cases.
It's normal to feel some mild symptoms for about a week or two as you taper off prednisone. Don't take any OTC pain medicine or prescription drugs without asking your doctor first.
Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn, trouble sleeping, increased sweating, or acne may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
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.
Side effects of corticosteroids taken by mouth
A buildup of fluid, causing swelling in your lower legs. High blood pressure. Problems with mood swings, memory, behavior, and other psychological effects, such as confusion or delirium. Upset stomach.
Prednisone has many side effects. You're more likely to experience these side effects with higher doses and longer courses of treatment. Common short-term side effects include changes in appetite, mood, energy, and sleep. Long-term prednisone treatment can lead to weight gain, osteoporosis, and cataracts.
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.
What is prednisone? Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory steroid and jack-of-all-trades that is prescribed to treat conditions such as: Poison ivy. Sore throat.
Prednisone can cause an increase in energy. You may also develop insomnia, or difficulty sleeping. Taking the medication in the morning may help to prevent this.
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.
Prednisone directly causes atrophy of muscle fibers (myopathy) leading to muscle weakness. This is a very common side effect of chronic (a few months or more) prednisone use but can be either mild or severe. Patients usually notice weakness most in the upper legs.
There is no set limit on how long you can safely take prednisone. It depends on the dose of prednisone and the condition being treated. It may be prescribed short term or long term. The dosage will be adjusted or stopped based on your response or lack of response to the medication.
Prednisone is a steroid medication that can cause side effects. One common side effect is insomnia. People taking this medication may have difficulty falling asleep, awake during the night, or sleep less overall.
Mood changes
You might feel more anxious and emotional than usual when you take steroids. You may also feel tired and sad for a while after you stop taking them. Up to 6 out of 100 people (6%) experience serious mental health problems when they take steroids.
Prednisone usually works very quickly, within a few hours to days of taking the first dose depending on the condition you are treating. If the prescribed dose of prednisone is effective at reducing your inflammation, then you may notice an effect within hours.
What Does Prednisone Do? Prednisone, like other corticosteroids, quickly lowers inflammation, which cuts down on pain, redness, and swelling. It also dials down your immune system. Under normal conditions, this system protects you against things like viruses and bacteria that cause infections and diseases.
Prednisone is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood disorders, breathing problems, severe allergies, skin diseases, cancer, eye problems, and immune system disorders. Prednisone belongs to a class of drugs known as corticosteroids.
Research shows that mild to moderate reactions, like anxiety, occur in about about 28 percent of people who use corticosteroids, like prednisone. In another study, 11.3 percent of participants experienced anxiety or depression while on a glucocorticoid.
Topical steroids
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.
“Most patients benefit from short-term prednisone treatment, while others require low-dose maintenance therapy with medical supervision and routine lab work,” Tomaka said. “Depending on the condition treated, the benefit of using prednisone may outweigh the risks.”
Prednisone Increases Your Risk of Infection
Infections are more common in people taking prednisone because it suppresses your immune system. This makes it harder for your body to fight off infection.
Official answer. If you are taking Prednisone just once a day, take it in the morning with breakfast. The morning is best as it mimics the timing of your body's own production of cortisone. Taking your dose of prednisone too late in the evening may cause difficulty sleeping.