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.
This medicine may cause changes in mood or behavior for some patients. Tell your doctor right away if you have depression, mood swings, a false or unusual sense of well-being, trouble with sleeping, or personality changes while taking this medicine.
Symptom measures returned to baseline levels an average of 10 days after stopping prednisone therapy, except for depression scores, which were lower (suggesting improved mood). Demographic factors were not correlated with changes in mood during therapy, except men showed increased depression compared with women.
The most frequently identified symptoms include agitation, anxiety, distractibility, fear, hypomania, indifference, insomnia, irritability, lethargy, labile mood, pressured speech, restlessness, and tearfulness.
You may notice mood changes and mental health problems while taking prednisolone. Talk to your doctor or contact 111 if you have any mood changes including: feeling depressed. feeling high, or moods that go up and down.
Prednisone and Mood Swings
In other words, a person receiving prednisone may find themselves feeling incredibly sad or mad and have absolutely no idea why. Prednisone has been associated with more serious problems such as psychotic disorders, delusions, and dementia.
You can reduce the risk of certain side effects like insomnia by taking the drug earlier in the day. Other side effects like weight gain, mood swings, and osteoporosis may be reduced with lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, and improved sleep habits.
But too few patients are warned about the psychological side effects of prednisone, and patients can be surprised and confused. Prednisone affects areas of the brain that manage the regulation of different neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine — the “feel-good” hormones.
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.
Anabolic steroids can cause severe, long-lasting, and in some cases, irreversible damage. They can lead to early heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure, and psychiatric problems. In addition, stopping steroid use can cause depression, often leading to resumption of use.
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.
Excessive amounts of corticosteroids can lead to mood fluctuations and depression. Norepinephrine regulates emotions, alertness, sleeping, and dreaming. An excessive amount of norepinephrine can lead to overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, causing an increase in heart rate and BP, trembling, and anxiety.
Withdrawal Timeline
Symptoms start faintly and may include irritability, headache and nausea. Once withdrawal symptoms start ramping up, former steroid users experience decreased energy and alertness. Psychological symptoms like depression and anxiety also start getting worse during this time.
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.
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.
Prednisolone is a powerful steroid drug that can effectively treat acute exacerbations of many serious illnesses, including a wide range of inflammatory conditions and autoimmune disorders.
Psychological withdrawal symptoms could last for 2 to 8 weeks. The doctor may give you blood tests to check your cortisol levels as you taper off prednisone. You may need to taper off more slowly or go back to your regular dose if you have severe symptoms.
Using chronotherapy, a technique involving scheduling dosages at certain times to minimize side effects of a medication, may help lessen anxiety resulting from prednisone use. It's important to never abruptly stop taking prednisone or to drastically change your dosage schedule.
Use strategies (such as meditation) to cope with and reduce stress. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheeses. Be active — shoot for exercise most days of the week. Get adequate rest (ideally seven to nine hours each night).
There's no official definition. But over 30 days is generally considered long-term steroid use. Most often, oral corticosteroids are prescribed for roughly 1 to 2 weeks — and only for very severe symptoms. But for certain chronic health conditions, corticosteroids may be necessary for months or even years.
Steroid use can cause anxiety, depression, paranoia and psychosis in those people who have a vulnerability to mental health problems. Drug use can lead to social and emotional problems and affect a person's relationship with family and friends.
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.