How Long Can You Take Prednisone Safely?

[@mikem8246]

Thank-you for educating people about the effects of long term prednisone use. I just wish to add that It is a difficult risk calculation with regard to PMR. After you go down the road of long term prednisone use, it gets harder and harder to reverse course. I had 20 years of experience with high dose / short term prednisone use before PMR was diagnosed. Anywhere from 60 -100 mg of prednisone was prescribed for the treatment of uveitis which was associated with a type of inflammatory arthritis. That risk calculation was easy to make because uveitis can cause vision loss and inflammatory arthritis was very painful. I was always able to achieve remission and taper off prednisone within a month or two. Side effects from prednisone were minimal except for cataracts which may have been caused by uveitis. Unfortunately, remission would only last about a year before I had to repeat the prednisone burst and taper off again. When PMR was diagnosed in addition to uveitis and inflammatory arthritis, I needed prednisone "long term" for 12 years before I was able to get off prednisone again. It took me a long time before I realized treatment with prednisone to treat PMR was self perpetuating. There wasn't much I could do except to try to taper off prednisone slowly and increase my dose for PMR flares. Symptoms of steroid withdrawal can mimic PMR pain so it is difficult to know if PMR was still active. Stopping prednisone when adrenal insufficiency became a problem might have been life threatening. Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency can mimic PMR symptoms too. The net result was a catch-22. The treatment begins to cause the problem which I believe happened to me. The risk of side effects from long term prednisone use increased the longer I took prednisone. I had PMR for more than 12 years and never could taper off prednisone until my treatment was changed from prednisone to treatment with a biologic that allowed me to get off prednisone.

[@PrednisonePharmacist]

That’s amazing you were able to finally get off! That’s for sure it’s a catch-22! May I have your permission to share your comment on my website?

[@mikem8246]

Yes you can use my comments on your website. I'm not sure how well my comments will be received by people who use prednisone for PMR. Many PMR sufferers say prednisone is a miracle in the early stages of PMR. It gives you your life back as many would say. However, over time, I think the law of diminishing returns starts to happen. Not only do side effects happen but you need to "increase your dose" frequently for flares. During more stressful days, PMR flares are likely to happen and you might need to increase your dose. When you are sick with an infection or need surgery you may need more prednisone "just in case" an adrenal crisis may occur. I think people build up a tolerance for taking prednisone. However, you can't tolerate lower doses of prednisone very well. There needs to be a better treatment option for PMR besides long term prednisone. For a year or two prednisone might be okay. My overall opinion is that prednisone gives your life back in the beginning of PMR. The miracle happens when you are able to taper off prednisone. That is what the biologic allowed me to do. I have been off prednisone for nearly 3 years and I feel much better. I have also stopped 5 other medications that were being used to treat prednisone side effects.@@PrednisonePharmacist

[@kofwsi]

Hello! In general, I agree with you. I have primary adrenal insufficiency. I was diagnosed 2 years ago. The first year my doctor prescribed me 25 mg hydrocortisone daily and he said me that I should have divided it in 3 doses during the day. In this period, i was great. However, the last year some initial symptoms of adrenal insufficiency started again. When I did the necessary lab tests again, he finally prescribed me 2,5 mg prednisolone with 10 mg of hydrocortisone. Nowadays, I take the same dose and last week I did the same lab tests. The results was great. My adrenal suppression isn't progressed. My endocrinologist said that this medication was very fine with me. Personally, I feel fine. The main advantage is that I don't feel so weak all the time. Of course, the initial adrenal insufficiency symptoms have gone away. All in all, I think that low doses of Prednisolone long term might be very beneficial for some people or for the people who need it. Thanks!

[@notme8099]

hi Dr. Megan its Daniel in Savannah Ga starting my Zone today I just got it! thanks

[@nomebear]

I needed the content of this video, thank you! With PMR I understand that it often goes away after two years. Reducing the initial dose to 5 mg from 15 mg has been without issues. However, I'm having trouble lowering the dosage to a lower dose without backsliding into painful symptoms.

[@AmeliaW-r7v]

Well, watching my hives and inflammation dissolve every day until it all disappeared was definitely appeasing, I went with what I mentioned and after 20 days my urticaria disappeared. I just go'ogled the latest by Shane Zormander and now my skin is as smooth and healthy as it has ever been!

[@eddymumford4086]

my ER doctor gave me this for a EAR infection.. i don't think it worth all this dangerous risks

[@Spookwithme]

Hi, i have CVS in my legs, I'm on a 6 day tapering course, i have a leg procedure next week, should i tell the doctor??? They will be doing VenaSeal

[@PrednisonePharmacist]

It's always safe to discuss your medical condition with your doctor.

[@parzival8331]

So how about for 36 days? Because i took it because my doctor told me to just because a little inflammation and didn't tell me all of this.

[@PrednisonePharmacist]

Check out the full article of this video about "How Long Can You Take Prednisone Safely?" Read & watch here: prednisonepharmacist.com/education/how-long-can-you-take-prednisone-safely/

[@Trust788]

Ok so I will just deal with the pain and keep walking funny

[@VegAngel.]

Caffeine is worst than prednisone in long term. 400 mg of caffeine increases blood cortisol levels by 30% to 60% in one hour. Cortisol can remain elevated for up to 18 hours in the blood. If you use 5mg of prednisone or less per day exactly 4:00 a.m when the body naturally produces the peak for you wake up without Joint stiffness like a child the side effects are weaker than who drinks a lot of coffee. Natural cortisol is weaker than prednisone but when multiplied by 12 hours that is the time caffeine remains in our body it has a more destructive power. 5 mg of prednisone is equivalent to 20 mg of natural cortisol, so as the body produces naturally 10 mg cortisol per day if you drink coffee it can become much stronger than 20mg since it increases 60% "per hour" and caffeine takes 12 hours to be totally eliminated. I'm not defending prednisone use but who produces low cortisol during sleep awakening always with joint stiffness and don't take prednisone but drinks coffee will have a worst side effect in the future. So choose medicine or your morning joe but never both of them ;)

[@ollie2034]

I don’t agree. I know someone who was on prednisone long term and the side effect were terrible. You can not compare it to coffee. I understand if people need prednisone but you can’t fool yourself into thinking that it no worse than coffee

[@VegAngel.]

@@ollie2034 Coffee is not the issue, cortisol is. Coffee is a cortisol stimulant. If the amount of cortisol generated by caffeine is greater than the synthetic version like prednisone, the effect on the body is worse. It's like the mechanism that cocaine stimulates dopamine, caffeine does the same with cortisol.