Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

I have been on 20 mg of prednisone since the end of June and can't wait to get off the stuff! It DOES make us moody. I always warn my husband "I'm about to have a hulk moment." I can feel myself getting angrier by the second and it can be over something as silly as getting the wrong jar out of the pantry! I become frustrated quicker and I have been able to contain it better since I have had to deal with the mood swings for so long. What I suggest is removing yourself from whatever is making you get mad. I take showers, walk out of the room, or take a drive. Just get away from it! We have enough stress with doctor's appointments and discomfort and pain in our joints, we don't need to be upset over spilled milk : )

YES YES YES Prednisone makes one moody, I was on and off it for 14 years and now that I am completely weaned off it (took 2 years) I feel like a different person. Course I have to put up with the RA pain. I also suffered significant organ damage from prolonged use. My rheumy thinks I still take 2 mg every other day but once I got off it, I,m off it for good!

It caused mood swings, paranoia, agitation and a whole lot of other nonsense. sissue

My husband has been on prednisone for about a week now, and it's gonna' be for only a week. He had hives. It' helped for the 1st couple of days and now it's not helping. I'm glad he's done with it, he's usually moody, on prednisone...whoa! Giant Grump! LOL I can laugh now...he's a work! I've never taken prednisone and am a bit afraid of taking it because of it's many, many side effects. I'm on MXT...yuck :p...but I think it's helping. I hope it is...sigh...
When my daughter was young she was on prednisone for asthma. I can't really remember if it made her grumpy, she was very babied while she was hospitalized, by all of us, so maybe that's why it was hard to tell. I've also heard it's suppose to have a side effect of increasing your appetite...I never noticed that with my daughter, either, and I don't think my hubby has been hungrier... That' all I got on the prednisone thing...ph yeah, besides my mom took it. But not for yrs and yrs, just for bad RA flare ups when she was hospitalized...didn't notice her being any more grumpier than usual, but she was always on a lot of pain killers...may she rest in peace >

I suspect your moodiness is more your fatigue and pain than the prednisone. Prednisone makes me edgy, full of energy, in fact I ay it makes me react the the energizer bunny on crack. But not 5mg of prednisone. I am talking in excess of 20mg a day. 5 mg. is a very beign amount and it is not likely that is making you moody, but it may contribute to it especially if you are not getting enough reest. You have to try and relax and breathe deeply and just rest when the pain is at its highs.

i wouldnt know...i have to take paxil everyday to control the moodiness from my endo meds....it sucks having to take one med to counteract the side effects of another. but whatever gets thru the pain. hope all goes well for you! :)

oh and i am on the prednisone, too...forgot to mention that.

I am back on prednisone again...It does make me moody and makes it hard for me to sleep sometimes...I don't like prednisone but it does work for for me...Irene

I agree with Marcia that Prednisone probably is not the cause of up and down moods for any of us. At the height of my flare, when I was on 24 mg of Prednisone, I was in a "high" as if I drank fifty cups of coffee. It was scary and I was delighted to reduce the amount to a more reasonable dose that still did the job (of eliminating all pain) for me. These days, I am on a much lower does (of 4 mg per day) and my moods seem to be more a result of who I am with and what I am doing than the Prednisone. I agree with Marcia that having pain or fearing an increase in pain and being tired because of lack of sleep or lack of rest is more than enough to make one grumpy even without any Prednisone. So, these days, sleep and rest and lots of exercise and prayer and meditation are my cure for low mood. Me

I am on exactly the same meds - and having had various other treatment it is without doubt the prednisone that keeps me going. Although i hate having to take it i am getting better at knowing how much it helps my RA. I find that it makes me moody when i change the dose or if i forget one or have it at a different time from usual. This is the first time i have alternated with doses of 10mg one day and 15mg next and i have to be VERY careful that i am consistent with my timings. Good luck - and dont get disheartened

Prednisone made my aunt CRAZY!! really crazy. she has said and done some nasty things to a lot of our family. i will never take prednisone.

but to prednisone's defense...my aunt also has an anxiety disorder..so shes already not stable...

i've learned through my psych classes that steriods can seriously affect the mind. so just be careful...and try to stay rational.