I have a love and hate relationship with Prednison. Yes, there are side effects like gaining weight, mood swings with high doses, sweating +++ and there are some serious long term effects. So I don't want to stay on Prednison - BUT I think it was the thing that really got me out of a very severe flare I was struggling with for a year. I started first with several rounds starting at 30 mg and tapering off. I was relatively OK while on Prednison - but as soon as I stopped the problems came back worse than before. Last fall I was an inch from being hospitalized - the frequency was very high and the control decreasing - so teh doctors tried to put me on 60 mg and then tapering off. That was really what did the trick for me. Now I'm off Prednisone and feeling better than I have for more than a year. A bit heavier and some other issues I'm trying to fix, but none of the side effects are close to the problems I had last fall. It was hardly impossible to leave the house - unless I really took all kind of steps to avoid embarrasement (pads/diapers was not optional at some point..). The life I want to live with my family was very limited and difficult. So regardless of the negative side effects - I would jump on a new round of Prednison anytime if my previous condition should return.
I think the trick for me was really to go to the high doses. Then my system had time to relax - I think the first three rounds of Prednison started with a too low maximum dose - and then the problems returned quickly.
Good luck - I know all to well how desperate you can get after a 12 months flare...

I think that 5 days will not give you any side effects. The best news is that you will see a GI. GPs really don't know how to effectively treat IBD. Good luck!

ok, thanks for the positive feedback! I hope that the short term use will help trigger a remission and i won't need more. my dose is 50mg. I took my first dose last night and feel mildly nauseaus, but i can already feel some improvement. far fewer trips to the bathroom already to day. quitting my stressful job is likely helping a lot to lessen my symptoms.
Fraz, yes! i am so glad to have a referral, things got so messed up right after i was Dx cuz my GP went on medical leave, it was a surgeon that diagnosed me, so not taking GI patients, and i was left hanging until i got a new GP - and luckily my new doc is great, has been very supportive and understanding, and not hesitating to give me meds i need for other things too.
I can't wait to be able to go for a walk with my family! right now i can only take my daughter to playgrounds with bathroom facilities, just in case, and walks/bike rides/swimming are out of the question. She's 4, so doesn't really get it.
DS people are awesome!!! you all rock! :)

Prednisone can be a pain but usually the good outweighs the bad. For me, when I take it I usually experience some weight gain, sweats, and insomnia. Occasionally mood swings if I'm on it for too long.

I just wanted to point out one thing though, since you are newly diagnosed- Hopefully you won't have to go back on the Prednisone again, but my experience has been that I need to be on it for short periods once or twice a year- Anywayz, be aware that prolonged use of it will lead to osteoperosis. No one ever told me this was a potential danger, and then, after years and years of being on and off it, my new GI sent me for a bone density scan, because prolonged use of steroids [Prednisone] will eventually lead to osteoperosis. My test results were positive for osteoperosis in my left hip and lower spine. I am only 23 years old. So just be aware of that, and maybe do yourself a favor and start taking calcium supplements now, to help prevent it. I wish someone had told me sooner. I still would have needed the Prednisone, but I'd have done whatever I could to protect my bones.
Good luck!

I've had UC for 25 years, starting at age 26 and have had various levels of flares. My last one was in 2006, until three weeks ago when I ran to my GI and begged him for prednisone because I've found that short term use kicks me back into remission. He usually starts me out at 40 mg, but this time he cut it to 20 because my symptoms were just starting and pred makes me hyper, hungry, and too talkative (also, my house gets very clean when I'm on this because I feel like superwoman). He also told me to increase the dosage if I didn't see improvement. So far it's been three days and I'm seeing a little improvement and have a lot of energy. I'm reminding myself that it takes weeks, and sometimes months for me to get back to normal, so I'm hoping and praying to be weaned by the end of May. I'm also on colozal as a maintenance med and believe this is what helped me stay in remission for so long. When I think back to the horrific flares I had in my 20's when I was inexperienced with it and uneducated about it, I can't believe how far I've come. So there's always hope for those who are having a difficult time, and it is possible to feel normal again. Don't give up and don't be afraid to try new medicine. I started out on sulfasalazin, then became anemic after 6 years , then I switched to Asacol, but it wouldn't keep me in remission for more than a year, and now colozol is my drug of choice. Never give up on trying to control your UC!

I just started Pred for the first time a little over a week ago. I started at 40 mg for 7 days then 30 mg (currently) and I see my doc In a couple of days to discuss what's next. My gut feels a lot better but I'm not sleeping well, I'm having difficulty organizing my thoughts (more than usual, lol), having some mood swings and I CAN'T STOP EATING!!! Did I mention the jittery feeling and bloating? Ha! But I keep reminding myself that I would still be in the midst of a flare without the Pred, so I'm trying to count my blessings =) My family has been understanding so far, but my kids are probably wondering why I'm a little "off" lately. They're still little so "Mommy isn't feeling well" is about all they can grasp!
So how are you doing with the Pred? Are you still on it? Any side effects? Are you feeling better?

i was on for 5 days at 50mg, went off, and two weeks later was back on, cuz all my symptoms returned.
i am now on 40mg, long term, and have an appt with the GI (finally!) on sunday morning, so will be discussing some better options.
i have been dizzy, lightheaded, extremely moody and the headaches are off the charts. And, sadly, still have bleeding, etc. BUT my there is some improvement, and i have more energy - likely cuz the prednisone helps my asthma.
I haven't met this doc before, so it'll be interestng to see what he days. I'm counting down the days.
kinda wierd that i have an appointment on a sunday... it's his on call hours at the hospital, so i guess he fills his time with consults. its a pretty small hospital.

Good luck with your appointment. I was up and down all last year mostly tapering off from 30 mg. I had the same - the symptoms came back all the time. The cure for me was to get a the really high dose - 60 mg for two weeks... then tapering off. That cured the symptoms and relaxed my system - and from there on I have been fine. It is now almost 6 months :-) I hated the high dose, but it did the trick - I do two weeks with mood swings, headache and weight gain to severe UC symptoms anytime...

Before I was officially diagnosed with UC, I was at the peak of my flare. I was going to the bathroom 25 times a day, losing weight rapidly, and I couldn't even handle eating a slice of bread because it made me too nauseous. I went from 185 lbs. to 153 lbs. in one month. Finally, I had to do something, so my doctor referred me to a GI. My GI put me on 40mg of prednisone on a tapering schedule for 12 weeks. The day after I started the pred, I had a crazy appetite! I was like, "I WANT A RACK OF RIBS AND A POUND OF MASHED POTATOES!!!" Of course, I didn't eat that, but I could have :-) I started to gain weight and eventually got up to 165 lbs., which is healthy for me. I had energy, was going to the bathroom less, and generally felt better. However, there were side effects like insomnia and night sweats (my wife would try and snuggle with me, and she'd say I felt like I just hopped out of the shower and got into bed!!). But honestly, the prednisone worked more than anything I've tried. After I finished with the dosage, I opted not to go back on it not because of the short term side effects, but because of the long term ones. Osteoporosis, permanent hearing loss, depression, glaucoma, etc. I haven't been on it for a while, but I'm thinking of asking for a short term high dosage after my colonoscopy next month. So, I would shy away from prednisone, because it really works. But I also wouldn't advise long term usage if you can avoid it. Hope this helps!

Sorry, *wouldn't shy away from prednisone

Terrifico - My doc says you can use pred as an enema instead of having it affect your whole system with an oral dose, and it will work locally as well if you want to avoid the side effects of swallowing a pill. He gave me a short course of it to kick me into remission because the Asacol alone would not do it. Then Asacol as maintenance but I just started white oak and slippery elm at the advice of a friend. Going to see if I can go off all meds as I don't like them. Side effects etc. (pred=roaring insomnia and appetite, Asacol=jaw and eye socket pain and constipation, tiredness). Also have some clay here but don't know if I will try that....it's sitting here staring at me looking weird/risky. Need to read the SCD diet book I just got.

When I have been on the prenisone I suffer from three main side effects: Insomnia, "moon face"... which is (I believe) retained water in the face, and increased appetite.

I have only been on it a few times. I try my best not to take it if I can get away with it. I've read about some of the long term side effects, and I'm afraid of what they don't know either. However, I find that the prednisone (in my case) helps me get better faster. Despite the fact that I hate the side effects, it does work for me.

I hope that everything goes well with you!

Good luck! =)

-Rachel

I can tell you that a) if that is the oral pill, they'd BETTER have had you taper off it. That's dangerous even on such a short term. b) It felt like I was ten feet tall the first day I took it. The effects weren't so great in later uses, but it does the job. c) It's prolly gonna find a way to be painful. For me, it's my joints. They still ache like crazy over little things. d) The side effects multiply over time. The longer you're on it, the more stuff they have to test you for. Bone density, joint issues, cataracts in your eyes, liver function, et cetera. Not always fun.

Now, I have to say it's the only "wonder pill" I ever took. I have Percocet on tap if I decide I want it, and that did not help as much as the steroids did when I tried it. It does the job, but it's bad company long-term.

I was put on prednisone during the middle of a severe flare. I'd lost 30lbs in 3 months and could not keep anything down and could barely drink water. I was severely dehydrated and anemic from the blood loss.

The prednisone definitely help but the side effects were no joke. My eyes felt like they were gonna pop out of my head because of the pressure. My vision was so blurred that I couldn't drive after sunset. The heartburn was awful. Felt like my chest & throat were on fire. Of course I had the weight gain and the moon face. I looked like one of the Campbell soup kids...lol..It gave me a lot of energy but calmed my mood.

My advice would be take it but not long term, if possible. It's not a good drug to be on for an extended period of time.

Funny you posted this today. I started predisone 2 weeks ago at 60mg. I'm starting to reduce now. If any of you have had a simliar experience let me know. Until I joined this support group I didn't have contact with other patients. Here is how it went for me:

Today was the best day ever! After being very ill for a very long time. I was in and out of the hospital with acute attacks, and with all the typical GI and RA nighmare symptoms etc.... Even taking clear liquids was bothering me. I was not well enough to leave my house and just something like getting a glass of water was a big deal.

After 2 weeks of Predisone: Started feeling better slowly and then a day or two ago WOW. Today was really the BEST DAY since I don't remember when. I picked my daughter up at college today. I ate at a restuarant and it was incredible. A meal with no pain that actually tasted like the best meal I have ever had. My pain was not even worth mentioning. I had a hamburger! I used the bathroom once today! The party is just about over but it was for fun today to feel normal. My Rheumtiod is better, no stomach ache, no vomiting, no migraine and only one small skin leisions left.

Downside and what my doctors tells me. It's a tease because I can't stay on them for any length of time. My doctor will only use them for serious flarups that are not responding. He has alot of Crohn's patients and steriods are high risk and cause damage the longer the course but short course is ok for most people.

My short term side effects are: I can't sleep, a little manic on the upside of the spectrum, and I can't stop talking. Maybe I just I'm just relieved that I feel better but I'm not a swinging high and low person (very even personality) so I think the predisone is causing it.

This course has interrupted the disease process quite well for me. A few other times I took them and it did pull me out of a bad flareup but not to the point of feeling this good. This has happened maybe 2 or 3 times in 12+ years with Predisone. The last 2 times I had did well for maybe 3 or 4 weeks which sounds like nothing but it was a big deal to me.