Antigone: On the Evils of Prednisone
Actually, on the evils of corticosteroids.
My first encounter with steroids was post surgical, last summer. The second was just these past four weeks or so. They have a deserved reputation for affecting mood, and for appetite enhancement.
The mood swings for me are the worst. I have been nearly suicidal, I’ve been manic, I’ve been angry and aggressive, I’ve been prone to cry at the least reason, I’ve been unreasonable and monomaniacal. That whole business about the water glasses only happened because I was taking prednisone. Please, please, please don’t think I that I really care all that much what I drink my tap water out of most days.
I hadn’t fully appreciated that it was the prednisone doing this to me last summer, since I could have expected the same emotional reactions simply from having such a major surgery. But the way I felt last summer is the way I feel now. It’s just that I have more energy to express my mania now.
I think the aggression part is the scariest to me. I do not go around kicking puppies and stray children. But when I kicked that door last week, it was because I fully, for about three seconds, wanted to see the door break. That’s what prednisone does to you.
Appetite might be secondary, but it’s also a major change. This didn’t affect me at all last summer, and my guess is that having a new liver killed my appetite more than the prednisone could jump start things again. But now … now I wake up at two in the morning with tummy grumbles. Now I finish two helpings worth of meat and then look for cookies to eat. Now my stomach grumbles when the cookies run out.
I’ve gained nearly two pounds a week on the steroids, because they increase your appetite while decreasing your metabolism. Your body wants to put on weight with these things, both fat and muscle. That’s why body builders abuse them. The really do encourage your body to bulk up with appropriate exercise. With the bum neck though, I’m not exercising, just bulking.
A short course of low dose shouldn’t hit you much, if at all, but they hit me with a large dose at first to try and control all the swelling that was happening at the nerve root. It worked too; I was almost totally out of pain two days after I started the pred. But I’m glad to be ending it now.
a nice gesture. we’ve got a bunch at the front desk. they’re very cheery.
There is nothing quite like the "too bright" light outside when it’s snowy and sunny.
It’s a light I could live without. Every flaw in every thing is exposed by that ruthless beam.
And it makes everything go red when you come inside from poor older eyes trying desparatly to adjust to darker tones.
I prefer my snow with dark gray brooding skies…
thank you very much.
The world needs more latin scholars! It’s too bad that very distinguished tourist didn’t get it. Latin scholars are a dying breed. I don’t really remember much from my university days, but I remember enough to impress some people.
I love daffodils, I think I’m going to have to go out and buy some now. I think they will look quite lovely against the blue of my living room.
I hope the flowers keep your mind off the snow, just be glad you don’t live out here in the middle of the prairies where we still have 3 feet of snow. ugh.
That was sweet of you to share your daffs with The Minion’s wife. You truly are a nice lady even if you do wear respirators to scare away BigWig visitors *laffs*
Awww… how nice of you to give the Minion daffodils for his wife!
I bet yours look beautiful in that blue vase! I’ve been eyeing the daffodils in my neighbor’s yard all week.
VMD, DVM, a rose is a rose, ya know? 😉
You’re too cute! you know that?*
🙂
*hugs*
Note taken, and entry updated. :o)
Okay, I’ve had Prednisone before and didn’t notice any side effects, so I’m dying to know what it did to you! Whatever it was, I’m glad your course of it is over and mine has begun!
Grrrrrrrrrr, corticosteriods!
I remembered my mother taking Prednisone for 34 years and now, she is not taking ’em anymore.
I know what you are talking about it. :o)
Hugs, AO
Cats, VIPs, VMD versus DVM, facemasks, corned beef & cabbage (:S the condiment would be essential in my humble opinion), snow, prednisone, daffodils, latin, & minion’s wife… & much more… This was an interesting read!
aww bless you at the daffodils thing. thats really sweet, even if it wsa just to shut some bloke up.
lol colour u green? well if u insist…
yes i no the stupid damn dwarves…i mite hire sum new ‘uns.
ccf is army cadets. its compulsory to do it in my skool but its crap. no1 in my year has passed our guns test so strictly we arent allowed to handle any weapons but wer always shooting blanks and that its crazy. most of us havnt even taken it. no1 passed their map and compass test either and weve taken it about 3 times lol. it all sounds fun but its really really not lol.
i havnt really heard that much of norah jones. i no the kind of music, my friends really into that sort of stuff tho. dunno if u have heard of katie mellea (cant spell it) but i think shes q similar…anyway i will listen to it soon but i love my maroon 5 album too much rite now lol
Ho wlong wil you have to be on the steroids?
yeah closest thing to crazy. i think shes like norah jones but i could be talking crap…
each to their own with music. how boringly pants wud it b if every1 liked the same stuff?
oo u rebel not working at work!
Wow. You really did have problems with the Prednisone! See, the thing is, I wasn’t kidding with what I said to the Pharmacist! I really AM already like that! LOL! That’s why I work so hard to meditate, to stay calm, to release those feelings in my writing rather than on unsuspecting people or doors, lol. I spent 3 years on heavy doses of Cortisone and gained all the weight, looked like a blimp, etc. I didn’t have mood swings from it, but at the time I was very, very sick, so I wouldn’t have been feeling enough energy to have that sort of reaction I don’t think. Anyway, I’m only taking 40mg/day for 5 days this time, so no worries about gaining weight (besides, it wouldn’t hurt me if I did, and whenever I do gain weight on meds, I lose it quickly, as soon as the meds are out of my system). Maybe being on corticorsteroids so long made me somewhat immune to the side effects these days, as the last time I did a 5 day treatment of Prednisone for my ears I didn’t notice any side effects at all. Sorry you had such a hard time with them, but at least it worked and it’s over now.
Sorry to write a book in your comment section, but since you had my name in the title of the entry I figured I was entitled to ramble. 😉
My boyfriend had to be on pred twice over the summer for poison ivy. He had been taking care of his boss’s farm, and there was poison ivy all around a tree they had to cut down. He took care of it once, it went away, and he went to work on the farm again. He got it again, and the doctors told him he probably should stop doing the extra work on the farm because being on pred too long will have some ill effects. So, he had to stop (and he hates stopping a job unfinished) but his friends finished it out for him.
I have never had corned beef. Just felt like I should clutter your comment box with that information. 🙂
Your tour sounded very interesting! I’m sure your VDT thought so too!
~QE
One of the vets I teched for was a VDM from Pa.
I have taken pred for poison oak too. One doctor warned me about taking them. I told him I was miserable enough that I didn’t care about side effects. Of course we are taking about very short term usage.
Keep your snow on that end! I’m looking at blue skies and lovin’ it.
Day 3 of Pred for me and no side effects to speak of. Sorry you couldn’t say the same and are having to bear the pain in that shoulder again instead. How long will this take to go away with just exercise and babying?