Anyone been on a 5 day course of Prednisone?

sizzle74
sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
edited November 12 in Chit-Chat
Can you give me the skinny? Side effects? Ok to drink on it? (I will take the last dose on Saturday and have plans including drinking that night) TIA for any advise/support. I am not happy about this. :(

Replies

  • Kpablo
    Kpablo Posts: 355 Member
    I wouldn't drink with it.

    Take it in the morning or you might get jidders while trying to sleep. But other than that, nothing happened. :D
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    Thank you! I am still debating taking it or waiting it out. It's for hives, but they seem to be getting a bit better.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I was on Prednisone a couple of years ago for about a month or so while recovering from a nasty injury...I don't really recall much in the way of side effects other than feeling a bit jittery (always took mine in the morning). It's pretty hard on the liver so I wouldn't recommend drinking.

    Those must be some nasty hives to have been prescribed a powerful steroid...I usually just take some benadryl and call it a day when I have a reaction to something that results in hives.
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    Ya it's not that bad of a case other than they are pustular urticaria caused by stress. There are only about 6 of them but they aren't healing and are red and inflamed even on tons of antihistimines. So sexy, right? I will only be on a 5 day course. :)
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    It makes you very hungry and edgy. If it's getting better, i would hold off..
  • Gizziemoto
    Gizziemoto Posts: 430 Member
    My husband takes it occassionaly. Everyone reacts differently so I recommend making sure you read the side effects but do not get freaked out by them. It has not effect on him at all and he takes 80mg sometimes.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Ugh Prednisone was the worst thing I've ever taken. My body didn't like it. It made me extremely moody, starving all the time, gained water weight, hot flashes, etc. Thank god I was on it for less than a week haha.

    Dunno about drinking with it but personally if it was me, and I was going to drink after I took the last dose, I wouldn't worry about it. I like to live life on the edge though :wink:
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
    Prednisone is a wonderful drug in that it does the job it's designed to do. However, there can be some very unpleasant side effects associated with it. Seems the most noticeable and common are insomnia and increased appetite. A 5 day course is very short but even on that I would see side effects when I take it. The golden rule with Prednisone used to be to decrease the dosage slowly (very slowly) over a period of a couple of weeks. That thinking seems to have changed and based on my experience with that drug (I've taken extremely high doses at times in the past, some lasting longer than others) I question the wisdom of the shorter period dosing. A lot of folks I've talked to (myself included) experience 'withdrawal' symptoms when stopping too abruptly.

    I generally now refuse to take it if I can possibly get away with it. Sometimes I have no choice (given that I like to breathe LOL) but I hate the stuff.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    It *is* a steroid, so it stands to reason that it will have an effect on mood/appetite/etc. I've had to take it for bad bronchitis in the past (I have asthma) and I know my daughter has had it at least twice for a horrid case of poison ivy. I think my son may have taken it, either for asthma or poison ivy (they both have severe reactions to that allergen). It's not really all that uncommon to only take a 5 day course for an allergic-type reaction. If you're planning to drink on the last day of the course of it... If it were me, I wouldn't be all that concerned. I can't tell you what to do, and I'm not a doctor or medical professional. lol But, in that situation, I would probably take the meds for the 5 days and continue with my planned activity on that 5th day. But that's me.
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    I really appreciate all of these replies :)
  • theCarlton
    theCarlton Posts: 1,344 Member
    Yes, and by the end of it I was Hulk-busting through all my shirts.


    Just kiddin' my allergic reaction went away, and I was the most euphoric I'd been in a long time. I didn't feel extremely hungry, and I don't recall any weight-gain.
  • LauraRose03
    LauraRose03 Posts: 140
    Yep, I've taken it a few times. No side effects that I can recall, no jitters, no insatiable appetit. And yes, I drank on it! lol, I didn't know you weren't supposed to. But in my case, it was only maybe 1 beer a night, no more than that.
  • jendarlin
    jendarlin Posts: 184 Member
    5 days should not be too bad, probably won't notice much if any side affects. I was on it for a course of a month two times. I did not have any problems with weight loss or any gain, but did have the red poofy face, (moon face) yuck!
  • darrellhenderson
    darrellhenderson Posts: 21
    I just finished a 5 day course of it on this past Saturday. I had severe allergies that OTC antihistimines were not helping at all. My eyes were so swelled that they had cracked open across the lids. It worked like a charm and the only side effect I noticed was that it made me a bit jittery. I don't like taking steroids but, in this case, it was the best option. Good luck!
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    Yes, and by the end of it I was Hulk-busting through all my shirts.


    Just kiddin' my allergic reaction went away, and I was the most euphoric I'd been in a long time. I didn't feel extremely hungry, and I don't recall any weight-gain.

    :drinker: :flowerforyou: :happy:
  • chileheadmike
    chileheadmike Posts: 78 Member
    I've done it several times. I just get super hungry. No other real side effects.
  • Rambo529
    Rambo529 Posts: 170 Member
    I wouldn't suggest it. When I was on them that was in large print to not drink while taking the Prednisone.

    I didn't get the weight gain, but I discovered when on the Prednisone that I'm allergic to steroids, so my experience was really bad. I got extremely moody, including depressed, and had excessive pain in the area it was supposed to be helping, not to mention I felt hot all over. I did finish it, but told my doc to never give me that again.
  • peggysue218
    peggysue218 Posts: 126 Member
    You'll be ravenous, moody (mean), have increased energy, and have trouble sleeping. Absolutely no drinking while on prednisone. It really isn't safe. I'm in medical school and I hear doctors telling patients this info regularly. It's only 5 days! You can do it.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
    Yes just about 2 months ago. It was a tapered dose (I assume that's what you mean) starting with 5 pills on the first day.

    Within 24 hours I was extremely jittery, couldn't sleep for almost the entire time I took it. I had crazy energy which I tried to channel into workouts. Had extreme mood swings. And it definitely made me ravenously hungry. I am very sensitive to substances anyway (I get drunk faster than anyone believes should be possible hah!)plus some mental health issues so it was a rough 5 days and for a couple days after.
  • cosmic8o8
    cosmic8o8 Posts: 131 Member
    I managed to complete 4 days of prednisone before I ended up in the emergency room for hypokalemia. I was taking the prednisone for hives as well. Just make sure to keep your electrolytes up as this steroid is harsh on your body.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
    You'll be ravenous, moody (mean), have increased energy, and have trouble sleeping. Absolutely no drinking while on prednisone. It really isn't safe. I'm in medical school and I hear doctors telling patients this info regularly. It's only 5 days! You can do it.

    One MAY experience all or none of those symptoms. Not WILL. No drug affects everyone the same. I don't recall having increased energy. I do recall the false euphoria at times and the moodiness at other times. There were times when my husband commented that I become a different person when taking it. But that is typically when taking it longer term and not the shorter bursts. The one symptom I routinely experience and which seems to hit me right away is the insomnia. It's maddening.
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    I'm having a love hate with this thread LOL! I have been off all alcohol for 5 days now and it will be a week come Saturday. We have plans to go visit friends on Saturday and we will be drinking. I may just take the first couple doses and see what happens. I already suffer from insomnia. I'm in the medical field and am aware I am being a horrible patient right now. :) The hives at this point really are mainly an eye sore. But I fear they do need the internal help to heal.
  • peggysue218
    peggysue218 Posts: 126 Member
    You'll be ravenous, moody (mean), have increased energy, and have trouble sleeping. Absolutely no drinking while on prednisone. It really isn't safe. I'm in medical school and I hear doctors telling patients this info regularly. It's only 5 days! You can do it.

    One MAY experience all or none of those symptoms. Not WILL. No drug affects everyone the same. I don't recall having increased energy. I do recall the false euphoria at times and the moodiness at other times. There were times when my husband commented that I become a different person when taking it. But that is typically when taking it longer term and not the shorter bursts. The one symptom I routinely experience and which seems to hit me right away is the insomnia. It's maddening.

    They're very common side effects. You might explode when you take prednisone, but more than likely you'll survive unscathed. Smh4ever at these people.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
    You'll be ravenous, moody (mean), have increased energy, and have trouble sleeping. Absolutely no drinking while on prednisone. It really isn't safe. I'm in medical school and I hear doctors telling patients this info regularly. It's only 5 days! You can do it.

    One MAY experience all or none of those symptoms. Not WILL. No drug affects everyone the same. I don't recall having increased energy. I do recall the false euphoria at times and the moodiness at other times. There were times when my husband commented that I become a different person when taking it. But that is typically when taking it longer term and not the shorter bursts. The one symptom I routinely experience and which seems to hit me right away is the insomnia. It's maddening.

    They're very common side effects. You might explode when you take prednisone, but more than likely you'll survive unscathed. Smh4ever at these people.

    I never said they weren't common side effects. In fact, I said they were. That doesn't mean everyone is going to experience them all, nor to the same degree. Your all or nothing response was misleading.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
    I have used it several times and it is very effective (back injury).

    To that point, I ate a little more than usual and felt aggressive.

    As for drinking, contact a pharmacist to see what they say.

    Good luck!
  • sizzle74
    sizzle74 Posts: 858 Member
    So I am on day 3 and other than feeling alittle jittery there are no real side effects. I am taking Benadryl at night so my sleep isn't too bad. I actually seem to have less of an appetite. The pharmacist said I could drink, they say not to mainly because you are fighting something and the alcohol can slow the healing process. I think I will skip taking it that day though to avoid weird side effects from the alcohol. Thanks so much for the feedback!
  • rbuslercpa
    rbuslercpa Posts: 1 Member
    I am just coming off a five day Prednisone "burst" having previously always done the tapered dosage. Crashing! Slept 10 hours two nights in a row and dragging around. Some evidence that the five day blast is more effective for respiratory problems--i.e. acute bronchitis--which is what I had. I would recommend talking to your doctor about the benefits/downside to the five day treatment.
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
    rbuslercpa wrote: »
    I am just coming off a five day Prednisone "burst" having previously always done the tapered dosage. Crashing! Slept 10 hours two nights in a row and dragging around. Some evidence that the five day blast is more effective for respiratory problems--i.e. acute bronchitis--which is what I had. I would recommend talking to your doctor about the benefits/downside to the five day treatment.

    This happened 5 years ago.
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