Good experience with Prednisone
Background: I have Crohn’s disease. I was diagnosed in winter 2009. I started taking Prednisone in summer 2011. My first dose was 40 mg for two weeks, then down 5 mg each week, so I guess about nine weeks in all.
It was amazing. The very first day, I felt like doing everything (whereas before, I felt like doing nothing). I was super energetic and super happy (whereas before, I was super tired and super depressed). I also ate a lot, which for some people, might be a concern, but I weighed 90 pounds at the time, so I was quite glad to gain another 30 pounds. There were no mood swings or acne or swelling. It was just amazing.
Now, even nine months after I stopped taking the Prednisone, I still feel great. I’m not super energetic go-go-go! all the time like I was at first, but I don’t go to the bathroom all day, and I don’t get stomach cramps, which were my two major symptoms of Crohn’s previously.
The only problem I had was when I was getting near the end of tapering off. Around the time that I stopped taking it completely, I had a major migraine. I don’t know if that was due to the Prednisone or if it was just a coincidence. Either way, I think rather than going from one tablet to zero, I should have perhaps done half a tablet for a few days or one tablet every other day to taper off even more slowly.
The reason I’m writing this is because most of what you read online about Crohn’s drugs is people who have had bad experiences, and that can make you feel pretty nervous about starting a new treatment; especially with something like Prednisone which may be — like it was for me — the first treatment you’ve ever used.
Of course, I’m not a doctor. You should always listen to your doctor, take the doses they recommend, etc. I think one major reason I had such a good experience with Prednisone was because I had such a great doctor. She did not want me to stay on Prednisone for a long time, because that’s when the nasty and irreversible side effects kick in. Taking it for nine weeks worked great; I couldn’t be more pleased. Prednisone can and does work. It’s not hell for everyone.