Thoughts on steroids
I was recently asked about my thoughts on prednisone (steroids). Honestly, combatting the side effects of prednisone is what led me to start this blog. I’ve been on varying doses of the drug for two years now. At one time I was taking 60 mg, then weaned down to 40 mg then went off and then back on. I’ve been on 15 to 20 mg consistently for the past eight months or so.
Here’s what I know about prednisone: It’s a synthetic corticosteroid that is most often taken orally but can also be administered via injection. It is a highly effective immunosuppresant and was once called “the miracle drug” (which my former retinologist was so fond of saying). But the down side is that it has many, many side effects, which are inevitable with long-term use. I’ve been told by doctors that everyone who takes prednisone will experience side effects - they’re inescapable.
After only seven days of prednisone use adrenal suppression occurs and the body is unable to synthesize natural corticosteroids. This dependency is exactly why steroid users cannot just stop taking the drug; stopping suddenly can cause adrenal failure and death.Side effects include high blood glucose levels, fluid retention, insomnia, mood swings, weight gain, osteoporosis, glaucoma, depression, decreased libido, headaches, acne, and the list goes on.
Even though prednisone has helped keep my eye inflammation at bay, the side effects for me have just been too much. I’ve been living on an emotional rollercoaster and all who must share my space are forced to go along, too. One day I feel great and ready to take on the world; the next I’m so depressed I can’t function. Some nights it takes me hours to fall asleep and in the morning I am completely exhausted. I went from being a patient person with a good outlook to being short-tempered and bitchy. If I lived alone, I suppose this wouldn’t be so bad but I clearly see the impact on my husband and children. I now do everything within my power to temper the adverse mood effects. If I’m feeling bad, I remove myself by going for a walk or reading a book or just doing anything away from the general populous. But living in that up-and-down swing can so easily make one feel crazy…or unstable at best.
On June 7 I will begin receiving a new drug as part of a clinical trial (alpha feta protein for uveitis). After I’ve been on the new drug for two months I will be weaned off the prednisone and the two other drugs I’m on, as well. At that point, I plan to throw a party. The only way I will agree to using prednisone again is if blindness is the only other option.
The bright side to my experience is that I now have a great deal of empathy and sympathy for anyone who must use the drug. As it is commonly used in the treatment of various autoimmune conditions, be assured there are a lot of people using it.
I did some quick searching on the ‘net and read that autoimmune diseases are the third most common category of disease in the United States after cancer and heart disease, affecting anywhere from 14 to 22 million people (National Institutes of Health). If that many people are on steroids and the side effects are inescapable, just think of how all of those people are impacted emotionally and how that gets sent out into the world. It makes me simultaneously grateful that there is a drug that fends off inflammation so well and regretful that medical science has such limited options with such deleterious effects.
Anyway, that’s my spiel on prednisone. To any who are on it - my sincere best wishes.