Prednisone is working for me-that sucks!

[Trei6y1952]

I found something that FINALLY works for my IC. Prednisone!! No bladder spasms, no burning pain although the frequency is still there but not as bad. Help! How can I convince my doctor to prescribe me prednisone? Most won't.

After 17 years of battling this and that, It's the ONLY thing that helps me.

[alwaysgreen]

Prednisone has side effects, but helps inflammation.

You should read about the side effects of Prednisone. It is a drug that helps any time of inflammation. The called it a miracle drug in the beginning. Long term use causes problems. I have allergic asthma & need it off & on. I developed Cushing Syndrome one time when I had to be on very large doses for extended time. It went away after I was able to stop the Prednisone. Maybe it will clear it enough you won't need it for long.
Hugs

[Snowden1]

How did you find this worked for you? Were you taking it for asthma? If it works I would ask you dr about the long terms risks. Maybe you could take less of it?

[alwaysgreen]

Yes I was taking it for asthma. I still do daily inhaled steriods plus medrol dose packs fairly often for wheezing & SOB & allergic reactions. I have always noticed it helps with the arthritis pain, skin rashes. I will pay more attention to see how much it helps the IC & vulva pain. It cause my vision to be blurry (my vision is already bad), stomach pain. I have osteporosis which it is not good for.

[Snowden1]

I thought I was feeling better when I used my nebulizer with albuterol. I wasn't sure or not. Sometimes I just feel better with my IC when I am sick. I don't get the connection.

[ICNDonna]

Prednisone has some pretty severe side effects. It's usually given for allergic reactions. I took it for an allergic skin reaction and had to taper off slowly even after only a few days on it. One thing it did was cause my entire body to swell from fluid retention. I actually gained five pounds in only a few days even though I was on a diet. The added weight left quickly after I was able to stop the prednisone.

Donna

[Judith56]

Prednisone over prolonged periods of time can have lasting effects on your body. Its a great drug, but really needs to be used only when there are no other options.

[tigger_gal]

Please be careful with steroids, It has caused my Adrenal Glands to shut down, now they cannot produce the cortisol your body needs, if not taken care of properly and watched closely it can be fatal. My dr thought it was cushings but after going thru many tests, and the cortisone shots I took for many years destroyed them.

[hollyf]

Metholtrexte (sp?)

Since finally being diagnosed with severe inflammation in my hands I was put on the above medication...believe it or not it has helped my IC. When I told my rheumatologist this she looked at me like I was nuts. Glad she's not my IC doc! It doesn't seem to have the weight gain side effects of prednisone, but I do have to go and have monthly blood work done to check red blood cell count. All of these medications can be potentially dangerous. This is the only medication that has even given me the slightest relief from IC. I have been on and tried so many that I have forgotten most of them. I still suffer, just not qute as much. If I am lucky I get 1 good symptom free day a month. Believe me, I pack a whole months worth of activities in to this one day!

[RagnarsCricket]

My Rheum. prescribed me prednisone to take daily for Lupus recently after being diagnosed. Almost immediately I was feeling better - everywhere. My bladder feels so awesome. It is almost like the IC left me completely. I am on my 4th week of this new med and I couldn't be happier.

[Mothergoose]

hollyf: My aunt was put on Metholtrexte, I am not too sure what for, but a pleasant side effect for her was it helpped improve her Asthma, something the cortisone had not helpped.

Sometimes Dr. find meds intended for something else help other things, this is called off label use.

Good Luck MG

[Madi's Granny]

I was dianogized with Sjogren's over 2 years ago and put on predisone. First 15mg for 1 week and then 12.5 mg for one week and so on till I was on 5 mg. I stayed at that dose for over I year until I found out about my osteoporis. I went off the predisone so I wouldn't damage my bones anymore than they already had been. Now my Rheimy's PA wants me back on it and I told her no way. A friend of mine was one it for years at just 5 mgs and her bones became so weak that all she had to do was bump something lightly and her bones would break. To me predisone is for short term use only!!

[stacyoigirl]

Prednisone is awful, I have taken it twice for about two months each. In total I have gained 70 pounds. It also has given me ugly stretch marks that have not gone away. It would make me shake like I had Parkinson's or was really cold. It made my hair fall out and I was mean to everyone, it causes mood swings. Also makes your face HUGE, it like doubled in size. It may help but it is a terrible drug, esp for your self esteem. My weight has not gone away either, it's still there although my face is smaller. I would avoid at all costs.

[Tina2]

Hi All. I have had major inflamation in the genital area for over 15 years ! Nothing seemed to help, then the gynocologist put me on this drug. Wow yes the IC improved so much i felt like i finally had a life - for the first week. The the side effects kicked in. Shaking, and skyrocketing blood pressue. Started on 40mg, i cut it to 20 after the first week ! then down to 5mg per day and ic impovement still holding but shaking getting worse so i cut it to 2.5mg over the weekend. It is only 5 weeks since i started this medication, i have spent the weekend in bed ! IC went wild, freezing cold and shaking. Saw my doctor this morning who said my body had gone into shock and i needed to go back onto the 5 mg again for at least a week then "try again" it is like i am on this awful medication and in just 5 weeks my body is totally addicted. It could take months to get off it and i totally fear that it has totally destroyed my bodies ability to fight inflamation. My advise stay as far away from it as you can.

[KathiB]

I have the opposite problem. Right now, prednisone is the only thing that helps my Ulcerative Colitis/diarrhea. I go through a cycle - 3 times so far this year. My symptoms get worse and worse to the point where I can't eat. I get hospitalized, they put me on prednisone. My diarrhea improves for the 5 weeks I'm on pred and a couple of weeks afterwards, then I gradually start getting worse and worse bowel symptoms, and I get hospitalized again. Repeat.

During the time I'm on prednisone, I also need pretty strong painkillers to counteract the severe bladder pain I experience.

I wanted to share this story to show that prednisone doesn't help everyone with IC. And like others have said, I hate the drug. It causes all sorts of nastiness, although when you feel like you're on death's doorstep (like me with my UC, and the original poster with her IC) you are sometimes willing to try anything to feel better at the moment.