Aahh...yes, that much loved, but much more hated drug.
Our "friend" prednisone.
 
 
 

I decided to include this page to help others as well as myself deal with prednisone.

Here is some information about it:

What is prednisone?

Prednisone is a steroid drug. It is similar to cortisone, which is made in the adrenal glands. The drug has anti-inflammatory effects in the body which is the desired action. It is used to treat a variety of ailments such as Crohn's Disease, lupus, asthma and other lung diseases, skin conditions such as eczema, joint diseases, types of arthritis, cancers, immune blood disorders, and eye diseases.
 
 



What are the side effects?

Glad you asked. See, prednisone can be wonderful, but it has its drawbacks. With prednisone, the most annoying side effect for patients generally is the puffiness in the face and neck that can occur. Increased appetite and weight gain are very real problems, especially for females. The drug may cause some mental changes and, particularly, may worsen an underlying depression. While major side effects are unusual, a serious one is a condition called osteonecrosis. This causes weakness and even fracture of the hip or shoulder which would require major orthopedic surgery.

For prednisone, the following are the observed side effects:




Minor:
weight gain, facial swelling, nervousness, acne, rash, hot flashes

Major:
depression, unusual fatigue or weakness, blurred vision, abdominal pain,
bloody or black stools, infections, painful hips or shoulders, osteoporosis

Do not stop taking this drug suddenly because your own
adrenal glands cannot quickly produce enough needed cortisone!!!
 
 
 

To help prevent osteoporosis, please make sure you are getting enough calcium.
I recommend taking Viactiv chews.

Viactiv, I love you, you come in three wonderful flavors:
Milk Chocolate, Mochaccino and Caramel...
 

Food Management with Prednisone

Recipes