How to manage Prednisone Withdrawal

Prescribed to treat many conditions, including autoimmune disorders, asthma, and organ transplants, prednisone is not something you would expect to cause withdrawals. Unfortunately, anyone that tapers off too quickly or abruptly quits taking their medication could experience seriously uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Prednisone is a relatively powerful steroid used to fight inflammation and swelling. It a common medication taken by individuals with conditions such as lupus, arthritis, or any form of acute or chronic inflammation. It is even useful for helping those with multiple sclerosis.

When a patient stops taking the steroid, they can experience a number of steroid withdrawal symptoms.

To help prevent these symptoms, it’s recommended that patients slowly taper off of prednisone rather than stopping cold turkey. Doing this with the supervision of a doctor is preferred, as they can help you prevent withdrawals and help you avoid the inflammation that leads to you taking the prednisone. If you or a loved one are facing a dependence on prednisone and need help stopping, reach out to a medical professional or treatment center for help.

What is Prednisone?

Prednisone is a corticosteroid, a class of medication used to treat patients with low levels of the naturally-occurring hormone cortisol. This steroid replaces the hormone (cortisol) that isn’t being made on its own, altering how the immune system functions and reducing redness and swelling. Prednisone is a commonly prescribed medication that is often used to treat many different diseases and conditions including:

• Asthma – Since many complications stem from asthma are due to the inflammation of the airway during an attack, prednisone can be a useful medication to help reduce that inflammation. It can be taken at the onset of an attack to help with other medications like albuterol, or it can be taken as a prophylactic measure on a regular schedule.
• Certain types of arthritis – Prednisone can be incredibly helpful when prescribed in conjunction with arthritis treatments. It can reduce the painful swelling and help to restore lost movement due to stiffness. In situations like this, it is often prescribed to be taken daily to keep swelling down.
• Lupus – Lupus is a disease primarily dealing with auto-immune function, in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy body tissues, which results in a great deal of painful inflammation. This makes it a prime candidate to be treated with prednisone since it can occur in many different areas of the body.
• Rashes – Chronic rashes are often treated with a steroid such as prednisone, which can be applied in relatively low doses to treat various rashes due to inflammation or irritation. In situations where the rashes are caused by fever, prednisone may also work to reduce the fever in conjunction with over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

One of the more serious situations in which a patient may be prescribed prednisone is after a patient receives a kidney transplant. Usually, the body will see a new organ as a foreign and unknown mass. Prednisone lowers the immune system’s response to the new kidney, helping to avoid organ rejection after the operation.

Prednisone Withdrawal Timeline – How to Safety Taper

Prednisone is very effective at mimicking the effects of naturally occurring cortisol. However, when the synthetic cortisol is taken for more than a few weeks the bodies adrenal glands make less and less natural cortisol. As a result, when ending a course of the steroid, it is best to taper off instead of stopping cold turkey. This allows the adrenal glands to “catch up” with natural cortisol production.

When a patient does not effectively taper off from cortisol steroid’s, they may experience steroid withdrawal.Tapering the steroids under the supervision of your doctor is the safest way to go. They can give you a schedule that helps you lower your dose incrementally over time. They’ll be able to monitor you and make sure you are truly ready to be off of it before you stop, as well.

How long does it take to taper off from prednisone?

The time it takes to taper off prednisone varies based on the condition being treated, the dosage and length of use, and individual health factors. Recovery may take anywhere from a week to several months. If you notice any withdrawal symptoms while tapering, be sure to consult your doctor.

The most common side effects of prednisone withdrawals are:

• Extreme fatigue
• Fever
• Joint pain
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Muscle ache
• Mood swings
• Loss of appetite
• Laboured breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headaches
• Irritability

The risk of experiencing prednisone withdrawal symptoms is greatly increased for those on long-term prednisone therapy. However withdrawal can happen to those on a shorter treatment course.

How long do Steroid Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

t’s common to experience mild symptoms for a week or two while tapering off prednisone. Avoid taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications without checking with your doctor first.

Psychological withdrawal symptoms can last anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. Your doctor may monitor your cortisol levels with blood tests during the tapering process. If severe symptoms occur, they might adjust your tapering schedule or temporarily return you to your previous dose.

Can you die from prednisone withdrawl?

Common Side Effects of Taking Prednisone

One of the downsides to taking prednisone in any capacity or dosage is the potential to experience side effects, whether mild or severe. As with most medications, prednisone can cause side effects even when taken according to your doctors’ instructions.

These side effects can include:

• Acne
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in mood
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Slowed healing of bruises and cuts
• Swelling of the face, arms, hands, feet, or lower legs
• Weight gain

Some additional side effects that users of prednisone may experience include difficulty or inability to fall asleep, severe shifts in the emotional state that often feature misplaced or inappropriate happiness, significant personality changes, thinning skin, bulging eyes, red or purple discoloration under the skin, much longer healing time for small wounds, increased hair growth, redistributed body fat deposits, changes in overall body composition, fatigue, weakness, low sex drive & libido, heartburn, and increased sweating.

Potentially Serious Side Effects of Taking Prednisone

While most side effects represent an uncomfortable or painful result of medication use, other side effects are incredibly serious. These side effects can be early indications of severe and even potentially deadly complications or interactions. If you experience any of the following symptoms while on prednisone, you should alert your doctor or medical care professional immediately:

• Pain or redness of the eyes
• Vision problems
• Sudden seizures
• Sore throat or cough
• Unproductive cough
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever
• Any signs of general infection
• Depression
• Sudden weight gain
• Confusion
• Breaking from reality
• Muscle twitching, tremors, or cramping
• Feelings of burning or tingling in the face, fingers, or toes
• Feeling unable to catch their breath
• Pain or swelling in the stomach or abdomen
• Difficulty swallowing
• Itching, rashes, or hives
• Swelling in the face or extremities

Experiencing these symptoms can indicate a possibly life-threatening situation and requires emergency medical attention.

Recovering Safely From Prednisone Withdrawal

Prednisone withdrawal symptoms will not be severe, but they won’t be a cakewalk either. Some common ways to cope with the withdrawals are counseling, exercise, meditation, and physical therapy. Your doctor should be able to give you some great suggestions on how to manage the withdrawals.

If you have only been on prednisone for three weeks or less, your doctor may advise that you don’t need to taper. If that’s the case, you should have a pretty easy time stopping the prednisone. However, your tapering process could take two months for those taking prednisone for a year or more.

The most important thing to remember is that you should not handle tapering and wean off prednisone on your own. You need to allow your adrenal glands time to recover and ramp up cortisol production. With the help of your doctor or a treatment center, detox and managing your withdrawal symptoms are possible.

If you or someone you care for may be having challenges or difficulties handling a safe prednisone withdrawal, be sure to reach out to a recovery center with experienced professionals for assistance. Not only can you ensure that the entire detox and withdrawal phase is completed under safe and attentive medical supervision, but you will also be able to leverage other resources to ensure a strong and lasting recovery. You don’t have to face the recovery process alone, our Orange County drug rehab is here to help.

Sources:

Ocean Recovery has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations for our references. We avoid using tertiary references as our sources. You can learn more about how we source our references by reading our editorial policy.

1. The University of Illinois. Prednisone: Side effects, dosage, uses, and more. Published June 21, 2022. Accessed July 30, 2022.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-prednisolone-oral-forms