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Hi all...this is my first time on this site, I'm hoping someone can help/relate.  I was dx w/UC in 2003, was hospitalized 5/07 for 9 days and have been ok since about last month w/the help of Asacol and imuran only.  Some stress between my husband & pre-teen daughter I think brought on a flare up, not bad though.  Dr. prescribed prednisone again (last yr I was on steroids for 6 months!), which I took hesitantly, but it seemed to make the blood/mucus go away.  I'm down to 10mg pred now and feel llike I'm going to bite my kids/husband's head off!  If all goes well, I'll go down to 5mg next week than be done.  My question is has anyone taken any antidepressents while on prednisone that helped?  Dr. gave me samples of lexapro yesterday, but it says it takes 1-2 weeks to feel the effects at all, with maximum relief 4-6 weeks.  Well, I'll be done w/pred by then and I really don't want to take any more meds.  Also, what about taking lexapro or something similiar when you are going through a stressful time to try to avoid a flare up?  Any advise would be appreciated!  Thanks so much.

 Reply posted for Sue.

I am so glad you made this post. I too am new. I just joined today. I have been diagnosed with uc since 1998, with a long tough road of really incompetent doctors. Anyway, I am back on predisone, which has been for the last three months and I am hating it very much. I too am experiencing acne, weight gain, mood swings, and trouble sleeping. I can't wait to get off this stuff, but I'm also scared because I tend to have flare-ups that get pretty bad. I haven't been hospitalized yet, thank God, but I had to have a blood transfusion because of too much blood lose. I really do not want to experience that again. Yesterday my co-worker said my face looks swollen. Nice, also I am so bloated all the time and I can't fit my clothes anymore. I really hate this. I also hate the constant fatigue. I am so tired all the time. I have two children that I need to keep up with and a a very active husband. I feel like my life is just passing by and I am missing out on so much. I'm sorry, I don't mean to go off on a tangent, it's just that no one really understands how I feel and I know you all can relate. I just want you to know your not alone. If you find a better medication I would love the information.

 Reply posted for Sue.

Prednisone is the devil.  I had it pumped into my heart through a central line for two weeks!!  I blew up like a tick with water weight that lasted over a year and was covered, head to toe, with acne.  Had a bump on my neck, hot flashes, the whole works in technicolor.  That was 10 years ago.  Haven't touched it since.  I have crohns and take Remicade, which has saved my life.  I don't know if UC works with that, but if you get bad again, take it!  I also take Lexapro and have for 3 years now.  Without it I was very moody and easy to yell at someone.  It really levels you out without much side effects.  It should help and I hope this does too.  I wish you well.

 Reply posted for Sue.

Hi.  I had to take prednisone for the first time this March.  I was diagnosed last July, but was put on budesonide for a while.  I experienced many more of the side effects with prednisone.  I reread the information in my Crohn's book about the steroid.  One of the descriptions read, "may cause hyperphagia."  I wasn't sure what that was so I looked it up on dictionary.com and learned that it refers to the constant need to eat possible due to injury to the hypothalamus.  This is a part in the brain "that functions as the main control center for the autonomic nervous system by regulating sleep cycles, body temperature, appetite, etc., and that acts as an endocrine gland by producing hormones, including the releasing factors that control the hormonal secretions of the pituitary gland." 

It all clicked into place then:  my constant need to keep eating even though I wasn't hungry, the fact that I woke up at odd hours in the morning for no reason, the weight gain, bit of hair growth (still don't know what to do about it ), sweating more often even though I wasn't hot, really bad acne breakouts, mood swings.  Prednisone really messed with my physiology; but it also got me out of my flare quickly.  It's definitely a rough time so hang in there and hopefully you'll be back to your normal self in no time. 

Take care,
Jen

 Reply posted for Sue.

Hi,

I can understand what you are going through. I was diagnosed when I was 16 about 17 years ago, and have tried every treatment under the sun to include surgery. Prendisone is my own special nemesis!!! I hate it, it makes you feel grumpy, irritable, on edge, nervous, and leave you wishing you could crawl right out of your skin. I only take it now if there is absolutely no other choice, But I do have a few tips to handle the stress and side effects. This is what works for me, and has helped s few others.

1. realize that you are going to be hyper sensitive. Prendisone seems to make all your senses magnify. Sight, hearing, smell, touch Everything. And to make it worse Everything your brain is processing just irritates you! So anything that just slightly irritates you without the prendisone, will MAJORLY get on your nerves now. If you recognize what is irritating you, you can try to control your response to it.

2. Hot Baths, they help relax you and can give you a bit of releif from the creepy feeling on your skin.

3. Tea, I know it is simple but drinking a herbal calming tea like Chamomile, or sleepy time can help.

4. AVOID caffine. Chocolate, Coffee, Black tea, ect.. only heightens your nervous system and can make the side effects worse.

5. meditation. I am not a new ager or anything like that but I have gone to a lot of pain management clinics, and I have learned if I can quiet my mind, and find a little bit of calm it helps to get through the rough spots.

6. soft comfy clothes. Believe it or not I have found that wearing jeans when I am on prendisone drives me nuts!!! I didnt realize it until I got into my jammies one night and I realized that when I was wearing comfy clothes I felt less stressed and anxious, it was like AHHH...

I didnt notice I was irritated until I took my jeans off and then I made the connection. Try to find other connections like that, and it can help reduce the things that irritate you!

I hope this helps you.

take care

D.