Prednisone (Oral Route) Side Effects - Mayo Clinic.
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How To Find Relief From Horrible Leg Cramps When Taking Prednisone?. |
Does prednisone cause cramps -
Twice in the past month, a charley horse in my right calf has ripped me from blissful sleep. Whenever possible, I seek alternatives because even short-term use of oral corticosteroids carries risks. However, I do have ways to push through the worst of its side effects. I find an emotional anchor. When doctors prescribed me a high dose of prednisone after my sarcoidosis diagnosisa friend who had been through steroid treatments gave me a warning.
He was right. Prednisone takes me on a roller coaster of emotional extremes. Prednisone sends my appetite into overdrive. It also depletes potassiumwhich causes unforgettable, nightmare cramping in my hands, legs, and feet, and causes fluid retention. I also eat plenty of vegetables and fruits — especially those rich in potassium, like bananas and sweet potatoes — to help combat muscle cramps.
Insomnia, which becomes more likely with dosage increases, was another surprise side effect of prednisone. I was able to reclaim sleep by taking my fully prescribed dose before 9 a.
Prednisone suppresses the immune system, so I wash my hands frequently, which is the best defense against germs. I also steer clear of anyone who is sick and avoid crowded public places — especially confined areas such as trains, buses, and planes — when possible. Note: Sarcoidosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease.
It does not provide medical advice, diagnosisor treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosisor treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sarcoidosis News or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sarcoidosis. I an a doctor and when I prescribe prednisone that will be needed for weeks or months I order it to be used once or twice a week and I published abstracts showing that the usual side effects of daily administration can be avoided Sone patients may not respond in full but those that do can take it for long periods without significant side effects.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Thank you for all that you do as a doctor, now more than ever. Stay safe! I was put on prednisone for inflamation in my hands i have rheumatoid arthritis plus a medicine for ra which im not to use until i finish the prednisone. Im on my 2nd 2 times daily pills as 2 mornings in a row ive been awoken with charlie horses. I never have i can go years without having. Is Prednisone the problem?
Athena, you are so right! You've described my experience with prednisone to the letter. I'm a distance runner and it was such a relief when the course of prednisone had shrunk the swollen lymph nodes in my lungs and allowed me to breath freely again. But then the side effects began to take a toll. The others are a challenge but my leg cramps are the worst. They are so bad I'm going to have to stop running until I'm off the drug again.
Hi Chuck, hang in there! I hope your prednisone course is over soon. Be careful when tapering off. The schedule will seem really slow, but following it will help you avoid a lot of horrible symptoms. Take care and stay safe! Does it subside at all?
What tricks do you have to keep it at bay? Hi, Lauren so sorry you are having a tough time. Usually with the short courses it did subside once my body adjusted.
To combat the leg pain, I made sure to stay hydrated 64 oz of water daily and ate more potassium-rich foods like bananas and sweet potatoes. Also, exercise elliptical or walking on treadmill helped me. Hang in there, I hope you are feeling better soon. My neurologist prescribed a potassium supplement last year when I was having a tough time getting rid of muscle cramps. Check with your physician to see if this is a good option for you. I discovered whenever I drank coffee muscle cramps were sure to follow.
Best of luck and let me know how you make out. Stay on the magnesium. Steroids deplete this from your body and this causes the cramps. I know, I've been through it all. Been on and off steroids for 40 years. Magnesium is definitely necessary, but not always the cure. I have always taken the maximum required magnesium and still have killer cramps in my hands and feet. Staying hydrated and watching my potassium levels help, but still battling cramps daily.
Hi Mary, one thing that also helped me was keeping a diary of what I ate daily to determine when my cramps were better or worse. I found if I drink more than one cup of coffee, horrible, wake-me-from-sleep leg cramps were sure to follow that night.
As difficult as it is at times, staying active helps too. I hope you get a break from your cramps soon. Hang in there! Best wishes. Hi, thank you for this article!! I had a flair up of sciatica few days ago and currently I have two days left of a med pac started as 6, 5,4,3,2,1 of prednisone. Woke up with night sweats the first 2 days, insomnia for 3 nights but this morning between 4 and 6 am I jumped out of bed with leg cramps 8different times. I will double up on the potassium and my water today!!
Thanks for the advice!! Hang in there!! This is my first time ever taking prednisone and I am in the worst pain of my life from these muscle cramps in my thighs, calves, and feet. Prednisone is terrible. Be sure to let your physician know what you are experiencing to see if anything can be done to help. Hope you feel better soon. Hi, this is my 3rd wk on prednisolone.
I'm taking only 15mg. It wasva low dosage which I thought I should be prescribed a much higher dosage. Even in such a low dosage I am already getting fat. I am always hungry but I tried to not eat too much. My face is already horribly getting round. I am not feeling happy. Today all of a sudden I had toes cramping on both feet. It keeps coming back many times and each time it last a long time like many minutes.
Only 15mg and I am already in such a situation. I feel depressed. I have no confident to go out tomorrow onwards because I am afraid the cramping will happen.
I think it is the prednisolone. Steroids can have a lot of dreadful side effects. Sometimes my body will adjust given time, which I hope is the case for you as well. Please let your physician know ASAP about your symptoms, especially the depression because steroids can impact mood.
Remember medications may alter our appearance but not our beauty. You are a beautiful warrior. I know because you are here sharing your journey and searching for answers. Take it day by day. You are stronger than you think. I have the insomnia, leg and feet cramps. I have to mentally counteract this constantly. Keep in there people, you are not alone. Yes, so true! Prednisone is a wild ride at 40 mg.
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Does prednisone cause cramps
It wasva low dosage which I thought I should be prescribed a much higher dosage. Even in such a low dosage I am already getting fat. I am always hungry but I tried to not eat too much. My face is already horribly getting round. I am not feeling happy. Today all of a sudden I had toes cramping on both feet. It keeps coming back many times and each time it last a long time like many minutes.
Only 15mg and I am already in such a situation. I feel depressed. I have no confident to go out tomorrow onwards because I am afraid the cramping will happen.
I think it is the prednisolone. Steroids can have a lot of dreadful side effects. Sometimes my body will adjust given time, which I hope is the case for you as well. Please let your physician know ASAP about your symptoms, especially the depression because steroids can impact mood.
Remember medications may alter our appearance but not our beauty. You are a beautiful warrior. I know because you are here sharing your journey and searching for answers. Take it day by day.
You are stronger than you think. I have the insomnia, leg and feet cramps. I have to mentally counteract this constantly. Keep in there people, you are not alone. Yes, so true! Prednisone is a wild ride at 40 mg.
Thank you so much for providing insight and encouragement to others. I too suffered from leg cramps. Magnesium did help but, I will take the potassium advice and get more and drink more water.
My Dad told me drinking pop gave him cramps. I don't drink much but, had a glass and sent cramps into orbit that evening. I felt so much relief while on prednisone. I had energy, wasn't stiff and my body was not aching. I realize now more than ever I need to get to the bottom of symptoms.
I was on for severe reaction to poison ivy. I worked in healthcare. Pills are not the only answer. Helping yourself stay fit body and soul, taking meds accurately and doing some of your own research and advocating for yourself is helpful. Thank you for this article:. Thank you for sharing! I just started a 60mg prednisone taper today, this is the second round in 4 months for suspected progressive autoimmune inner ear disease. So far no real side effects other than my knees are aching terribly!
I did not have knee pain before so I'm a bit concerned. Anyone have experience with new joint pain after starting oral steroids? Could be that you're weaning off Prednisone too quickly. I had similar experiences coming off Prednisone, this time in my hands which weren't affected before. Good luck! I noticed cramps and swelling of legs and bloated tummy the worst of it I started the 10mg daily of Prednisone on Sunday started Menstruating on Monday and had my menses for two days only and it stopped.
Now when I stopped the Prednisone my menses started coming out in little drops. And I am still suffering from abdominal cramps, with muscle and body tremors.
So stressed out l. I quit taking steroids because I would develop pain in my ankles It felt like I had sprained them This happened every time I was prescribed them Does this happen to anyone else? Athena, I am glad that my Google search " my hands are curling up on prednisone" brought me to your article.
Your article and all the comments are very helpful. Though diagnosed in ; and confirmed this summer, it is my first use of prednisone 80mg I have managed the side effects by staying informed and Journaling the experience.
Thanks again for being a resource. I have a friend that is being treated for lung cancer as well as a malignant lump in his left breast. He started out with a brain aneurysm that initially put him in the hospital for nearly a month. This is when they found the lung cancer and lump in his breast, He is also dealing with Psoriasis now. He was put on a lower dose of prednisone, which now is causing bad cramping in his body.
They want to increase the doses of Prednisone but are worried he may go blind. For this they removed a temporal artery and are testing it to see if the increased dose will in fact cause him blindness.
His auto immune system is going crazy the way it is and I fear for his sanity. Your site has given me some answers and options to help him along, which I will relay to him and ask him to ask his doctor in more detail if my advice is good before following my suggestions.
A suggestion of taking a Tablespoon of mustard just before bed was posted. Does this help and what kind of mustard? My legs are killing me they hurt on the inside around enter knees. Called my family dr. Set up Doppler for Monday taking meloxacam. Anybody got any thing they know what relief for me. I could cry if it would help!
However, we are all different and our individual experiences with diseases and treatments and their side effects vary greatly. I have been on magnesium supplements for years, morning and night, because of another condition I have. I also already eat a banana a day. Like now! I am already on the highest dose magnesium yet I still get the cramps. What works for me is massage with an anti inflammatory cream I have beside my bed, drink some pickle juice, then a hot water bottle or heat pack on the muscles.
The cramps ease within about minutes. Hope these tips are helpful for others, but just remember they may not work for everyone! That is interesting. I was diagnosed with Neurosarcoidosis in Nov. It presented originally as Transverse myelitis. I went numb from my chest down. I was unable to walk my last round in the hospital. I just barely got off of Prednisone two weeks ago. Eight months of steroids. Unfortunately for me, even tapering slightly to fast caused the numbness to start climbing. It was my stabilizer while my monthly infusions of Infliximab work.
So taking it a few times a week wouldn't have worked for me. Thank You Athena, I'm going through the same thing right now. I normally have will power but the Prednisone is wining the war on hunger I just can't seem to spot eating. I'm going to switch to taking the Prednisone in the early AM to see if this help with sleep and possibly help me fight the hunger. Thank you for writing this article.
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About the Author Athena Merritt Athena, a former journalist and Pennsylvania native, was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in She tackles life with humor, passion and curiosity, and hopes to reach others through her writing. Tags appetite , fluid retention , leg cramps , oral corticosteroids , prednisone , side effects , weight gain.
Comments Miguel Cima I an a doctor and when I prescribe prednisone that will be needed for weeks or months I order it to be used once or twice a week and I published abstracts showing that the usual side effects of daily administration can be avoided Sone patients may not respond in full but those that do can take it for long periods without significant side effects.
Tom I was put on prednisone for inflamation in my hands i have rheumatoid arthritis plus a medicine for ra which im not to use until i finish the prednisone. Chuck Athena, you are so right! If you have been taking prednisolone for more than a few weeks, check with your doctor before stopping it suddenly to reduce your chances of withdrawal side effects.
Some side effects, such as stomach upset or mood changes, can happen straight away. Others, such as getting a rounder face, happen after weeks or months. These common side effects of prednisolone happen in more than 1 in people. There are things you can do to help cope with them:. If you have to take prednisolone for more than a few weeks, it's likely that you'll put on weight.
Prednisolone can make you hungrier and also can make you retain more water in your body. Try to eat well without increasing your portion sizes. Regular exercise will also help to keep your weight stable. Once you stop taking prednisolone, your appetite and the way your body retains water should return to normal.
Take prednisolone with food to reduce the chances of stomach problems. It may also help if you avoid rich or spicy food while you're taking this medicine. If symptoms carry on, ask your doctor if you may benefit from taking an additional medicine to protect your stomach.
If you're feeling restless when you're trying to sleep, take prednisolone in the morning so the levels are the lowest at bedtime. Try wearing loose clothing and use a strong anti-perspirant. If this does not help, talk to your doctor as you may be able to try a different medicine.
Prednisolone can affect your mood in different ways. Talk to your doctor if you are finding it hard to cope. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and any of these side effects bother you or last more than a few days.
You are more likely to have a serious side effect if you take a higher dose of prednisolone or if you have been taking it for more than a few weeks. Go to Call if you're worried about a child under the age of 5 years.
Jonathan Cluett, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. Stuart Hershman, MD, is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery. A leg cramp is a sudden, uncontrolled contraction of a muscle. This can occur elsewhere in the body, but is most commonly experienced in the lower extremities. Leg cramps or spasms are unpredictable in that they may vary in terms of intensity and duration, and come on suddenly, but they do have predictable causes that can lead prevention efforts.
Muscles that cross two joints seem to be the most common to cramp up. A leg cramp may also be referred to as a "charley horse. Leg cramps usually last less than a minute but may endure for several before the contractions finally subside. In some people, the spasms occur primarily at night and can awaken the patient from sleep. More severe leg cramps can cause pain that lasts several days after the cramp occurs. While leg cramps tend to resolve on their own without treatment, see your healthcare provider if they are severe, recurrent, have no known cause, or are accompanied by swelling, changes in skin color, or muscle weakness.
Usually, instinct takes over when a leg cramp strikes and you massage and stretch the sore muscle. This often solves the problem. You may also find relief by:. A healthcare provider may also prescribe muscle-relaxing drugs if cramping is severe. Patients generally take it every four to six hours for no longer than five days. Robax should not be taken with alcohol or other NSAIDs, and it may cause suicidal thoughts if overused.
Call your healthcare provider immediately if you have trouble urinating or experience vomiting, rash, slowed heart rate, or jaundice when on this drug. The vast majority of people who sustain a leg cramp from athletic participation require no specific tests to direct treatment. And for the vast majority of athletes, medications should not be used to treat isolated episodes of muscle cramps.
One warning sign of dangerous muscle damage is dark urine, particularly in the hours that follow an episode of severe cramping or muscle injury. This is a symptom of rhabdomyolysisa rare condition where injured muscle tissue dies and enters the bloodstream, eventually damaging the kidneys. Anyone who experiences severe muscle cramping followed by a darkening of the urine should immediately seek medical attention.
While you can't always prevent leg cramps, there are things you can do to significantly reduce their risk:. Most leg cramps are spontaneous, painful events that quickly resolve. They can be frustrating, particularly if they occur at night and disrupt sleep. If your leg cramps seem more frequent or more severe than is typical, see your healthcare provider.
A promising approach to effectively reduce cramp susceptibility in human muscles: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Young G. Leg cramps. BMJ Clin Evid. Rhabdomyolysis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Ochsner J. Muscle Cramps. In: StatPearls [Internet]. National Institutes of Health. Medline Plus. By Jonathan Cluett, MD. Jonathan Cluett, MD. Learn about our editorial process.
Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.
Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. Stuart Hershman, MD. Medically reviewed by Stuart Hershman, MD. Learn about our Medical Expert Board. When to See a Healthcare Provider While leg cramps tend to resolve on their own without treatment, see your healthcare provider if they are severe, recurrent, have no known cause, or are accompanied by swelling, changes in skin color, or muscle weakness.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. See Our Editorial Process. Meet Our Medical Expert Board. Share Feedback. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Related Articles.
localhost › article › find-relief-horrible-leg-cramps-when-tak. bloody, black, or tarry stools. See the article "Muscle cramps related to corticosteroids." in volume on page Full text. Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original. bloody, black, or tarry stools. muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps, or changes in your heart rate – these can be signs of low potassium levels; severe stomach pain, severe back pain. It also depletes potassiumwhich causes unforgettable, nightmare cramping in my hands, legs, and feet, and causes fluid retention. Hang in there!! Your article and all the comments are very helpful. Description: corticosteroids weaken muscles and tendons. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expertise on managing health. Even in such a low dosage I am already getting fat.Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex. Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention.
These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:. Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
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