The Wonders of Prednisone
By: Sean Novak
One of the more common medications used in the treatment of Crohn’s and Colitis is a corticosteroid known as Prednisone. Many of us that suffer from either Crohn’s or Colitis have, at one time or another, been prescribed this most "wonderful" medication. Prednisone, mainly used for it’s ability to suppress the immune system and it’s anti inflammatory properties, is a useful treatment for Crohn’s and Colitis but carries with it a variety of side-effects that can be characterized as simply, horrible.
Along with Crohn’s and Colitis, Prednisone, is prescribed to treat many other conditions such as: Asthma, arthritis, skin problems, itching, and various allergies.
Most who have had experience with this drug will first of all tell you that it works. It seems to be one of the most effective drugs used in treating Crohn’s and Colitis. Secondly, they will tell you that it is one of the worst drugs that they have ever taken due to the, sometimes extreme, side effects that it causes. It almost seems as though Prednisone is somewhat of a two faced drug. It’s got a good side and a bad side. It does a great job of relieving the Crohn’s and Colitis symptoms but can create a host of other issues at the same time. Here is just a small list of some of the more common side effects:
Despite Prednisone’s great abilities to stop the symptoms associated with a Crohn’s or Colitis flare I personally hate the stuff. Among the side effects listed, I experience; weight gain, acne, pain in my joints, difficulty sleeping, and irritability…Yep that’s about everything on the list above. The worst would have to be the acne, pain in the joints, and the irritability. The acne is so bad that I look like a 15 year old and the pain in the joints is so bad that I feel like I am 80! Add the irritability on top of that and you have one pissed off, pizza faced, cripple. Although I may be exaggerating a bit, I’m not that far off.
Now, I’m not trying to scare anyone who may be reading about Prednisone for the first time because everybody reacts differently. You should be aware of what this stuff can, and most likely will, do to you. It’s important, for example, that you understand, and your family understands, that this crap is going to make you irritable and it will not take a whole lot to set you off. Make sure that they understand you may not be yourself for awhile!
Most importantly you MUST follow your docs prescription and make sure you step down you prescription accordingly. Failure to follow your doctors orders when it comes to this drug can only make things worse for you as it can lead to many more problems such as an Addisonian crisis, which may be life-threatening.
Despite the horrible side effects that most of us experience, we really don’t have much of a choice, I mean the stuff works, and I would rather deal with the side effects than be in the middle of a flare. So if you have to go on Prednisone just know that it is going to cause some extreme side effects but that in the long run it will all pay off. And rest assured that the weight gain, acne, joint pain, irritability, and trouble sleeping are only temporary!