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Drew_Va

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Prednisone
Jun 24^th, 2008 at 10:28am

I am an episodic CH sufferer in the 5th week of the worst cycle I can remember in 26 years of "fighting" the Beast. Having not responded well to any preventives, I am going to cycle back through them again hoping for better luck. My question is about prednisone. I have taken this for other ailments (most notably a horrendous case of poison oak) but have a low tolerance for the side effects. However, at this point anything seems better than the pain I am experiencing now so I thought I might give them another try. I am going to be switching from Cardizem to Verapamil starting today so I thought I would use the Prednisone as a transitional drug until the verap. kicks in (hopefully). I am also going to push for getting O2 as I don't think I ever used it correctly. Last time I tried I had not found this place.

To make a long story short, has anyone seen positive enough results from prednisone to justify the side effects? In my case they are an irritation (restlessness, weight gain, hot flashes).

Thanks in advance for the help!

Drew

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Bob Johnson

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #1 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 11:53am

Pred. will commonly abort a cycle within a few days giving relief while the Verap, which is started at the same time, has a chance to build up and start working.

Since the Pred is tapered down each day and used for one brief series, the chance for side-effects is minimal compared to long term use.

While the starting point for Pred is about 70-80mg (variies with the doc) that usually works. For a few, this dose isn't high enough and it may be necessary to start over at 100mg. But success rate is high.

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« Last Edit: Jun 24^th, 2008 at 11:55am by Bob Johnson »

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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #2 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:02pm Thanks for the response. I have already laid the groundwork for getting my O2. I am heading to my Doc shortly and will push for Pred. and verap. Thanks again.
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Paige_H.

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #3 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:26pm

Hey Drew. I start out at 60mg of Pred and then start a taper down, while having a false belief in a preventative working. None of the preventatives work well for me at all. But 60mg, is a fairly low dosage of pred. I have had different side effects with pred - rarely the same one every time i have to take it. but i can only take it once a year because i'm skinny. just talk to your doc about the side effects and see what you can find out. try it while you start a preventative and hopefully the preventative will work.

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Drew_Va

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #4 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:38pm

Thanks Paige. I will do just that. Like you, I've never found a preventative. It was only two years ago that I found an effective abortive (Injectable Immitrex). I know am wondering if the abortvie is prolonging/worsening the cycle. I have been through 29 shots in less than a month and only have one shot left (sigh). I need to find a better option. I'm hoping pred/verapamil/02 might be my savior, though I have tried 2/3 before. Maybe I am just grasping at straws.....

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Brew Ex Member	Re: Prednisone Reply #5 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:42pm Consider talking to your doc about a verapamil/lithium cocktail. It's a beast killer for a number of folks around here.
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johnp CH.com Junior Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 40 Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #6 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:46pm I know the side affects, for mood swings try lexapro 10 mg , it will take the edge off, the weight will come off fast when you stop the prednisone, im 155 pounds on it I get up two 200 pounds lol , food isn't safe, stay away from soda, and I wish you the best , but lexapro is a must lol,
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johnp

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #7 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:55pm

drew the only side affect for the lexapro is your sex drive, it brings it way up , if your married your spouse will love it lol, after two days on it I would wake up humping the mattress , so I'll leave you with something positive!!!!!!!

Its a cool drug, in any relationship I was ever in the first 6 months is so great I love lust lol, and wild sex, if you with someone for years the sex get less alot lol, so you might want to have some fun with the drug I give the drug ++++++++++++ alot of them

this is how she will look Cheesy

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« Last Edit: Jun 24^th, 2008 at 1:13pm by johnp »

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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #8 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 1:10pm
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Audre

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #9 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 1:14pm

johnp wrote on Jun 24^th, 2008 at 12:55pm:

I would wake up humpping the mattress

LOL! That's an image I'm sure we all needed. :-P I've been taking lexapro for almost 2 years now and haven't randomly started humping anything (I think that may be a good thing Grin

) The only side effect I've had from it is being tired for about a week when I first started taking it and if I forget to refill it for a few days, I'm tired for a few days again. The only problem is it's an SSRI so you have to be careful with the other medicine taken for CH's (mostly triptans).

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kika

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #10 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 10:52pm

hi

prednisone is a miraculous poison IMHO. one that i am not yet desperate enough to resort to taking.
i began using it to abort CH's 2 years ago, starting at 60 mg/day x 2 weeks, then tapering down by 5 mg a day. personally, the side effects are not worth the amazing pain relief i get from it ( in combination with verapamil). primarily, the roid rage/ mood swings. i abhour the acne, facial hair, moon face, weight gain as well, but refuse to screw with my mental health unless absolutely neccessary.

also, the risk of bone density loss later on concerns me.

if you can manage the side effetcts and/or are willing to deal with them for the pain relief, then it CAN be an awesome drug.
good luck whatever you choose to do

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Brew

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #11 - Jun 24^th, 2008 at 11:35pm

kika wrote on Jun 24^th, 2008 at 10:52pm:

if you can manage the side effetcts and/or are willing to deal with them for the pain relief, then it CAN be an awesome drug.

Then let's be careful in labeling it as "poison."

To me, poison only has bad side effects - no benefits. Like ingesting Drano.

I'm pretty sure prednisone has prevented at least a few people from eating their piece.

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johnp CH.com Junior Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 40 Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #12 - Jun 25^th, 2008 at 12:37am are all the women in here calling the doctors two get this drug for there hubbys' lexapro means ? for women?
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kika CH.com Veteran Offline I Love CH.com! Posts: 122	Re: Prednisone Reply #13 - Jun 25^th, 2008 at 8:47am sorry brew, no offense meant by my use of the word. i have a love/hate relationship with prednisone and i guess that came through in my post.
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Brew Ex Member	Re: Prednisone Reply #14 - Jun 25^th, 2008 at 3:15pm No offense taken. I just get a little wound up when something that has saved the life of a friend of mine gets mislabeled.
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Sophia

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #15 - Jun 26^th, 2008 at 10:57am

My doc started me on a dose of 50mgs and tapering down by 12.5mgs every three days. God I hope this helps. I have warned my family that I get MEAN with this and hope they will understand. But I cant be meaner than during an attack when I look for fist fights. BTW has anyone here ever screamed so long and so loud during an attack they have passed out? I did that over the weekend and it scared the pants off me. The boyfriend just ignored it. I think we need therapy. Or maybe I will marry him just to divorce him and add him to my list of crazy exhusbands. I gotta laugh it hurts too much to cry. Sophia Cool

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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #16 - Jun 26^th, 2008 at 3:44pm Well....it took a Doctor's visit, a two day ride on the Dopeymax express (topamax) and a followup phone call to my Doc to get a script for prednisone. I will be starting it tonight. I hope it works fast as I am six weeks into the most intense cycle I can remember. And the hits they just keep on rolling........
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Brew

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #17 - Jun 26^th, 2008 at 4:02pm

Drew_Va wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 3:44pm:

Well....it took a Doctor's visit, a two day ride on the Dopeymax express (topamax) and a followup phone call to my Doc to get a script for prednisone. I will be starting it tonight. I hope it works fast as I am six weeks into the most intense cycle I can remember. And the hits they just keep on rolling........ Angry

Did your doc discuss the best time of day to take it? I've always been told to take the entire day's dose first thing upon waking up - it actually mimics the body's own production of adrenaline, and that's when normal, everyday folks like us get the biggest shot of adrenaline - when we first wake up.

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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #18 - Jun 26^th, 2008 at 4:11pm No, he didn't. Further investigation is required. Edit: You are correct.
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kika

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #19 - Jun 26^th, 2008 at 5:49pm

Drew_Va wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 3:44pm:

Well....it took a Doctor's visit, a two day ride on the Dopeymax express (topamax) and a followup phone call to my Doc to get a script for prednisone. I will be starting it tonight. I hope it works fast as I am six weeks into the most intense cycle I can remember. And the hits they just keep on rolling........ Angry

i wish you the best of luck. from my experience, it works quickly to stop the cycle.
FYI, i found that taking it with orange juice helped mask the nasty taste it tends to have, which helps when swallowing 12 or more tabs.

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Drew_Va

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #20 - Jun 27^th, 2008 at 7:16am

kika wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 5:49pm:

Drew_Va wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 3:44pm:

Well....it took a Doctor's visit, a two day ride on the Dopeymax express (topamax) and a followup phone call to my Doc to get a script for prednisone. I will be starting it tonight. I hope it works fast as I am six weeks into the most intense cycle I can remember. And the hits they just keep on rolling........ Angry

i wish you the best of luck. from my experience, it works quickly to stop the cycle.
FYI, i found that taking it with orange juice helped mask the nasty taste it tends to have, which helps when swallowing 12 or more tabs.

I should have listened to your advice. That stuff sure leaves a nasty aftertaste. *Shudder*

Pain Free night last night---the first I can recall in at least two weeks. Was it the prednisone? Or did the beast just give me the night off? Time will tell. In fact, I've been getting hit every morning around 9 a.m. so I should know more shortly.

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Brew Ex Member	Re: Prednisone Reply #21 - Jun 27^th, 2008 at 7:27am If I was a betting man, I'd say it was the 'roids. Edited to add: Understand that it may not be an all-or-nothing proposition. If I can eliminate the nighttime hits and get a decent night's sleep, I feel I'm in a much better position to deal with the ones that come during the day.
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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #22 - Jun 27^th, 2008 at 7:31am I hope so. I took three 20mg yesterday afternoon (I did not want to wait until this morning). I took three more 20 mg about 30 minutes ago. I've been shadowing slightly this morning but nothing too bad.
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Drew_Va CH.com Junior Offline Posts: 74 x1\|Louisa\|USA\|usa\|470\|156\|VA,Virginia Gender:	Re: Prednisone Reply #23 - Jun 27^th, 2008 at 10:31am 10:30 and no sign of the beast knocks on wood. Perhaps the 'roids are working............
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Sophia

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Re: Prednisone
Reply #24 - Jun 27^th, 2008 at 12:28pm

Oh good somebody else is having to take this nasty stuff besides me. I take mine in the morning (the entire days dose) or I am up all night long. So far the hits have been about a level 6 instead of a 10. I sure hope this works for all of us who have to take it. Personally I dont understand why if LSD works to bust a cycle why it is not legal. I would so much rather have a good trip than 'roid rage. Cool

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