Prednisone is a synthetic hormone commonly referred to as a “steroid”. Prednisone is very similar to cortisone, a natural corticosteroid hormone produced by the body’s adrenal glands.

Prednisone is used for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, diseases that cause inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis), other types of arthritis, and for many other types of diseases.

Prednisone suppresses the body’s immune system and also works to reduce inflammation that people experience as heat, redness, swelling, and pain.

Corticosteroids like prednisone are very different from anabolic steroids, the risky steroids related to male hormones that some athletes abuse for performance gains in sports and bodybuilding.

Typical doses for Prednisone vary, and can range from 1 mg per day to 100 mg per day. Sometimes Prednisone is prescribed every other day and sometimes it is prescribed two or even three times a day. The dose may be increased during stressful events like surgery or another medical illness to mimic the body’s normal hormone response. Prednisone is usually available as oral tablets. Other medications that are similar to Prednisone called corticosteroids may be given by injection.

Prednisone is often best taken in the morning with breakfast. This schedule mimics the body’s natural production of corticosteroid hormones.

Most patients start to feel the effects of prednisone within a few days. Some patients will start feeling better hours after taking the first pill.If you take prednisone and forget to take a dose at your usual time, but remember later the same day, take it immediately. If you take prednisone daily and forget the previous day’s dose, skip that dose and resume taking the usual dose for today.

If you take prednisone on alternating days and forget the previous day’s dose, take that dose today, and then tomorrow resume the schedule of alternating days.

Typical doses for Prednisone vary, and can range from 1 mg per day to 100 mg per day.

Sometimes Prednisone is prescribed every other day and sometimes it is prescribed two or even three times a day. The dose may be increased during stressful events like surgery or another medical illness to mimic the body’s normal hormone response.

Taking Prednisone

Prednisone is usually available as oral tablets. Other medications that are similar to Prednisone called corticosteroids may be given by injection.

Prednisone is often best taken in the morning with breakfast. This schedule mimics the body’s natural production of corticosteroid hormones.

Most patients start to feel the effects of prednisone within a few days. Some patients will start feeling better hours after taking the first pill.

If you take prednisone and forget to take a dose at your usual time, but remember later the same day, take it immediately.

If you take prednisone daily and forget the previous day’s dose, skip that dose and resume taking the usual dose for today.

If you take prednisone on alternating days and forget the previous day’s dose, take that dose today, and then tomorrow resume the schedule of alternating days.

Typical doses for Prednisone vary, and can range from 1 mg per day to 100 mg per day.

Sometimes Prednisone is prescribed every other day and sometimes it is prescribed two or even three times a day. The dose may be increased during stressful events like surgery or another medical illness to mimic the body’s normal hormone response.Taking Prednisone

Prednisone is usually available as oral tablets. Other medications that are similar to Prednisone called corticosteroids may be given by injection. Prednisone is often best taken in the morning with breakfast. This schedule mimics the body’s natural production of corticosteroid hormones.

Most patients start to feel the effects of prednisone within a few days. Some patients will start feeling better hours after taking the first pill.

Prednisone dosing and reduction is important, so if you have any questions or concerns, speak to your healthcare provider or your specialist.

Presenter: Dr. John Wade, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Rheumatologist

Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid that is similar to cortisone, a natural corticosteroid hormone produced in the body’s adrenal glands. Prednisone suppresses the body’s immune system, and prevents the release of substances in the body that can cause inflammation (heat, redness, swelling, and pain). Although corticosteroids like Prednisone are often called “steroids”, they are very different from the types of male-hormone-related steroids that some athletes might abuse for strength or performance gains in sports.

Despite Prednisone’s potential for side effects, the combined immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects of the medication, as well as its relatively fast action compared to many other treatments, can make it a very useful tool to treat many forms of arthritis.

Prednisone dosing and reduction is important, so if you have any questions or concerns, speak to your healthcare provider or your specialist.

Presenter: Dr. John Wade, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Rheumatologist

It’s very important if you’re on prednisone to have a good diet. The diet should consist of lots of vegetables, no junk food. It’s also very important to restrict your calories. Prednisone you will find will stimulate or increase your appetite, and you’ll want to eat a lot of carbohydrates. It’s a good idea to have a lot of vegetables around that you can eat as a replacement of eating a lot of cookies and cakes and things that you shouldn’t be eating.

Along with diet exercise is very important. Exercise is good because it strengthens your muscles, but also it’s important for burning off calories. So, it’s important that you have a structured exercise program on a daily basis.

And things like walking, going to the gym, swimming, are good forms of exercise. It’s probably a good idea not to do high impact exercises. So if you can do things like walking, swimming, that’s probably better exercise than high-impact exercises like running.

As we mentioned earlier, prednisone can have an effect on the bone, causing osteoporosis. So in addition to exercise, it’s very important that you have appropriate amounts of calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Calcium can be taken in normal foods such as milk, yogurt, cheeses, but if you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, it doesn’t hurt to supplement with a small amount of calcium.

In addition, we often don’t get enough vitamin D in our diet, so it’s probably a good idea to supplement with vitamin D. And we’ll recommend that you take vitamin D 2,000 units daily alongside any calcium supplementation.

If you are at risk of osteoporosis and you go on prednisone, your doctor may want to do a bone density test. And the bone density will determine how much calcium is in your spine and your hip. And if you’re going to be on prednisone at a high dose for a long period of time and there’s concern about osteoporosis, your doctor – in addition to recommending calcium and vitamin D – might recommend you go on a bone protection medication.

There are a number of bone protection medications that you could consider. They could be pills, injections or infusions. And you will want to talk to your doctor about which is the best one for you.

Presenter: Dr. John Wade, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Now health Network Local Practitioners: Rheumatologist