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How long does it take for prednisone to clear your system?

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Posted 5/14/2008 2:56 PM (GMT -6)
How long after your last dose should it take. Im wondering when I should expect to have a problem while weaning, If I do have a problem..
Posted 5/14/2008 3:25 PM (GMT -6)
I know it depends on the individual and thier body but in my own experience it depended how long I was on the pred for. When I took it for a period of two weeks I never had problems with the weaning or after off the pills and I guess it didn't take long to clear at all being that short a period. When I took it just lately for about a 3 month period I did have some problems in the last weaning week and the first week off...so I guess it depends...thats for me anyways. When I did wean off just recently and had problems I was getting nausea and bad headaches every day. But as I said, I think it differs for each individual and potentially how long you were on them...and it took about the week or week and a half before I started feeling normal, and now that its maybe 3 weeks off I think I am finally starting to lose some of the weight and moonface.
Posted 5/14/2008 3:26 PM (GMT -6)
Ooh - that's a good question. I'm tapering off my very first round of Pred myself. I'd like to know the answer to this question, too!
Posted 5/14/2008 3:39 PM (GMT -6)
A friend with RA who has a lot of experience with Pred told me that it can take 6 months or more for it to totally clear your system.  Last week I finished tapering for the 3rd time in a year.  I've had a headache for days.  The other two times I developed joint pain about two weeks after my last dose, but I haven't been able to stay off the stuff long enough to figure out whether that's my new "normal" due to CD or if it's a reaction to the Pred that will eventually go away.  I'm hoping that it goes away (if it comes back), because my Rheumy's solution was tramadol, which I HATED.

Posted 5/14/2008 4:27 PM (GMT -6)
Hmmmmm. I read that prednisone has the half life of 1 hour. I would think it would be fairly quick for you body to metabloize it.
Posted 5/14/2008 4:38 PM (GMT -6)
Prednisone has a pre conversion half lifaboute of one hour-Pred's is a converted into prednisolone-then its plasma half life as prednisolone is 2-3 hours. It has a duration of 18-36 hours. But once its out of your system it takes a while for your system to reregulate itself.
Posted 5/14/2008 5:36 PM (GMT -6)
So basically If I went from 25mg to 20 mg today. I would only be under the influence of 20mg in about 3 days. Then of course my body would need time to catch up to the reduced dose.
Posted 5/14/2008 6:14 PM (GMT -6)
I think the hardest part of weaning isn't the half-life and how long it's actually in your system. In my experience the hardest part of weaning is getting my own adrenal glands to start up again. That's the cause of mood swings, nausea, rash, exhaution, etc. that I get when I stop taking steroids.
Posted 5/14/2008 6:17 PM (GMT -6)

I am waening of pred at the moment also. I started at 30 and every 2 weeks go down 5 or there abouts. I am now on 7.5 and tomorrow go to 5 then 2.5 then 0 woohoo. Every 2 weeks when I decrease I feel a difference in the stomach and also routine of going to the toilet. I though as I was decreasing I was feeling symptoms of the Crohns coming back but by the sounds of it I could be readjusting.

Lady G also good to know it took about 3 weeks to shift some weight. Did you diet or do anything special. I really would like to lose a little weight as since being on the pred I have gained quite a bit and feel horrible alot of the time.

Posted 5/14/2008 7:32 PM (GMT -6)
sr5599 is absolutely right. The hard part is your own body needing time to start regulating itself again.
Also, if the pred has just been masking symptoms and you havent been taking other meds to control the symptoms then the disease can beocme active again as you withdrawl the pred.
Sj
Posted 5/14/2008 8:03 PM (GMT -6)
I understand that our own body makes about 7 gms of cortisone a day. When our taper gets close to that amount, we need to taper v e r y slowly so our body has a chance to start producing again. It seems that taking prednisone, for more than a short taper, causes our adrenals to stop making our own cortisone and the adrenals need to kick in again to start making the normal 7 gms. I hope your tapers go well!! Blessings!
Posted 5/14/2008 10:55 PM (GMT -6)

While the after effects of a taper can vary from person to person, you are suppose to let any doctors,dentists or surgeons know if you have been on any predinsone within one year of your last dose.  Just a reminder to those of you who may have considered taking this drug off your med alert bracelets and/or wallet cards. 

It took me about 2 weeks of withdrawal, i.e.; joint pain, insomnia, headaches and mood swings after my last dose.  I was on it for 2 years ranging from 60mg to 5mg dosages depending on what my stomach was doing on any given day.

Posted 5/15/2008 12:52 PM (GMT -6)

AlwaysRosie, I think you meant 7 milli-grams, not 7 grams.

Actually, it's not the same for everybody, and even for an individual, it varies from day to day, depending on health, stress, sleep, diet, etc.  I think a reasonable range is something like 6 to 15 mg's per day of natural steroid production by the adrenal glands.

Posted 5/15/2008 1:09 PM (GMT -6)
As Broomhilda said, a full year.  My doctors, yes all of them, insist that I wear a medic alert braclet for a full year telling everyone that I have been on prednisone. (That would be if I am ever successful with the taper, 4mg, yay).  But in the event of any accident, your adrenal glands might not kick in enough to save your life, and your doctors need to be aware of this.
Posted 5/20/2009 8:44 AM (GMT -6)
So I'm taking 3 20MG tablets a day of prednisone for only three days so I have 3 questions

1) what's the deal with drinking alcohol while being on prednisone?
2) what would happen if I stopped taking the last dose?
3) how long would that amount of prednisone stay in my system

I have a big party this weekend so I have to know if I can drink or not haha
Posted 5/20/2009 9:59 AM (GMT -6)
I drink while on methylpred (like pred)... Like anytime you drink and are sick, just keep it moderated.

Take your prednisone exactly as your doctor prescribed it. Any other path could result in very bad outcome. It's not clear if you mean you have just one dose left or one taper week or ?? In any event, it's not safe to mess with doctor's orders on steroids.
Posted 5/20/2009 10:21 AM (GMT -6)
My new Doc started me on 40mg yesterday. My old Doc would prescribe a taper, right on the bottle it would have me starting with a higher dose then tapering every 2 weeks... I liked that but this doc is different... I guess time to update my medical alert card again. I have a bracelet but it broke so I have my Med ID on my key-chain. And a card in my wallet. Maybe I should get a new bracelet? I did make some of my own also but they keep breaking. Karen
Posted 5/20/2009 11:51 AM (GMT -6)
I'm not sure how long it takes to leave your body, but I know that when listing your meds (for doctors, etc.) you're supposed to list it if you've taken it in the previous 2 years.
Posted 5/20/2009 2:15 PM (GMT -6)
I had my worst depression when weaning down from 40mg. I thought 5mg wasn't anything to really affect me. Boy was I wrong. I haven't been on it since so I am a little nervous. I think I may get some soon as I'm possible flaring now. Most of the times I was on 20mg and didn't have any problems. My very first time on it after getting diagnosed was the hardest to wean off of as far as getting my symptoms to quiet. It took months and I kept doing this roller coaster thing with my dosage. They finally cut me off at a very low dose and I did fine.
Posted 5/27/2009 7:22 AM (GMT -6)
Please, please, please follow the directions for weaning. If you do not have any ask your doctor to write them down for you. I have Iatrogenic Cushings Syndrome that is cause by the steroids. I have a Med. alert tag that states "needs stress dose steroids". I have been on Prednisone for close to 15 years now. I have had the experience of withdrawrals when I tapered to quikly. Get an edocrinologist as they can run the tests necessary for treating you. Always let all medical prof. know that your are on stroids.
Posted 5/27/2009 10:02 PM (GMT -6)

I am currently on 5 mg..I was up to 40 mg at one time..I felt the best I would say at 20mg, but the doctor wanted to taper off..He wanted me on 5 mg for 4 months..I started the predisone around the beginning of January..I had some real side effects, but my CD symptoms improved drastically..I had sweats, mood swings, insomnia..  I noticed a weight shift to my upper body and felt swollen but not a real difference in weight..  My gastro-intestinal inflammation and joint pain improved drastically.  I have been suffering from continual UTIs before and after..I was never told about a medical alert bracelet or having any issues..

Cindy

Posted 1/17/2010 7:29 PM (GMT -6)
I have been taking prednisone for skin inflammation, and I was wondering about the weaning period. The prescription was for 1 month only, 10 mg for the first week, and tapering down after that--5 mg wk 2, 2.5 mg wk 3, and 2.5 mg every other day week 4.

Should something with such a short duration (and only 10 mg at the highest dose) be likely to cause major withdrawal problems? Or am I likely to be OK?

Post Edited (Rose Immortal) : 1/17/2010 6:32:13 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/18/2010 9:04 AM (GMT -6)
Hey Rose Immortal and welcome to Healingwell. You should be okay with that weaning schedule, it doesn't sound too fast to me. You may have some joint pains for a couple of days afterwards but it should get better pretty quickly. Good luck!
Posted 1/24/2010 6:45 PM (GMT -6)
Good God, but the headaches and fatigue are killing me. I think it's the medicine itself, not the withdrawal, though. Down to 5 mg now so at least I'm sleeping at night, but I can't wait to step down my dosage again! Wednesday will not come fast enough...
Posted 2/28/2011 1:10 PM (GMT -6)
I was taking Prednisone 10mg for an unknown sudden severe allergic reaction that I had. Possibly iodine poison from seafood although never been allergic to seafood. Anyhow, my dosage instructions were as followed: 3 tablets 2x/day- 2 days, 2 tablets 2x/day- 3 days, 2 tablets twice/day 3 days, 1 tablet /day- 3 days. I ended up back in the ER twice due to the prednisone. I experienced almost every side-effect there is. I loss feeling in my arms and legs last thurs 2/24/10 while at work, couldn't walk, couldn't feel my tongue and had to be taken away by ambulance. The headaches are like no other. I have to take 3 exedrine extra strength and acid reflux, upset stomach, weight gain, slow movement, blurred vision everything has dam near weakened me. I can't sleep and I experience lightheadedness. The blurred vision is really scary. I had to stop taking the medicine before the last 3 days. Too many effects on me. I wasn't able to use the bathroom for about 5 days.
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