prednisone/anxiety please help

[REG53]

I was in the er Friday night with a flare-up. I was given solumedrol and sent home with a prednisone taper. I have having some anxiety. I was able to talk to my neuro yesterday about my flare and told him I was having some bad anxiety and I could not quit crying while I was talking to him and he sent me xanax 2.5 mg three times a day.

It is not helping and I can't relax and I am crying off and on. He did not say it could be the prednisone I did not ask him. I thought I was being nervous but this isn't just being nervous.

Has anyone exprienced this with prednisone?

Has anyone taken more than 2.5 mg at once?
I"ll call my neuro tomorrow but I have to get some sleep.

I am needing someone to talk with me.

I think and love all my friends here.

[MSer102]

Steroids are well known for causing agitation, anxiety and insomnia. How people react to them can be very individual. Some can take very high doses without much trouble and other people have very pronounced side effects on small doses.

If you are having so much anxiety and insomnia, it more than likely started with the high dose of Solu-Medrol you had in the ER. The effects from a high dose in particular can linger for several days.

A lot of people don't take an oral prednisone taper after Solu-Medrol because it keeps the level of steroid higher for longer and just prolongs the bad side effects. Research showed that there's no medical benefit from a taper so the tapers have been falling out of favor. An ER doctor might not know that tapers are being done less and less out in office practice.

The effects you are having are very typical of steroids. Some people actually go psychotic from low to moderate doses of oral prednisone alone.

The effects usually pass within a few days of getting off the steroids. So you might benefit from specifically asking your doctor if you can quit the taper to get the steroids out of your system sooner. It won't hurt anything to just stop because the taper wasn't medically necessary in the first place.

But continue to pay attention to your mood. Steroids have been known aggravate known cases and even trigger new clinical cases of bipolar disorder. Be sure to stay in touch with your doctors and get more help if your anxiety doesn't resolve within a couple of days.

[Seasha]

Hi REG~

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time. The one time I had Solu-Medrol (with no taper) was my last time having refused all referrals after that. I was one of those who had a near psychotic episode and it was terrifying! On top of the mood swings, I was having major panic attacks - thought I was going to die! My Dr. had me on Xanax as well as Valium. It was 14 years ago, so I don't remember the dosage.

It will ease up, but I understand your concern and am so sorry~ Please call your doctor in the morning. I was unable to even talk with mine, so DH had to do the talking.

Take care and come back to let us know how it's going!

[REG53]

MSer102 & Seasha
Thank you both so much for being here. It helps so much for someone to help and listen.

[Kimba22]

Hi REG,

Sorry to hear you are having this reaction. Glad MSer102 & Seasha had some answers for you already. I don't have any 1st hand experience with Xanax, but you do have to be careful about upping the dose without the advice of your dr. I'd recommend you go to ER for treatment if this goes beyond what you can handle.

The 2nd time I had high dose IV Steroids I developed steroid induced psychosis. It was awful. Thankfully, I was in in-patient rehab at the time and a medical professional realized what was happening. I was put on Risperidol, which brought me out of it. I've never had that reaction to them since (thank gooddness), but make sure to remind my drs. of that event and have Risperidol on hand after receiving steroids now.

Insomnia is bad enough, but anxiety on top it has to be the worst. I hope you are prescribed something at a dose that is effective for you, and your symptoms will ease up, soon. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Take care ,

[REG53]

Thank you Kimba 22. I'm glad you were somewhere you could get some help, that had to be scary.

I think I will take some Tylenol pm tonight to see if I can sleep. I know I can't take a lot of that either.

[REG53]

Up date- I am still not doing well. I finished the taper a day ago. I am still suffering from anxiety, this is so awful.

I keep thinking this will soon be over and I have been taking
.25mg of Xanax 3times a day and it keeps coming back.

I will be calling my dr. This morning, I think I need a higher dose. I pray I will be ok after these steroids leave my body. I have never had anxiety this bad.

Please pray.

[Kimba22]

I said a prayer for you. I hope you start to feel better, soon.

[Seasha]

Praying for you too, REG! Let us know what the doctor says and hang in there

[REG53]

Kimba and Seasha, thank you for your prayers, it helps me so much.

Dr. office is closed and the recording said Dr. on call would not perscribe and meds. The hospital gave me a few valium so yesterday afternoon I took one and a xanax just to get some relief. I woke up at 3:00 having it again. I have taken 2 xanax today.

I am looking forward to feeling better again.

[Kimba22]

REG,

Sorry you can't get a hold of your dr. My MS Specialist's office is always closed between Christmas & New Year's. Figures, twice I've needed to contact him during this time. Just end up being told "Go to ER."

I hope you can continue to hang in there until the steroids are out of your system. No one likes to end up in the ER, but I hope you will go if your anxiety gets too overwhelming. I'll be thinking of you.

(((Hugs))),

[REG53]

Thank you Kimba,

Yesterday I had to only take 2 xanax, the last one was 11:00 am. Today I took one at 7:00 am. Good sign the steroids are leaving my body.

Thank God and thanks to all of you.

It so helps to talk to people that understands.

[lindaincolorado]

REG, I am so sorry you are going thru this
I do not have any info for you.. glad you are better!
I have said a prayer for you
Linda

[REG53]

Linda, Thank you.

[MSer102]

Hi REG! Thanks for staying in touch. What a scary thing to go through! I'm so glad you're feeling better.