Side effects of prednisone range from gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea, stomach pain) and neurologic/psychiatric (mood swings, insomnia) to ophthalmic (blurred vision, cataracts) and endocrine (diabetes, hyperglycemia.) Taking prednisone can dramatically weaken your bones, leading to osteoporosis, may cause cravings that cause weight gain, and can increase your risk of infections. It does, though the side effects of prednisone depend on the strength of the dose and for how long you take it. What Are The Side Effects of Taking Prednisone for Rheumatoid Arthritis? Prednisone is also helpful for RA patients who are experiencing a severe flare, he adds: “It allows you to regain control of the disease relatively quickly.” Prednisone may also be prescribed to rheumatoid arthritis patients who haven’t responded well to DMARDs or biologics. (Prednisone can safely be used with both conventional DMARDs, such as methotrexate, and biologics.) “DMARDs take quite a while to kick in, and it’s not fair to have a patient struggle with their symptoms for weeks while we wait for the medication to start working,” he explains. When Is Prednisone for Rheumatoid Arthritis Typically Prescribed?īecause prednisone starts working so quickly, one of its most common uses is providing a “bridge therapy” for people in the early stages of RA, Dr. Tiliakos says: “There’s evidence that it acts like a DMARD, or a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug, to slow progression of the disease.” 3. Prednisone may even help limit the joint damage that occurs in RA, Dr. The second way is that glucocorticoids like prednisone also act like COX-2 inhibitors, which are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that target cyclooxygenase-2, an enzyme responsible for pain and inflammation. “This reduces inflammation and the pain and stiffness associated with it.” “Prednisone stimulates the glucocorticoid receptors in the cells, which causes suppression of these harmful cytokines,” Dr. ![]() These immune system molecules are involved in both joint inflammation and erosion of the bone that occurs in RA. One is by stopping the production of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines. ![]() Tiliakos says there are two ways these medications are thought to work. How Do Corticosteroids Like Prednisone Work to Improve RA Symptoms?ĭr. Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of male sex hormones and are generally only prescribed to boys with delayed puberty or to men with conditions linked to low testosterone. While corticosteroids are a steroid hormone, rest assured that they’re not the same as anabolic steroids, which are sometimes abused by athletes and bodybuilders to build muscle mass and improve performance. If a patient needs to take a high dose of the drug, it may be given intravenously. When using prednisone for rheumatoid arthritis, it is typically given orally, but injections of prednisone are sometimes used in those who have nausea or have difficulty swallowing, Dr. Prednisone is one of the drugs in a class of corticosteroids called glucocorticoids, which reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. What Are Corticosteroids?Ĭorticosteroids, or steroids, are a type of steroid hormone used to treat many types of conditions besides RA, such as asthma, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Tiliakos to answer some of the most common questions and concerns patients have about the drug. To help improve the understanding of how prednisone - and other corticosteroids such as dexamethasone and methylprednisolone - can help control rheumatoid arthritis, we asked Dr. “I’m of the opinion that it can be an excellent medication in certain circumstances.” “There is some controversy in rheumatology about the use of drugs like prednisone for rheumatoid arthritis, and some doctors believe they have no place in the treatment of RA,” he says. But when corticosteroids like prednisone are judiciously in the right patients, these drugs can be safe and effective, according to Anthan Tiliakos, DO, an assistant professor in the division of rheumatology at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. ![]() And it’s not hard to see why: These medications come with a long list of side effects, ranging from insomnia and weight gain to high blood sugar and thinning bones. ![]() People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are prescribed corticosteroids such as prednisone often have questions and concerns about them.
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