Prednisolone steroid advice please

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I was diagnosed with a chest infection 2 days ago and was given antibiotics and prednisolone steroids ( 8 a day ) i was a bit wary of the steroids so just took 4 the first day and 4 yesterday, well yesterday i had unexplained severe anger the entire day and wanted to scream, i was so bad that i avoided everyone, i had no reason to be angry so im thinking that the steroids were to blame, i think i was suffering from roid rage even with half the dose, i was also feeling very depressed, i dread to think what would have happened if id taken the full dose, i have now chucked them in the bin for the sake of my sanity but i was just wondering if anyone else had experienced anything like this.

No I just get very energetic on them and need to do lots of things. They work magic on my asthma

They can cause all sorts of personality change and an increase in appetite, especially for salty foods.

My late dh felt like this when they increased his steroids.

Steroids can make you feel that way, there is such a thing as steroid induced psychosis.

Alternatively not being able to breathe can have the effect of making behaviour irrational.

Thanks for the replies, the steroid induced psychosis sounds scary
it was a very high dose i was prescribed for 7 days so i think i would have ended up in a psychiatric ward if id taken the full dose for a whole week, i was slightly grumpy because i hadnt had a decent nights sleep for wheezing for days but this was real rage that ive never experienced before, the antibiotics and inhalors seem to be working so the steroids are staying in the bin.

Prednisolone work wonders for my asthma, but they do make me very happy Also very hungry. Then when I finish the course I get a "come down", a bit like when you get the blues a few days after having a baby.

I once had to take them for 4 months, I became wonder woman. There was nothing that I couldn't do. Luckily they lowered the dose gradually that time rather than going from 8 a day to none in one go.

Jemima that is what I am like!

Prednisalone are a wonder drug for chest infections...with very fast results.

I've had to take them about twice in my life (when I've had severe bronchitis) and have had no adverse effects. I believe they could well have saved my life.

Best to take them as directed...for a short time.

Scary tablets - I've had fluid on my lungs before and struggled to breathe, and pred works for me so fast I can feel the difference within hours of taking it.

Have never suffered any side effects as you describe, but I think if you read the leaflet that comes with the medication it will warn you of possible changes to mood, including irritability and aggression.

Yes, I was the same.

I took high dose prednisolone for over a year whilst TTC and pregnant as I couldn't take my usual arthritis drugs - I got on with them ok except I developed a moon face - which you get long term , I did get mood swings but I've always blamed this on the pregnancy but I also get more than a little tetchy when my RA flares , the slightest thing is just too much!
You should discuss any concerns over side-effects with your dr , rather than altering your dose - it won't have the intended effect and may mean that your treatment is less effective and therefore requires other 'support'.

my DH takes it every summer for his severe hay fever- mainly coughing. He thinks they make him slightly more awake at night- insomnia.

you should not throw meds away- have a chat with your local pharmacist for advice.

also- you might know already- anyone on pred. has to reduce the dose very slowly or your system can crash and you can have serious withdrawal symptoms- inc. I think kidney problems.

That's not true strawberryjelly, short courses of pred are fine to stop suddenly. DD has used pred on and off for years, the only time she has to withdraw slowly is when she's been on them for more than a month. She is often given 5-7 day courses of 40mg.

yes they are marvellous. They make me feel energetic though like boy said, that could be a side effect of actually being able to breathe and not being swollen!

Yes echo the comment about slow withdrawal / stopping ... It generally applies to long term use it's to do with your body going into adrenal shock - it's why if anything happens to you when you are on long term or high dose steroids you need to be supported medically, you should get a steroid alert card
You must not stop steroids suddenly as this is a very serious side effect
This nurse explains it better than me allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/what-happens-when-344849.html
when I had my DS just going into labour meant that I needed a steroid boost drip , as otherwise I would have gone into shock

There's excellent advice on steroid tablets here

smudge- I didn't actually give a time scale if you read my post.

the OP did not say how long the course was. If she had said a week then my advice would have been different.

when my DH takes them it is usually for 4-6 weeks and he reduces slowly.

The OP says she took them for two days, 4 on the first day and four on the second...I was diagnosed with a chest infection 2 days ago and was given antibiotics and prednisolone steroids ( 8 a day ) i was a bit wary of the steroids so just took 4 the first day and 4 yesterday

'roid rage is the expression used about the type of steroids that body builders/sports people sometimes use though. It is a totally different type of drug to the steroids used for asthma/eczema.

My dd has taken lots of pred for her asthma (she is 5) and it does make her restless and a bit hyper followed by a come down.

Pred affects my mood too. They also make me very hungry. I start off rather 'high' but can far too easily swing to more difficult emotions including depression and anger. Unstable emotions. However a short course can bring me back from being very ill.

I dont remember what effect Prednisone had on my moods but I do remember I ballooned up into a huge elephant. It took months to wean me off them and ages for the weight to disappear.

I'm off to get some later today as I'm really unwell with my asthma again.
I'm fine on a short course, or maybe just used to the moods but long courses do turn me into a hairy moonface.