What happens if you discontinue prednisone

When doctors prescribe prednisone, they will generally specify a dose that gradually tapers down over several days to prevent prednisone withdrawal. Prednisone is a synthetic steroid similar to cortisol, a hormone that the adrenal glands produce. Some people refer to cortisol as the stress hormone.

However, cortisol does much more than controlling stress. The body also uses cortisol to regulate the heart rate and blood pressure. However, when a person takes prednisone, particularly when the course of treatment is more than a few weeks in length, the body reduces the amount of cortisol that it makes.

When a person then stops taking prednisone, the body cannot immediately produce enough cortisol to make up for the missing drug. It may take several days or weeks before cortisol production levels return to normal. This means that cortisol can affect many functions in the body, including:. When the body is not producing enough cortisol to compensate for the missing prednisone, a person can experience a range of symptoms until the body readjusts. Symptoms can vary in intensity and may last anywhere from a few days to several months after discontinuing the drug.

The severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms usually correlate with the length of time that a person was taking prednisone, as well as the size of their regular dose. People who are using prednisone should check with their doctor before stopping or reducing their dose. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of prednisone withdrawal after reducing the dose or stopping the medication should consult a doctor. However, in some cases, these lifestyle modifications may not be enough to help a person who has severe prednisone withdrawal symptoms.

People with severe symptoms should consult a doctor immediately. The doctor may need to readjust their tapering plan or treat any health complications. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you.

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Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Firestein GS, et al. Glucocorticoid therapy. In: Kelley and Firestein's Textbook of Rheumatology. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed June 25, Jameson JL, et al. In: Endocrinology: Adult and Pediatric.

Broersen LHA, et al. Adrenal insufficiency in corticosteroids use: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Furst, DE et al. Glucocorticoid withdrawal. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Prednisone is a synthetic artificial steroid that reduces inflammation.

It is used to treat inflammatory types of arthritis , asthma , severe allergies , and other conditions. Like other corticosteroids , prednisone works by lowering the activity of the immune system.

Prednisone must be taken according to your healthcare provider's directions. If you are prescribed prednisone for more than a few weeks, you will need to taper off the medication. This means you reduce the dosage slowly until you can stop the medication completely. Stopping prednisone all at once can lead to side effects and withdrawal symptoms. This article explains how prednisone works and why it is important to follow your healthcare provider's instructions for tapering off prednisone.

Prednisone is similar to cortisol, a hormone made by the adrenal glands. Cortisol is a steroid involved in regulating many of the body's systems, including metabolism and immunity.

It plays a key role in our body's response to stress. Prednisone works by mimicking the effects of cortisol. However, when prednisone is taken for more than a few weeks, the adrenal glands make less natural cortisol. As a result, stopping prednisone quickly can cause a number of problems. To avoid withdrawal after long-term use, prednisone should be reduced gradually according to a schedule set by your healthcare provider.

Don't try to stop or taper prednisone without your healthcare provider's knowledge or advice. Symptoms of prednisone withdrawal can range from mild to severe. Typical prednisone withdrawal symptoms include:.

The risk of prednisone withdrawal is so high that some healthcare providers will pre-plan a tapering schedule if high doses are used for more than three days. In most cases, however, tapering is only needed if you take prednisone by mouth for more than three weeks. There are no set rules for tapering off of prednisone. The schedule will differ based on the dose you were taking and how long you used the medication. The decision depends largely on the healthcare provider's clinical experience.

People who haven't been taking steroids for very long may have their dose decreased by a little each day. People who have been taking prednisone for a very long time may need a much slower taper. In some cases, the dose may be decreased monthly. When people first decrease the dose, it's common to feel achy or fatigued. These symptoms often get better over two to seven days.