My blood pressure has been much higher and now I'm on two medicines for it. I had gotten off of it altogether, but since being on the prednisone it's skyrocketed. Has anyone else had this side effect? Also, how long should one stay on prednisone before coming off of it? I'm now at a little over 3 weeks and still have many tablets left, though I'm only taking one per day now. Thanks for all your help!
I have had my blood pressure (BP) go off the charts since all of this has been going on. I quit steroids due to a reaction, but my BP remained elevated. I think it’s due to the high doses of ibuprofen I am taking. I was able to go a year without BP meds, but when this episode started in October, my BP has been consistently up. I resumed taking Lisinopril and was able to get it under control pretty quickly.
Steroids use can result in hypertension. Once you stop taking them, you should start to see things return to normal in a week or so. I think the high BP is related to all of the fluid retention.
How long should one take steroids? That is completely up to you. There are some pretty significant risks associated with them. A number of people report some pretty nasty side effects when taking them. I personally have had some bad experiences like skin tearing and a strange rash, terrible rebound flares after stopping steroids, and being incredibly emotionally labile. I also have a family history of severe osteoporosis. I have chosen to refuse any steroid therapy. Don’t let me convince you to stop them, please look into it for yourself and decide what is best for you. Steroids are just not for me and I end up with more problems than positives.
Keep in mind the risks associated with long term steroid therapy when making your decision. If you do decide to come of of them, have your doc give you instructions for a LONG taper that will end on a Friday. (DO NOT STOP ABRUPTLY) That way if you have a rebound flare, you won’t be missing work. Also, make sure that you have good pain meds and help for that period of time.
I hope that helps!
The Grumpiest of Kitties,
GrumpyCat
And another nurse chimes in- I agree with GrumpyCat (though I am not sure she is the grumpiest of kitties!) don't stop the steroids abruptly. I no longer take them either for reasons similar to Grumpy's, without the osteoporosis risk in my family. My BP also elevates at times 90/64- 140/100 at some office visits but it seems it is when I have pain, even when I have been denying it, and I have not been on steroids in the last year or so. Good luck i am rooting for you!
I monitor my BP at home. I have “White Coat Syndrome” where my BP is ALWAYS elevated at the doc’s office, but is fine when I take it at home. I usually take it every other day, just to keep an eye on it. I will also take it when I have a lot of pain, just to see how that changes the numbers. Pain, anxiety, stress and other environmental factors can influence your blood pressure. It’s really kind of neat to take mine in different situations and see how it changes. I’m a bit of a dork that way! 
I also get HP with prednisone but I am also a type 2 diabetic. And prednisone runs my BS skyhigh also gives me the shakes and has me wired so I can’t sleep.
Thanks for all your responses! I feel like I'm ready to stop these darn steroids! I'm also taking 2400mg of Ibuprofen a day, so together I think they're really driving my BP up. I've been in the 170s/100+ for several days now!! I think I'm going to up my next appt from the 26th of March to the 12th so I can get in sooner. My Rheumy said I can get back on the MTX after being on BC for two weeks. That will be 3 weeks by then. I'm going to start a higher dosage of the MTX and maybe begin Humira along with it. He gave me the Humira reading materials last visit. So we'll see. Thanks again for your posts! :-)
Hey Sherry,
Like Grumpy and the others have said don't just stop without tapering-off first.
Before I was diagnosed I was put on prednisone for six months. After three months I gained 50lbs, FELT like my blood pressure was high (it was) and started to get extremely agitated very easy! I just stopped taking it. I couldn't take it anymore. I am completely against prednisone when it's prescribed for more than a 1-2-3 week period.
I don't know much about Humira. I know most doctors prefer Enbrel over Humira. I think the cost is similar and both have co-pay assistance programs. I use the Enbrel assist program myself. They send me free alchohol pads, sharp containers and a travel cooler when I ask.
Thanks Robert! I only have about 6 pills left and have been taking one a day for about the last 2 weeks. I'm going to begin taking a half a pill for about 5 days to slowly wean myself off of this stuff!! Yuck! I don't like it and I feel like I'm gaining weight though I'm exercising. URGH!! :-( I'll just have to get a tighter grip on what I eat, both quantity and quality! More fresh fruits and veggies (which luckily I love!! ) Rabbit food diet here I come! What fun!!
GrumpyCat said:
I monitor my BP at home. I have "White Coat Syndrome" where my BP is ALWAYS elevated at the doc's office, but is fine when I take it at home. I usually take it every other day, just to keep an eye on it. I will also take it when I have a lot of pain, just to see how that changes the numbers. Pain, anxiety, stress and other environmental factors can influence your blood pressure. It's really kind of neat to take mine in different situations and see how it changes. I'm a bit of a dork that way! :-P
Hi GrumpyCat. I am new to the group. I also suffer from white coat syndrome which was diagnosed years ago. My new doctors tend to give me a hard time so I usually take my blood pressure a couple of times a day a couple of weeks before appointments. I absolutely do not want to be on blood pressure meds on top of everything else if I do not need to. Do you find that your doctors give you a hard time. After all it is a real diagnosis. Never fails. Always high at the doctor’s office. I even had a nurse try to get me to meditate with him before taking my blood pressure AND IT DIDN’T WORK. Deb