Steroid (dexamethazone) side effects?

Each person can have different side effects.  I'm sure as I list these I will miss some, and am not saying that I'mve had them all.   I will tell you that the first time was for 5 months.  This time so far 2 months. 

inability to sleep,  uncontroable mood swings,  loosing mass in your body which then become weaker and weaker,  cushings disease,  eye visions, extreme weight gain,  hump back, moon face,  headaches, thrush, exhaustion, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression ect

I am sure that others can add more to this list.  Many cannot be weaned.  Dex is much stronger than prednisone, I think it's 7 times the strength.  When weaning if done too quickly can and cause seizures.  

Linda

Each person can have different side effects.  I'm sure as I list these I will miss some, and am not saying that I'mve had them all.   I will tell you that the first time was for 5 months.  This time so far 2 months. 

inability to sleep,  uncontroable mood swings,  loosing mass in your body which then become weaker and weaker,  cushings disease,  eye visions, extreme weight gain,  hump back, moon face,  headaches, thrush, exhaustion, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression ect

I am sure that others can add more to this list.  Many cannot be weaned.  Dex is much stronger than prednisone, I think it's 7 times the strength.  When weaning if done too quickly can and cause seizures.  

Linda

Each person can have different side effects.  I'm sure as I list these I will miss some, and am not saying that I'mve had them all.   I will tell you that the first time was for 5 months.  This time so far 2 months. 

inability to sleep,  uncontroable mood swings,  loosing mass in your body which then become weaker and weaker,  cushings disease,  eye visions, extreme weight gain,  hump back, moon face,  headaches, thrush, exhaustion, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression ect

I am sure that others can add more to this list.  Many cannot be weaned.  Dex is much stronger than prednisone, I think it's 7 times the strength.  When weaning if done too quickly can and cause seizures.  

Linda

My husband is back on dexamethazone…he had a seizure due to side effects of gamma knife. He actually feels really good while on them…they seem to counteract all the nasty side effects of Zelboraf. He does have trouble sleeping, but we’ve figured out the timing to make it not so bad. Incredible appetite, weight gain, mood swings, accelerated heart rate. Not great, but they actually make him feel better, plus they relieve the swelling on his brain and so far, no more seizures. He’ll start to wean down in a couple of weeks, he’s done it before, so hopefully this time will be as easy as last time.

My husband is back on dexamethazone…he had a seizure due to side effects of gamma knife. He actually feels really good while on them…they seem to counteract all the nasty side effects of Zelboraf. He does have trouble sleeping, but we’ve figured out the timing to make it not so bad. Incredible appetite, weight gain, mood swings, accelerated heart rate. Not great, but they actually make him feel better, plus they relieve the swelling on his brain and so far, no more seizures. He’ll start to wean down in a couple of weeks, he’s done it before, so hopefully this time will be as easy as last time.

My husband is back on dexamethazone…he had a seizure due to side effects of gamma knife. He actually feels really good while on them…they seem to counteract all the nasty side effects of Zelboraf. He does have trouble sleeping, but we’ve figured out the timing to make it not so bad. Incredible appetite, weight gain, mood swings, accelerated heart rate. Not great, but they actually make him feel better, plus they relieve the swelling on his brain and so far, no more seizures. He’ll start to wean down in a couple of weeks, he’s done it before, so hopefully this time will be as easy as last time.

Had undergone many things during my attempts to get to NED.  Steroids played a part in that journey for over 1.5 years in a effort to keep some side effects from a trial at bay. I would say it took at least a full year for me to feel about 90% 'my normal' after having gotten off them entirely. Stamina, strength, increased sleep, healthier eating, off all meds.  

  I had to be put on a very (unusually) high dose of steroids and then weaned off of them gradually.  Started on IV steroids as outpatient (Solumedrol 1,000 ml) and then converted overto Prednisone.  Get this, 650 MG per day.  They started weaning me pretty fast by dropping 50 MG over the course of a week,, and then gradually 50 MG more dropped, etc., etc.   Over the course of 1.5 year it took 2 attempts to wean me off Prednisone as the closer I got to getting off of them, some of the original trial side effect returned.  All the steroid side effects listed by other posters I experienced.  I had to be placed on blood pressure meds since steroids impacted that area,  I was put on an anti-biotic 3x per week as a preventable measure since steriods can weaken your immune systm.  I was on Priolsec for acid reflux as the high dose of steroids daily caused an esophogeal spasm every once in a while, etc.  And likely a couple other meds to combat the steroid side effects.

Some of the most issues for me were: the sleeplessness (maybe 3 hours of solid sleep per night at max0;  night sweats;  no strength or stamina at all; some muscle wasting; most food tasted bad – until I dropped down to about 20 MG of Prednisone per day and then the taste buds came back.   I never gained additional weight, but I did change in my appearance.  Moon face, back hump, shoulders increased in size – looked like a weight lifter.  iI believe its called Cushings syndrome – when fat from some areas of your body actually moves/relocates elsewhere – seriously!  Lost weight in butt, legs, etc, but increased in mass waist up – go figure.  That was perhaps the hardest…not being able to look at myself in a mirror and recognize me.  Others at work (unaware of what I was going through) thought I was merely gaining weight. 

My mood never really changed much (no anger issues)- although I did start noticing signs of depression at the end of year 1.  Most of the time I was too busy dealing with what meds to take and when, how much Prednisone I was on for that week or day (since it was constantly changing), no sleep, and dealing with finding new clothes that fit, and working full time.    When I got down to about 25 MG per day I started sleeping more, tasting more. 

For me it was 1.5 years on them and a year to fully get back to my normal. 

Had undergone many things during my attempts to get to NED.  Steroids played a part in that journey for over 1.5 years in a effort to keep some side effects from a trial at bay. I would say it took at least a full year for me to feel about 90% 'my normal' after having gotten off them entirely. Stamina, strength, increased sleep, healthier eating, off all meds.  

  I had to be put on a very (unusually) high dose of steroids and then weaned off of them gradually.  Started on IV steroids as outpatient (Solumedrol 1,000 ml) and then converted overto Prednisone.  Get this, 650 MG per day.  They started weaning me pretty fast by dropping 50 MG over the course of a week,, and then gradually 50 MG more dropped, etc., etc.   Over the course of 1.5 year it took 2 attempts to wean me off Prednisone as the closer I got to getting off of them, some of the original trial side effect returned.  All the steroid side effects listed by other posters I experienced.  I had to be placed on blood pressure meds since steroids impacted that area,  I was put on an anti-biotic 3x per week as a preventable measure since steriods can weaken your immune systm.  I was on Priolsec for acid reflux as the high dose of steroids daily caused an esophogeal spasm every once in a while, etc.  And likely a couple other meds to combat the steroid side effects.

Some of the most issues for me were: the sleeplessness (maybe 3 hours of solid sleep per night at max0;  night sweats;  no strength or stamina at all; some muscle wasting; most food tasted bad – until I dropped down to about 20 MG of Prednisone per day and then the taste buds came back.   I never gained additional weight, but I did change in my appearance.  Moon face, back hump, shoulders increased in size – looked like a weight lifter.  iI believe its called Cushings syndrome – when fat from some areas of your body actually moves/relocates elsewhere – seriously!  Lost weight in butt, legs, etc, but increased in mass waist up – go figure.  That was perhaps the hardest…not being able to look at myself in a mirror and recognize me.  Others at work (unaware of what I was going through) thought I was merely gaining weight. 

My mood never really changed much (no anger issues)- although I did start noticing signs of depression at the end of year 1.  Most of the time I was too busy dealing with what meds to take and when, how much Prednisone I was on for that week or day (since it was constantly changing), no sleep, and dealing with finding new clothes that fit, and working full time.    When I got down to about 25 MG per day I started sleeping more, tasting more. 

For me it was 1.5 years on them and a year to fully get back to my normal. 

Had undergone many things during my attempts to get to NED.  Steroids played a part in that journey for over 1.5 years in a effort to keep some side effects from a trial at bay. I would say it took at least a full year for me to feel about 90% 'my normal' after having gotten off them entirely. Stamina, strength, increased sleep, healthier eating, off all meds.  

  I had to be put on a very (unusually) high dose of steroids and then weaned off of them gradually.  Started on IV steroids as outpatient (Solumedrol 1,000 ml) and then converted overto Prednisone.  Get this, 650 MG per day.  They started weaning me pretty fast by dropping 50 MG over the course of a week,, and then gradually 50 MG more dropped, etc., etc.   Over the course of 1.5 year it took 2 attempts to wean me off Prednisone as the closer I got to getting off of them, some of the original trial side effect returned.  All the steroid side effects listed by other posters I experienced.  I had to be placed on blood pressure meds since steroids impacted that area,  I was put on an anti-biotic 3x per week as a preventable measure since steriods can weaken your immune systm.  I was on Priolsec for acid reflux as the high dose of steroids daily caused an esophogeal spasm every once in a while, etc.  And likely a couple other meds to combat the steroid side effects.

Some of the most issues for me were: the sleeplessness (maybe 3 hours of solid sleep per night at max0;  night sweats;  no strength or stamina at all; some muscle wasting; most food tasted bad – until I dropped down to about 20 MG of Prednisone per day and then the taste buds came back.   I never gained additional weight, but I did change in my appearance.  Moon face, back hump, shoulders increased in size – looked like a weight lifter.  iI believe its called Cushings syndrome – when fat from some areas of your body actually moves/relocates elsewhere – seriously!  Lost weight in butt, legs, etc, but increased in mass waist up – go figure.  That was perhaps the hardest…not being able to look at myself in a mirror and recognize me.  Others at work (unaware of what I was going through) thought I was merely gaining weight. 

My mood never really changed much (no anger issues)- although I did start noticing signs of depression at the end of year 1.  Most of the time I was too busy dealing with what meds to take and when, how much Prednisone I was on for that week or day (since it was constantly changing), no sleep, and dealing with finding new clothes that fit, and working full time.    When I got down to about 25 MG per day I started sleeping more, tasting more. 

For me it was 1.5 years on them and a year to fully get back to my normal.