What Is Prednisone for Arthritis?
Prednisone is a medication in a class of drugs called corticosteroids. You might hear your doctor call them glucocorticoids. Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that mimic a hormone called cortisol , which your body makes naturally.
Even though corticosteroids are sometimes called “steroids” for short, they’re different from anabolic steroids, the drugs athletes use to build bigger muscles.
Prednisone, which comes as a tablet or a liquid, treats inflammatory types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and related diseases such as gout, lupus, and vasculitis. It's also used to treat many other conditions, from allergies and asthma to cancer and multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Most of the time, prednisone is sold as a generic drug, but there are a few brand-name versions, including Rayos, which is a delayed-release tablet, and Prednisone Intensol, a liquid formula.
How Can Prednisone for Arthritis Help?
Like other corticosteroids, prednisone quickly lowers inflammation, reducing pain, redness, and swelling. It also dials down your immune system. Under normal conditions, this system protects you against things such as viruses and bacteria that cause infections and diseases.
Sometimes, your immune system overreacts and attacks your body's tissues. With rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, its target is the lining inside your joints. Prednisone stops that attack. It lowers the amount of cytokines, chemicals your body produces that tell your immune system to go to work. And it boosts the function of certain white blood cells that put the brakes on your immune response. It also makes it harder for fluid to move out of blood vessels into surrounding tissue, which cuts down on swelling.
Some research has shown that in addition to treating inflammatory forms of arthritis, prednisone can be effective against pain and swelling from osteoarthritis in your hands too.
There’s also proof that low-dose prednisone may slow joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis, but not as much as other arthritis medications do. It can also cause unpleasant long-term side effects.
Prednisone Dosage for Arthritis
The amount of prednisone your doctor prescribes will depend on your specific condition and the stage of your disease. You might get a high dose (as much as 80 milligrams/day) for a short time if you’re having a flare-up. Or your doctor may put you on a lower dose for what they call bridge therapy while you’re waiting for another medication to take effect. Many people take a low-maintenance dose (5-10 milligrams/day) for a long time to keep inflammation levels in check.
What Are the Side Effects of Prednisone?
Steroids come with a long list of side effects. They’re more common with oral medications such as prednisone for arthritis because they affect your entire body. You’re also more likely to get them if you’re taking a high dose over a long time.
Common side effects of prednisone
Many of the common side effects of prednisone aren't dangerous and may go away as your body gets used to the medicine. They include:
- Acne
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Increased appetite and weight gain
- Less interest in sex
- Mood swings
- Nervousness, restlessness
- Sleep problems
- Stomach upset (especially if you take it with ibuprofen or naproxen)
Talk to your doctor if any side effects bother you or don't go away.
Severe side effects of prednisone
Other possible side effects of prednisone can be serious. Among them are:
- Bone thinning (osteoporosis)
- Confusion or hallucinations
- Eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts
- High blood pressure
- Higher risk of infection
- Skin problems such as easy bruising and slower wound healing
- Stomach bleeding
- Swelling in lower legs
- Worsening diabetes
Call 911 if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as a rash, hives, trouble breathing, or swelling in your face, tongue, or throat.
How to Take Prednisone for Arthritis
Take prednisone with food so it doesn’t upset your stomach. Don’t break, crush, or chew delayed-release tablets. Measure liquid prednisone carefully.
How Long Does It Take Prednisone to Work for Arthritis Pain?
With the immediate-release type of prednisone, the medication enters your bloodstream and begins working within 1-2 hours. Delayed-release tablets start working in about 6 hours. But it may take a few days before you notice any improvement in your symptoms.
How Long Does Prednisone Stay in Your System?
Prednisone doesn't stay in your body long — less than a day. It has a half-life of 3-4 hours, which means half of the drug is out of your system within 4 hours. Half of what's left is gone in another 4 hours, and so on. Children's bodies move the medication through in about half the time as adults.
Weaning Off Prednisone?
No matter the dose, if you’ve been taking prednisone for arthritis for more than 2 weeks, you shouldn’t stop suddenly. While you're using the drug, your body makes less natural cortisol. Your doctor will help you decrease your dose (they’ll call it tapering off) slowly so your body has time to increase its own cortisol production. Follow your doctor’s instructions about tapering carefully. If you quit all of a sudden, you could have symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Joint pain
- Lack of appetite
- Weakness
- Lightheadedness
- Body aches
Who Shouldn’t Take Prednisone?
Prednisone may not be a good choice for people with certain health conditions. Tell your doctor if you have:
- Heart disease or if you’ve had a heart attack
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Gastrointestinal issues such as peptic ulcer, diverticulitis, or ulcerative colitis
- Osteoporosis
- Eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, or ocular herpes simplex
There are many drugs that may not be safe to take at the same time you're taking prednisone. Before starting it, make sure your doctor knows all of your medications and supplements, including:
- Antibiotics
- Antifungal drugs
- Anti-seizure medications
- Blood thinners
- Diabetes medications
- Diuretics
- Estrogen
- Immune-suppressing drugs
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)
Because it changes the way your immune system works, you also need to be careful about getting certain vaccines when you're taking prednisone for arthritis. Talk to your doctor about the timing if you're due for a booster.
Can you take ibuprofen with prednisone?
The risk of stomach bleeding goes up if you combine prednisone with NSAIDs, including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and celecoxib (Celebrex). Your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) if you need something for pain or fever while you're taking prednisone.
Takeaways
Prednisone can help control arthritis-related pain and swelling in your joints. Your doctor may prescribe it for a short time during a flare-up or while you're waiting for a different drug to take effect. Or you may take a small dose for a long time. Prednisone can cause serious side effects and can interact with several other medications.
Prednisone for Arthritis FAQs
Does prednisone help with pain or just inflammation?
Prednisone helps with both pain and inflammation in arthritis.
What is considered a high dose of prednisone?
About 40 milligrams or more per day is considered a high dose of prednisone.
Can you take prednisone for gouty arthritis?
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis. Prednisone can be used to treat flare-ups, especially when more than one joint is affected.
