Beware of prednisone

I was diagnosed with Alopecia (it first began in the Ophiasis pattern then got better.. Then moved into Areata) over two years ago. When it was Ophiasis, my derm injected my scalp, and also prescribed topical steroids. My hair began coming back, and soon as it filled in, I started having gaping patches forming, resulting in my wearing wigs. It became too much to try to hide. My derm saw my frustration and began prednisone. 60 mgs/daily then slowly began lowering the dosage. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I ended up changing my lifestyle and diet. And I'm still not sure how, but thank god, it began working. I haven't had a patch in over a year and a half.

However, I developed Avascular Necrosis in my femur due to the prednisone. Many doctors view prednisone as a "cure-all drug" and prescribe it to many people suffering from autoimmune diseases as well as many other disorders and illnesses. I was never made Aware of the side effects and possible detrimental life-altering effects of he drug. I now have to undergo bone-graft surgery. It is my duty to tell all those currently taking or thinking of taking prednisone to be wary of the effects of this drug. If I had been made aware that it could and would affect my body in the way it did, I would have never ever. EVER . Taken it.

I know how it is to feel losing your hair and femininity and feeling self conscious all of the time, but turning to prednisone.. Ask your doctors before you ever consider taking it. Tell them everything about your lifestyle and ask about EVERY side effect of it before you go in it. Weigh the options. Taking the chance of possibly regaining your hair vs having your BONES DIE, deteriorate, and eventually leading to joint replacement, grafts, having plates put it into your body to prevent joint deterioration and collapse, just simply isn't worth it.

Please everyone, heed my warning. Prednisone may help you, (even though it did nothing for me), but truly consider EVER option and the possible consequences of taking prednisone before you agree to it.

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Permalink Reply by Debbi Fuller on October 17, 2016 at 8:03pm

Thank you Maddie for posting this.  Prednisone has VERY harmful side effects and it horrifies me that it is prescribed for hair loss!!  The chances of it actually growing back your hair PERMANENTLY are slim.  There's no reason to put your health at risk for only possible and temporary regrowth.  Since your hair grew back without medication, this points out that alopecia sometimes just shuts itself off for no good reason.  Even without changing your lifestyle, this might have happened anyway (although from reading your other posts it may have helped a lot I wasn't aware when I started writing this that you had been using drugs.  I'm VERY happy that you've changed your life so drastically.  It may indeed have been a side affect of the drugs that was causing your hair loss.  Even if it hadn't helped your hair loss, I'm sure that it will help you to live a long and happy life!  Back to the Prednisone,  I am especially incensed when I hear that it is being given to children.  There's no way to be sure that you won't suffer permanent side effects that are much worse than alopecia!  It's not worth it.

Permalink Reply by Maddie on October 17, 2016 at 10:23pm
I had no idea the amount of responses my post would get.. It's actually scary to know how many people who were/are in the same boat in regards to a total lack of information. Please let everyone you know About prednisone. I didn't expect so many of you beautiful people to respond so quickly and with so many stories and experiences. I love you all!!!
Permalink Reply by Bonnie funk on October 18, 2016 at 2:36pm
Hi. I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing side affects that result in surgery :(
On another note you may have happy info to share with others on a more natural remedy.
I would like to inquire about your diet changes that improved your hair growth.
Sincerely
B
Permalink Reply by desperatedanyell on October 19, 2016 at 9:16am

Hi
I have suffered with Alopecia since I was 27 (I am now 62) over that time my hair has come and gone a few times. However, the first time I had it I was prescribed prednisilone. It worked for me but, around a month after I finished the course I suddenly had a major gastric bleed and had to have 6 pints of blood

Permalink Reply by Alayna's dad on October 19, 2016 at 10:33am

PREDNISONE, like an antibiotics, is over prescribed. But it is a miracle drug for those with a respiratory problems When  first line drugs are not effective.  A 3 to 10 day dosage is all it takes to bring an serious problem under control. 

Permalink Reply by Debbi Fuller on October 19, 2016 at 10:58am

Yes, for my Dad who had emphysema, it was wonderful but he had no choice if he wanted to breathe.  Using it for hair loss is nuts.

Permalink Reply by CourtneyBrieAnna on October 28, 2016 at 12:25pm

Hi, I have been meaning to comment on this thread because it is a topic that I am greatly familiar to. I have a had AA basically all my life but have managed it pretty well because it was only little areas. However, at the beginning of this year I started to become resistant to the injections and I lost every single hair on my body within 2-3 months. Anyways, I have two dermatologists pressure me into taking prednisone when my alopecia got bad. I was always skeptic because I have researched the side effects and it just scared me. Well this last time I had given in and took it because my dermatology kept telling me that I really need to and that it will be fine because it will only be for a month. So I took it and after a month I had lost even more hair. So at my follow up apt. my dermatologist tried to get me to up my dosage and take it even longer after she told me people should not take it for longer than a month! I firmly said no and she said okay then there is nothing more I can do to help you. Moral of the story is I just makes me so mad because dermatologist (and other types of traditional doctors) honestly do not care about their patients. My dermatologist never once told me about any side effects, I had to research the drug myself. And for doctors to know how harmful this drug is and to pressure it on to their patients is just sick. I see a Integrative doctor now and I am taking the more safer route to healing my immune condition.

Another thing is, I think it is incorrect when an alopecia patient goes or gets referred to a dermatologist because the Alopecia is an immune reaction which is caused my something else going on inside of ones body. It has nothing to do with something going on on the skin/scalp (in most cases). Sure, the dermatologist can treat the symptoms but it is all just going to be temporary if you do not address the underlying cause, and most temporary treatments are harmful anyways.

The traditional medical field is definitely not what a lot of people think it is. It is all about money and not about keeping people healthy. It is sad.

I am not sure if I have any long term negative effects from being on prednisone. I really hope I do not and I hope it did not ruin my chances of healing my body the right way and growing my hair back. 

Oh and another really sad thing is my dermatologist order a couple different labs for me when my hair loss got bad to check my thyroids and a couple other things, and she told me that all of my lab worked looked normal. Later to find out that she ordered labs to check my ferritin levels and failed to tell me that they were in the 900's and ferritin levels are supposed to be around 50. Thankfully my integrative doctor did some more blood work and found that my ferritin levels were dangerously high and I since then I have been diagnosed with hemochromatosis and have to do therapeutic phlebotomy regularly. I am pretty sure my dermatologist should not have told me that my labs were "normal" when they were far from normal. Sorry for the rant guys, just makes me so mad that we trust these medically professionals with our lives (and pay then tons of money) only for them to do the opposite of what we think they are doing.

Permalink Reply by CourtneyBrieAnna on October 28, 2016 at 12:30pm

Hi, I have been meaning to comment on this thread because it is a topic that I am greatly familiar to. I have a had AA basically all my life but have managed it pretty well because it was only little areas. However, at the beginning of this year I started to become resistant to the injections and I lost every single hair on my body within 2-3 months. Anyways, I have two dermatologists pressure me into taking prednisone when my alopecia got bad. I was always skeptic because I have researched the side effects and it just scared me. Well this last time I had given in and took it because my dermatology kept telling me that I really need to and that it will be fine because it will only be for a month. So I took it and after a month I had lost even more hair. So at my follow up apt. my dermatologist tried to get me to up my dosage and take it even longer after she told me people should not take it for longer than a month! I firmly said no and she said okay then there is nothing more I can do to help you. Moral of the story is I just makes me so mad because dermatologist (and other types of traditional doctors) honestly do not care about their patients. My dermatologist never once told me about any side effects, I had to research the drug myself. And for doctors to know how harmful this drug is and to pressure it on to their patients is just sick. I see a Integrative doctor now and I am taking the more safer route to healing my immune condition.

Another thing is, I think it is incorrect when an alopecia patient goes or gets referred to a dermatologist because the Alopecia is an immune reaction which is caused my something else going on inside of ones body. It has nothing to do with something going on on the skin/scalp (in most cases). Sure, the dermatologist can treat the symptoms but it is all just going to be temporary if you do not address the underlying cause, and most temporary treatments are harmful anyways.

The traditional medical field is definitely not what a lot of people think it is. It is all about money and not about keeping people healthy. It is sad.

I am not sure if I have any long term negative effects from being on prednisone. I really hope I do not and I hope it did not ruin my chances of healing my body the right way and growing my hair back. 

Oh and another really sad thing is my dermatologist order a couple different labs for me when my hair loss got bad to check my thyroids and a couple other things, and she told me that all of my lab worked looked normal. Later to find out that she ordered labs to check my ferritin levels and failed to tell me that they were in the 900's and ferritin levels are supposed to be around 50. Thankfully my integrative doctor did some more blood work and found that my ferritin levels were dangerously high and I since then I have been diagnosed with hemochromatosis and have to do therapeutic phlebotomy regularly. I am pretty sure my dermatologist should not have told me that my labs were "normal" when they were far from normal. Sorry for the rant guys, just makes me so mad that we trust these medically professionals with our lives (and pay then tons of money) only for them to do the opposite of what we think they are doing.

Permalink Reply by Dolly on December 9, 2016 at 2:15pm

Hi Maddie,

In your post from 2014 you wrote that it worked for you back then. Can I conclude that you had prednison twice and that the first time when you used it, it was for a short(er) term and with a lower dose? You didn't suffer from any side effects after the first treatment, right? It was only after the second treatment that this happened or not? Reason why I'm asking is that I'm considering taking it for maximum of a month. I know people that got their hair back without side effects.

I quote your post from then:

Does it do the same thing to your immune system as prednisone does? I was on prednisone for a month, and although it made me ridiculously out of it and high, it actually worked. So if this is similar and doesn't affect the immune system so dangerously, I want in, too! Let me know if you find anything out or if it works. I took 20mg for the first week, 10mg for the second and 5 for the third. I was very skeptical and hated the side effects but it worked. Faster and better than any topical steroids and cortisone shots. It's the only thing that worked for me, I haven't had any loss for the last 3 months, up until last week, so I'm thinking about going back on it.
Permalink Reply by Debbi Fuller on December 9, 2016 at 7:44pm

You can go back on it, but it isn't a long term solution.  When you say you haven't had any loss up until the last week, this means that it probably worked for about 3 months.  THEN you have to start taking it again.  It is NOT a cure - it is a short-term solution for some people some of the time with side effects.  Just be VERY realistic about it's  risks and benefits.  I, personally, would not EVER take it.

Permalink Reply by mtran2000 on December 9, 2016 at 7:56pm

Yikes, I was prednisone in the past for short periods and hope I haven't done any long term damage.

Permalink Reply by Debbi Fuller on December 9, 2016 at 8:06pm

Probably not, just be VERY careful with this drug.

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