This can cause a condition called prednisone withdrawal.Prednisone withdrawal is different from how we typically imagine withdrawal. Every part of my body hurts, including my face. That is, prednisone withdrawal doesn’t cause you to crave prednisone. Some people refer to cortisol as the However, cortisol does much more than controlling stress. If you abruptly stop taking prednisone or taper off too quickly, you might experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms: The change in headache days and intake of rescue medication were considered as primary outcomes while the change in headache severity defined as a secondary outcome. Ended 5-day Prednisone doses yesterday. If you stop taking prednisone suddenly, your body can’t make enough cortisol right away to make up for the loss. Prednisone withdrawal headache. This can lead to withdrawal … Still, withdrawal is possible even when you follow all instructions because individual tapering results can vary. Your body senses the prednisone and uses it like cortisol. Prednisone is a drug that suppresses your immune system and reduces inflammation. However, following your healthcare provider’s instructions for slowly tapering your dosage of prednisone when you begin to stop taking it can help to shorten the amount of time that you have withdrawal symptoms.Your healthcare provider will slowly taper your dosage to help prevent prednisone withdrawal. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Prednisone withdrawal occurs when a person stops taking prednisone abruptly or reduces their dose too quickly. All rights reserved. The body also uses cortisol to regulate the heart rate and Without medication, the body naturally maintains a consistent level of cortisol.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’s important to follow your healthcare provider’s dosing instructions when taking prednisone and especially when stopping it. However, this can change when prednisone is in your body for 3 weeks or longer. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Symptoms of prednisone withdrawal can include body aches, mood swings, and extreme fatigue.Prednisone is a corticosteroid that doctors prescribe to treat swelling and A doctor may prescribe prednisone for numerous conditions, including: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. Contact your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms, and they may adjust your prednisone taper.© 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. The doctor may need to readjust their tapering plan or treat any health complications.To help prevent prednisone withdrawal, a person can take the following precautions while using prednisone and during the taper period afterward:Most people will recover fully from prednisone withdrawal once their body begins producing enough cortisol again.The duration of symptomatic withdrawal will vary according to the dosage of prednisone that the person was taking and the length of the course of treatment.Generally, people who were on a lower dose for a shorter period will have less severe symptoms. 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.The doctor may adjust the taper schedule and recommend ways to manage the withdrawal symptoms.Treatment for prednisone withdrawal focuses on managing the symptoms and controlling the body’s cortisol production.Some lifestyle modifications that can help people to manage prednisone withdrawal include: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.