Skip to main content

For Find Out Friday - Is Prednisone a Miracle Drug?


Prednisone. 

Everybody has been on it at some-point in their life. 

It seems to be a miracle drug. I have taken it when I had a rash from an allergic reaction and even a few times to break a migraine that lasted days on end. 

I know that it is used to treat/manage kidney disease and bells palsy as well. 

So what’s its deal?? 

How can one drug seeming cure anything that ails you?

The only other drug that I know of, that has ever worked for me and been able to treat more than one problem is Botox (https://bit.ly/2ZKz7ng). 

Is prednisone just as magical?

Apparently the short answer is yes. 

Prednisone is a kind of anti-inflammatory medication, meaning it suppress our immune system. The fancy name is glucocorticoid (corticosteroid) medication. Its sole job is to suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation in the body. While artificial, it is made to mimimic the function of our adrenal glands. 

The compounds that would become Prednisone were first identified and isolated by Arthur Nobile in 1950. Arthur was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 6, 1920 and had earned of Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He died on January 13, 2004.

In 1954, Arthur and his team at laboratory company then known as the Schering Corporation, created the drug. In 1955 they were granted a patent and it was then available for medical use.  

The Schering Corporation made several transitions, first to Shering-Plough, and then eventually merging with Merck & Co. in 2004, taking on that name on as its own. 

Schering-Plough had  a few other claims to fame. They are behind the creation of another well known drug, Claritin. They also owed and operated the Dr. Scholl’s and Coppertone brands. When they merged with Merck & Co. so did the brands under their umbrella.  

The list of diseases and symptoms Prednisone can treat is sort of mind-blowing. Here are the top five:

  • Arthritis;
  • Blood disorders;
  • Breathing problems like COPD;
  • Severe allergies; as well as 
  • Skin diseases.

However, if it was truly a miracle drug we would all be on it for the entirety of our lives. I know when I have taken it I have never had more energy, less stomach issues, or a wellness to thrive. 

But no drug comes without cost. I have personal experience with that as a chronic migraine patient. 

The side effects are as varied as the illnesses it can treat:

  • Weight gain;
  • Blurred vision;
  • Ulcers;
  • Increased blood sugar; and 
  • Insomnia (which I always got).

The longer you are on prednisone the more dangerous the side effects become. If you combine prednisone and alcohol or abruptly try to stop it you may also suffer additional side effects. The list and likelihood of each is too numerous to share here. Always follow the specific instructions of your physician when taking this drug. 

I guess Arthur goes on the list for future baby names, along with all those involved in bringing Botox into my life. 


For More Information:






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

For Find Out Friday - Why Do Emery Boards Make My Skin Crawl?

You know that sound a fingernail makes when it scratches against a chalkboard?  You know that feeling the sound of that action gives you? I, like most people, hate that sound.  I instantly feel like scrunching my shoulders up to my neck and closing my eyes.  I feel the exact same way when I am using an emery board to file my nails. This annoying sensation has a name: “grima” which is Spanish for disgust or uneasiness. This term basically describes any feeling of being displeased, annoyed, or dissatisfied someone or something.  It is a feeling that psychologists are starting to pay more attention to as it relates to our other emotions.  Emery boards are traditionally made with cardboard that has small grains of sand adhered to them. It is the sandpaper that I believe makes me filled with grima.  According to studies that are being done around the world, it is not just the feeling that we associate with certain things like nails on a chalkboard or by using emery boards

For My Madness During Migraine Awareness Month

Last weekend as I sat staring at the blank page in front of me, I was still surprised and elated that I had an entire day to myself and unlike past experiences it was filled with what I wanted when I wanted it. There were a few rough moments but when I consider the previous twelve hours (and the days to come) have been better than the last week. Especially this last week even though I had braced myself ahead of time, I just didn’t know I should have braced for a more serious episode. I am a chronic migraine sufferer for so many years I don’t quite remember when they started exactly which is ironic because I can remember every special event they have ruined. I remember plays or dinners I was at where I don’t remember what happened but I could tell you what I felt minute by minute. It amazing how the mind works, especially when it’s operated by a migraine brain. In the last few years, specifically the last few years since I have been going to the Montefiore Headac

For Find Out Friday - Why is One Foot More Ticklish Than the Other?

As I sit here typing I can’t seem to stop thinking about my nails. Mainly that they REALLY need to get done. They are starting to chip and become unruly. As soon I as think about making an appointment my mind immediately returns to this question: “which of my feet will be ticklish this time?” Because I am a girl that needs her fingernails and toenails to match, I always get a pedicure whenever I get my nails done. And while this should be an activity I enjoy, it often feels like a chore, despite my going only once every three to four weeks. I know; #firstworldproblems.  Anyway, each and every time I get my toes done, as soon as they are done soaking in the bubbly water I wonder, which of my feet will be ticklish today?  Without fail one of them always seems to get the brunt of it and suddenly what was supposed to be a relaxing activity has made me all tense. So, is there a scientific reason for this?  According to most research, yes. While the answer doesn’t