Does Prednisone Make You Sleepy And Hungry?
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By:
Mike
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April 4, 2025
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Key Points
– Prednisone a steroid drug treats various health conditions like inflammation, by helping your system to respond to injury, illness, and stress; it also slows down an overactive immune system
– This drug does not directly cause sleepiness; it can make you feel drowsy
– Prednisone can cause trouble sleeping i.e. insomnia. It can also cause mood disturbances
– Being an effective steroid drug, one of the main side effects of prednisone is to make your body redistribute fat especially around your facial structure. It makes your face appear puffy and round i.e. a moon face
– Other than issues with sleeping, if you stop prednisone much before the actual date, or if you continue taking the drug for a long time, you end up feeling fatigue. Therefore, Prednisone can indirectly make you feel tired by affecting your blood sugar levels and nighttime sleep
– If you are on regular prednisone drugs, a morning dose of prednisone with food is best as against taking it at late evening or night as it can lead to insomnia or sleeplessness
– Prednisone, being a steroid medication is sure to disturb your sleep and affect your sleep quality, as steroids tend to create hormonal imbalances. Prednisone may cause disturbances to your sleeping patterns. However, it does not directly make you fall asleep
Few reports show that nearly 60% of people who took prednisone reported of major sleep-specific disorders. These persons have repeatedly experienced disturbances during their deep sleep at night or during intermittent sleep. This condition could even result in anxiety, as you tend to wake up in the middle of your sleep.
Some people who take prednisone also stay awake for a long time. The reason is that prednisone affects the hormones that support your energy (cortisol) and sleep (melatonin). Therefore, few people report of difficulty in sleeping like waking up early and getting to bed very late. This is very common. Moreover, this condition is more likely if you take several doses of prednisone throughout the day, including one dose at nighttime.
Few people may remain hungry throughout due to the effects of prednisone. They wake-up feeling hungry and may also go to bed hungry. This is an unhealthy symptom. However, you need to find-out if hunger is real or psychological. You can also consume limited quantity of food whenever you are hungry, consume foods that are low in calorie i.e. vegetables, etc. This will help you maintain a good bodyweight.
How long does Prednisone stay in your system?
Prednisone works within a few hours you consume it. However, it may take a day or two for you to experience its effects.
For most people who take prednisone, the medication starts to work in a few hours after their first dose. However, it may not always happen this way. It mainly depends on why you take prednisone.
You also have a Delayed-Release (DR) version of prednisone. The other name for this is Rayos. Rayos takes a little longer to work than other standard versions of prednisone. It starts to work after about 4 hours you take the first dose. However, in certain situations this delay can be beneficial.
Prednisone typically stays in your system for a day or lesser. When a single dose of prednisone enters your system, your system breaks it down and it dissolves.
Half-life is the time it takes for half of your drug’s original dose to leave your system. Half-life is also useful in predicting how long the drug will remain in your body.
It is about after 4 to 5 half-lives, a drug clears from your system. For children i.e. kids, the half-life of prednisone is 1 to 2 hours, so it can stay in their system for up to a period of 10 hours. For adults, prednisone’s half-life is around 3 to 4 hours. This means the medication can stay in your system for nearly about 20 hours.
However, prednisone stays in your system for 16.5 to 22 hours after you have taken your last dose. The half-life period of prednisone is 1 – 3 hours. It usually takes 5.5 to 6 cycles of half-lives to flush prednisone out of your system. Therefore, it might take a few days for the complete medicinal effect to leave your system.
If you miss a dose of prednisone, you need not worry or panic. You can take your missed dose as soon as you recollect. However, if it gets close to the time of your next scheduled dose, it is better you skip the missed dose. You should never take a “catch-up” dose, nor take two doses together. A double dose, however, is harmful to your health.
However, these instructions would differ with a short-term course of prednisone. It can be in a blister pack (dose pack). Upon your physician’s advice, you might consume multiple tablets at a time if you accidentally miss a dose or receive the medication later during the day. You need to ensure to defer to your physician’s instructions.
Prednisone may cause few side effects. These include mood swings, dizziness, headache, anxiety, bulging eyes, acne, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, personality changes, low adrenal gland function, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, etc. However, if these symptoms turn severe or stay in your system for an unusual period, then you have to immediately approach your healthcare professional and get it checked.
You can even consult with your healthcare professional if you experience withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off this drug.
In addition, if you plan to take prednisone for a long time, or if your treatment compels you to take it for a longer period, then your healthcare provider will recommend periodic blood tests.
Periodic blood tests helps your healthcare provider to monitor variations in your blood sugar levels, check your cholesterol levels, and Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Moreover, your caregiver also checks your eyesight for any adverse effects caused by long-time use of prednisone.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Global Discount Drugs follows sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies and information from top institutions.
URLs Reffered
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/20469-prednisone-tablets
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601102.html
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/prednisone
- https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/what-you-need-to-know-about-prednisone
Mike is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in community pharmacy management. He is dedicated to helping people understand their medications and improve their overall health. Mike enjoys reading medical journals and sharing practical health tips. Connect with him on LinkedIn for the latest in pharmacy practices."
Key Points
– Prednisone a steroid drug treats various health conditions like inflammation, by helping your system to respond to injury, illness, and stress; it also slows down an overactive immune system
– This drug does not directly cause sleepiness; it can make you feel drowsy
– Prednisone can cause trouble sleeping i.e. insomnia. It can also cause mood disturbances
– Being an effective steroid drug, one of the main side effects of prednisone is to make your body redistribute fat especially around your facial structure. It makes your face appear puffy and round i.e. a moon face
– Other than issues with sleeping, if you stop prednisone much before the actual date, or if you continue taking the drug for a long time, you end up feeling fatigue. Therefore, Prednisone can indirectly make you feel tired by affecting your blood sugar levels and nighttime sleep
– If you are on regular prednisone drugs, a morning dose of prednisone with food is best as against taking it at late evening or night as it can lead to insomnia or sleeplessness
– Prednisone, being a steroid medication is sure to disturb your sleep and affect your sleep quality, as steroids tend to create hormonal imbalances. Prednisone may cause disturbances to your sleeping patterns. However, it does not directly make you fall asleep
Few reports show that nearly 60% of people who took prednisone reported of major sleep-specific disorders. These persons have repeatedly experienced disturbances during their deep sleep at night or during intermittent sleep. This condition could even result in anxiety, as you tend to wake up in the middle of your sleep.
Some people who take prednisone also stay awake for a long time. The reason is that prednisone affects the hormones that support your energy (cortisol) and sleep (melatonin). Therefore, few people report of difficulty in sleeping like waking up early and getting to bed very late. This is very common. Moreover, this condition is more likely if you take several doses of prednisone throughout the day, including one dose at nighttime.
Few people may remain hungry throughout due to the effects of prednisone. They wake-up feeling hungry and may also go to bed hungry. This is an unhealthy symptom. However, you need to find-out if hunger is real or psychological. You can also consume limited quantity of food whenever you are hungry, consume foods that are low in calorie i.e. vegetables, etc. This will help you maintain a good bodyweight.
How long does Prednisone stay in your system?
Prednisone works within a few hours you consume it. However, it may take a day or two for you to experience its effects.
For most people who take prednisone, the medication starts to work in a few hours after their first dose. However, it may not always happen this way. It mainly depends on why you take prednisone.
You also have a Delayed-Release (DR) version of prednisone. The other name for this is Rayos. Rayos takes a little longer to work than other standard versions of prednisone. It starts to work after about 4 hours you take the first dose. However, in certain situations this delay can be beneficial.
Prednisone typically stays in your system for a day or lesser. When a single dose of prednisone enters your system, your system breaks it down and it dissolves.
Half-life is the time it takes for half of your drug’s original dose to leave your system. Half-life is also useful in predicting how long the drug will remain in your body.
It is about after 4 to 5 half-lives, a drug clears from your system. For children i.e. kids, the half-life of prednisone is 1 to 2 hours, so it can stay in their system for up to a period of 10 hours. For adults, prednisone’s half-life is around 3 to 4 hours. This means the medication can stay in your system for nearly about 20 hours.
However, prednisone stays in your system for 16.5 to 22 hours after you have taken your last dose. The half-life period of prednisone is 1 – 3 hours. It usually takes 5.5 to 6 cycles of half-lives to flush prednisone out of your system. Therefore, it might take a few days for the complete medicinal effect to leave your system.
If you miss a dose of prednisone, you need not worry or panic. You can take your missed dose as soon as you recollect. However, if it gets close to the time of your next scheduled dose, it is better you skip the missed dose. You should never take a “catch-up” dose, nor take two doses together. A double dose, however, is harmful to your health.
However, these instructions would differ with a short-term course of prednisone. It can be in a blister pack (dose pack). Upon your physician’s advice, you might consume multiple tablets at a time if you accidentally miss a dose or receive the medication later during the day. You need to ensure to defer to your physician’s instructions.
Prednisone may cause few side effects. These include mood swings, dizziness, headache, anxiety, bulging eyes, acne, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, personality changes, low adrenal gland function, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, etc. However, if these symptoms turn severe or stay in your system for an unusual period, then you have to immediately approach your healthcare professional and get it checked.
You can even consult with your healthcare professional if you experience withdrawal symptoms as you are tapering off this drug.
In addition, if you plan to take prednisone for a long time, or if your treatment compels you to take it for a longer period, then your healthcare provider will recommend periodic blood tests.
Periodic blood tests helps your healthcare provider to monitor variations in your blood sugar levels, check your cholesterol levels, and Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Moreover, your caregiver also checks your eyesight for any adverse effects caused by long-time use of prednisone.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Global Discount Drugs follows sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies and information from top institutions.
URLs Reffered
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/20469-prednisone-tablets
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601102.html
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/prednisone
- https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/what-you-need-to-know-about-prednisone
Mike is a licensed pharmacist with over 10 years of experience in community pharmacy management. He is dedicated to helping people understand their medications and improve their overall health. Mike enjoys reading medical journals and sharing practical health tips. Connect with him on LinkedIn for the latest in pharmacy practices."
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