Prednisone is a class of medications called corticosteroids. These drugs work to treat patients with low levels of corticosteroids by replacing steroids that are naturally occurring (or the lack of it naturally occurring) by the body. It works to treat other conditions by reducing swelling and redness and by adjusting the way the immune system works.
While feeling “tired” or “sleepy” is not an official side effect that was recorded in the clinical trials of Prednisone, it has been known to cause some consumers and patients to feel “abnormally sleepy.”
There may be indications that Prednisone is having an adverse reaction. According to NHS.uk, “sleepy or confused, feeling very thirsty or hungry, peeing more often, flushing, breathing quickly or breath that smells like fruit – these can be signs of high blood sugar.” It’s important to contact your healthcare provider immediately when you’re feeling abnormally tired.
Key Takeaways
Prednisone does not have “official” side effects of the substance making you feel “tired” or “drowsy.” However, a dizziness can sometimes cause a person to feel tired and fatigued from the feeling of “inebriation.”
In more than one Reddit thread, multiple Users of the Prednisone drug reported feeling “tired” and “sleepy” as a side effect. However, no studies have been performed to draw the connection between Prednisone and lack of energy levels.
Does Prednisone Make You Tired? Side Effect Facts
There are multiple manufacturers of Prednisone. They include Teva Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, Sandoz, Accord Healthcare, and Actavis. Based on the side effects listed on the labels of these manufacturers, here is what they often describe the common side effects to be:
Anxiety
Confusion
Dizziness
Depression
Headache
Feeling happy or energized
“Jittery” or shaky feeling
Seizures
Trouble sleeping
Mood or personality changes
Vertigo or a feeling of “spinning”
Feeling “sleepy” or “tired” is not part of that side effect list. Meaning, that officially, feeling tired is not an official side effect of Prednisone. However, based on some recent research that we performed, we found that many consumers do feel sleepiness as being part of the side effects both during initial use and during any tapering schedule.
Feeling Tired While Taking or Tapering Prednisone
Based on a few Reddit threads, we found that many Users suggested that they started to feel tired both during initial use and during a tapering schedule.
In this Reddit thread a User said, “I am currently on prednisone for sciatica and it makes me sooooo tired. When I Google it all I get is people being tired once they start tapering off of it but it’s the initial dose that is making me so tired. I took two hour long naps yesterday and still went to sleep at my regular time which is UNHEARD OF for me (ok, it has actually happened before but I was very sick!!).”
With another User replying to them and saying, “Oh my goodness, I thought I was going crazy because I'm the only person I've ever known who is exhausted on prednisone, even from day one. I don't get the increased appetite, no sweating, no energy, just exhaustion until I come off of it. Even doctors find it strange.”
It would appear that it’s certainly possible, depending on who you are, that you might start to feel signs of your energy levels changing or adjusting based on the milligram dosage of Prednisone.
Another User in this Reddit thread also reported something very similar. Saying, “I've been on prednisone for a week and a half and I noticed I've been abnormally tired. It's not fatigue but actual tiredness where I need naps. I feel sleepy enough to go to bed around 8 pm when I usually can stay up till 10-11pm.”
Read more: What is considered to be a “high dose” of Prednisone?
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Sources
MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Prednisone: MedlinePlus Drug Information. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601102.html
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Prednisone withdrawal: Why taper down slowly? Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/prednisone-withdrawal/expert-answers/faq-20057923
Forefront Dermatology. (2015). Prednisone 12-day taper schedule. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://forefrontdermatology.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Dr-BalloPrednisone-Handout-12-day-taper-10-28-15.pdf
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Prednisone in clinical trials. Retrieved June 29, 2024, from https://www.cancer.gov/research/participate/clinical-trials/intervention/prednisone
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