Both men and women who take anabolic steroids may:

Symptoms of corticosteroid overdose can include:

• Altered mental status with agitation (psychosis)
• Burning or itching skin.
• Seizures.
• Deafness.
• Depression.
• Dry skin.
• Heart rhythm disturbances (rapid pulse, irregular pulse)
• High blood pressure.

When taken in doses higher than the amount your body normally produces, steroids reduce redness and swelling (inflammation). This can help with inflammatory conditions such as asthma and eczema. Steroids also reduce the activity of the immune system, which is the body’s natural defence against illness and infection.

• Get acne.
• Have an oily scalp and skin.
• Get yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
• Become bald.
• Have tendon rupture.
• Have heart attacks.
• Have an enlarged heart.
• Develop significant risk of liver disease and liver cancer.

High doses or long-term use of prednisone can lead to thinning skin, easy bruising, changes in body fat (especially in your face, neck, back, and waist), increased acne or facial hair, menstrual problems, impotence, or loss of interest in sex.

5-60 mg/day orally in single daily dose or divided every 6 to 12 hours. When converting from immediate-release to delayed-release formulation, note that delayed-release formulation takes about 4 hours to release active substances.

Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn, trouble sleeping, increased sweating, or acne may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

Prednisone generally works very quickly — usually within one to four days — if the prescribed dose is adequate to reduce your particular level of inflammation. Some people notice the effects of prednisone hours after taking the first dose.

How to tell if the drug is working: You should experience less pain and swelling. There are also other signs that show that prednisone is effective, depending on the condition being treated. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about whether this medication is working.

Prednisone is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood disorders, breathing problems, severe allergies, skin diseases, cancer, eye problems, and immune system disorders. Prednisone belongs to a class of drugs known as corticosteroids.

A European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) task force examined data on safety of long-term use of glucocorticoids (GCs) and concluded that doses of 5 mg prednisone equivalent per day were generally safe for patients with rheumatic diseases, whereas doses higher than 10 mg/day were potentially harmful.

While prednisone is not a stimulant, it can make you feel more alert or jittery. “It doesn’t really interrupt sleep, but some patients find it keeps them awake when they don’t want to be,” Dr. Ford says.

Weight gain from prednisone is usually caused by water retention and an increased appetite. Some people also experience body fat redistribution, a symptom that is characterized by fat deposits collecting in unusual areas like the base of the neck or back.