[heyjoe]

I am in the midst of a nasty respiratory infection and am taking prednisone. As a side effect it has given me a lot more energy and has elevated my mood. I know you cant stay on steroids long term, but i wonder if there is anything i can take that might have a similiar effect as the steroids. Nothing else ive been prescribed has come close to this.

[sunrise]

Prednisone has a really strong stimulatory effect on me. I don't like it much! It makes my skin crawl and I can't sleep. However, I would think some of those stimulating effects could also be achieved by taking stimulants, like the drugs they give for ADD. When I first started taking Buspar, it had a positive, stimulatory effect on me, gave me more energy, and I loved it! This is not its typical effect, but I really understand when you say that a drug with this effect can make you feel a lot better. (I was also a lot more productive at work and at home.)

I would not recommend staying on Prednisone too long. Prolonged use of steroids is not good. The main use of prednisone is to depress the immune system, which can't be good for long.

[Perna]

50-100 mg. Vitamin B complex (you have to take B Vitamins together, it's not good to take one or another without the whole also) sometimes does that to me without the bad side effects sunrise mentions. It could be too that some of your "lowness" was due to the infection which the prednisone has knocked out. You might retain some of the up better now.

[wickedwings]

oh, man! i took prednisone years ago because of my allergic reaction to poison ivy. i've never felt good like that! before or since i took that. it was the best sense of well-being i ever had in my life. it's a bummer i can't find anything that has this same effect! i tried vitamins and everything to find it.

[sunrise]

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wickedwings said:
oh, man! i took prednisone years ago because of my allergic reaction to poison ivy. i've never felt good like that! before or since i took that. it was the best sense of well-being i ever had in my life. it's a bummer i can't find anything that has this same effect! i tried vitamins and everything to find it.

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I took it for 6 months for poison oak! I didn't like it, but I get much the same over-stimulated, skin crawling feeling from taking sudafed, which is OTC. So maybe you would like that?

[heyjoe]

my respiratory infection marches on, so i had to go on another course of prednisone, this time starting at 40 mg. I dont notice the same lift in energy this time.