Some people have side effects from prednisone that are difficult to live with. Not everyone has side-effects from prednisone, and can take relatively low doses on a long term basis with no problems; others can't. Some of the side effects are physically disfiguring (moon face, fat lumps at the base of the back of the neck) and some are mood and even psychological problems. As a young mental health counselor, I was called to the local hospital and met with a doc who told me that he'd had to prescribe massive doses of prednisone to break a particularly bad asthma attack and the patient was psychotic at this point because of that. In her psychotic state, she'd tried to drown her two young sons and was hospitalized as a result. The doc was right, after a 24 hour psych hospitalization, the patient was no longer psychotic , no longer a risk to her children and terrified by what she'd tried to do. There was a lot of therapy there!

It's a necessary drug for some issues, but the side effects can be brutal.

When I came down with poly myalgia rheumatica a few years ago, I was giving prednisone at higher doses. Then they gradually reduced the prednisone overtime.They wanted me off of Prednisone as soon as possible. Unfortunately we can’t always trust our doctors I would go look it up on the Internet. Mayo clinic seems to be a good resource for health issues. Also Mt. Sinai hospital

I have a friend that’s been taking it for about 15 years now and they’re fine they don’t have COPD but they do have a rare lung disease not many people has it and I can’t think of what the name of it is because it’s a weird name because it’s very rare but he’s been on prednisone for years

Steve, I’ve heard that in some instances you can be on a low dose of prednisone long term, but I’ve only been on it myself for terms of 5 to 21 days at a time. Frequently I have to be on it for multiple rounds to finally ease my inflammation and infection. Every time I get bronchitis or pneumonia, I know I’m going to put on it short term. I’d recommend that you ask your pulmonologist about your concern at your next appointment. Have a fantastic Friday!

I am on 5mg of Prednisone daily for my RA not the COPD. My pulmonologist doesn't like me being on it for a long period of time because it isn't good for you. But, my RA Dr has consulted with the Pulmonologist & they have worked it out. Look up the side effects of long term use of Prednisone.