My own opinion [not a medical professional, but one who's read widely about it] seem to indicate that it's useful for short, not prolonged periods of time. By short, I mean, less than 6 or so months? IF it's gonna get to an inflammation and get it down and keep it down it should do it in that time.
Benefits: puts down any infection or inflammation to enable one to function.
Detriments: weight gain, attitude changes, long term calcium and bone and/or joint changes, such as premature or sudden osteoporosis.

I can't speak for others here, I think you can get a sense if you use the 'Search' feature on the top blue bar...click it on and in the blank type in prednisone and see what folks with all sorts of neuro issues have to say about it...pro and con. That in turn, will probably give you a whole bunch of new 'key words' to web up and find all about!

Learn as much as you can about the real FACTS on prednisone and it's clones. The more you know, the more informed YOU will be when or if you decide to take it. Docs sometimes assume you know, forget to tell you, or don't care to tell you about both the benefits and pitfalls of any given medication. Search out the 'prescribing information' of the type of med you are taking and read all the fine print...have questions before you commit Bucks [$$'s] either yours or the insurance company's to your ability to take it and take to it with the best of all outcomes. What I do these days, is ask the doc for samples, as I often use my mail-in pharmacy and that takes up to 2 weeks. The good thing about samples? While it might not really work while using them, I will probably find out RIGHT away if they mess me up either mentally or physically. Example: I was prescribed one antibiotic at one time, and within 30 hours had developed a solid case of projectile vomiting! It was a side effect of the medication...Unfortunately I'd started it on a Friday and it Hit me Saturday...mid-day...had to wait [with infection still raging on] till Monday to call and get thru to doc and a new prescription.... The whole thing falls into one of my top 20 NOT FUN events! You get the picture. Hope this helps! - j

Mark, I asked my doctor to try me on a short course of prednisone just to see if it would help, since my PN was idiopathic. He agreed, and we tried itl. It didnd'thelp me, but that doesn't mean it won't help you. It can be diagnostic -- to find out if inflammation is in the mix. A short course shouldn't cause you any serious problems.

Just wanted to chime in that in cases where the likely cause is inflammation or autoimmune disease, for acute flareups, a neurologist might do a short burst of high dose steroids over a course of a few weeks. I had a flareup where I went completely numb below the elbows and knees, and I went on 60mg of a prednisone-type med, tapering down throughout the two weeks. It didn't make the neuropathy completely go away, but the numbness resolved enough for me to use my arms and legs again.

fanfaire

I have been on low dose Prednisone now for CIDP and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease now for over 15 years. I had to up my dose for recent surgery and am still trying to reduce it. This, IVIGG's, pain medication and Klonopin are prescribed to give me at least some relief. Nothing else worked. I have tried very hard to keep my doses on all of the above as low as possible, especially knowing the long term side effects of steroids. The combination of the above has been pretty much a trial and error to figure out what works for me.

I am not promoting them, by any means, but in this case, I felt I had no choice-I was in agonizing pain. With all drugs you risk side effects and with steroids, these are no exception.

Attitude on steroids?? Some people are worse than others. I threatened to cut the plug off of the television today, because the noise from the Cowboy games drives me crazy... But then, I have always been a little feisty anyway...
Cathie

Thanks for the response everyone, I think I will go ahead and ask my doctor when I next see them. I have my EMG on 2nd Oct, which is good as I was told I would have to wait until November or even as late as January. As these meds are steroids does that mean if you go to the gym whilst you are on them you will get bigger more quickly? Or would that only happen with certain steroids?

No Mark, corticosteroids such as Prednisolone/Prednisone, Dexamethasone and Hydrocortisone are catabolic steroids, not anabolic steroids. Catabolic steroids tend to break down muscle - not build it up.

The kind of steroids you are talking about, like prednisone, are not the ones implicated in building muscle or causing rages. Those are anabolic steroids. Sorry -- no big muscles.

I was just asking so I could maybe weight train to keep off any weight gain if I was put on a course of Prednisolone/Prednisone.

No such luck! It's the wrong type of steroid. But only take them if there's a clear indication, okay?

I was on them near a year when I was first diagnosed.It never helped, and it took ages to recovre from them. Now when I take them for a few days for sinus ifnection--which I really do need them for---I go through what I'm going through now--a suppressed pituitary gland 3 months after 5 days of medicine.

Only with a really clear diagnosis, Mark. Not just to give it a try. Too dangerous.

What should I do if my neurologist doesn't run all the tests that are on your website,I wont know whether there is an underlying problem or not,I was going to ask my doctor to put me on a course but now I don't know what to do...