I have noticed more side effects from the prednisone this week.  The high energy I described before is no longer happening. I’m feeling more normal regarding my level of energy.  Still have to rest more (as in catch my breath) because of the amount of fluid I’m retaining and how it’s slowing me down.  I’m still sleeping about four to four and a half hours a night, although I was able to sleep longer some nights on the trip.   I typically notice my ankles swell for a few days when I travel and that happened on this trip, too, but my face also swelled up along with them!  It’s still pretty puffy.  My shortness of breath was a definite and significant issue for trying to hike around…I couldn’t go very far before I was working at getting my breath.   I also found that in the evenings when we were settling in to watch a movie or something that it was quite difficult for me to cool down to a normal temperature.  I eventually found that putting some ice cubes in a paper towel and rubbing them over my face and neck for 10 minutes or so did the trick best, then I was ok for the rest of the evening.  I was showering or taking baths in the evening after all that sweating and hiking so I’m guessing it’s an issue with regulating body temp from the heat of the bathing.   Another side effect of prednisone is that your body can redistribute body fat or add it in unusual ways….especially around the neck and face (they call it the steroid “moonface”) and a “buffalo hump” on the back of the neck, as well as in your midsection and other “odd” spots in ways that aren’t typical.  In the past I’ve had fairly minor issues with these, but this time it’s more pronounced.  Your appetite increases, too, which obviously adds to the problem.  I was on the same oral dose this round but for a longer period of time, and I had 2 more injections of steroid than I’ve ever had, so I guess it shouldn’t be surprising.  It was and is all worth it, though, considering that I’ve regained some hearing.  I will need to think about how to handle future episodes and whether the benefit outweighs the potential risks.  There are a lot of things that can still happen with side effects, and even though I have begun to taper off the drug, I still have a couple of months to go before I’m totally off of it. I’ve read that even after you stop taking steroids, some people can still have some in their systems for up to a year.   While you are taking prednisone, your adrenal glands atrophy to some extent, and the purpose of the taper is to give them a chance to start functioning properly and do the job they are supposed to do.  Sometimes there are issues getting them going again and that can lead to problems, as well.  Maybe I’m noticing more side effects due to the tapering and it’s just part of the process of getting those glands working again on their own.  They had a month to atrophy, so it might take some time to start going again.  I’m mentally doing okay with it all.  It’s weird seeing your face change like that, but I understand the what and the why of it, so I’m not freaking out.  I’m feeling thankful, actually, that I’m not experiencing more of the possible side effects.  There are a lot of them and some can be quite serious.  I think it’s a good time to remind myself that this body is just the house that I live in.  I can do some “repairs” and “remodeling” when it’s practical to do so! 🙂   The things that matter aren’t affected by these minor inconveniences.