Not Always

Smooth

Sailing

Charting a
Corticosteroid
Course

by Margaret Wahl

“Since being on prednisone, I’ve been up and down with my weight and up and down with the milligram dosage,” says Carlie Brinker. “I’m 19, and I’ve been on prednisone for 11 years.”

Prednisone is a corticosteroid that’s commonly prescribed for inflammatory conditions, such as the dermatomyositis that Brinker has. Although potent and effective at quelling an unwanted immune response, particularly when inflammation is involved, the medication is well known for its side effects (so much so that Coping With Prednisone, by Eugenia Zukerman and Julie Ingelfinger, published in 1997 by St. Martin’s Press, remains popular for those taking the drug). In Duchenne muscular dystrophy, prednisone has been found to stabilize or improve muscle function, often allowing people to remain ambulatory for a longer time.