Nearly everyone has heard of prednisone, a manmade form of your body’s natural corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids work by helping the body to reduce inflammation, but in
the version of prednisone, they actually suppress your body’s immune
system in order to stop inflammation. What this means is that
prednisone stops your immune system from responding to whatever it is
that’s aggravating your system. When there’s no response from the immune
system, there’s no inflammation.
Prednisone is widely used for many conditions worldwide. It’s used for
autoimmune disorders and even eczema and muscle sprains. This is a
pretty nasty drug with some damaging side effects.
Let’s take a closer look at prednisone as well as how it affects the body.
How Prednisone Affects Your Body
Prednisone affects your whole body. If you’ve been using this drug for
years, could run the risk of developing the following long-term side
effects to your body:
- Infections that your suppressed immune system can’t fight off
- Cataracts or other eye damage
- High blood sugar
- Weak bones or increased susceptibility to fractures
- Inhibited hormone production by your adrenal glands
Why would ever hurt your body in such a way when there are natural—and more effective—alternatives to doing so?
Confessions of a Former Prednisone Taker
I speak from experience. I was on and off of prednisone for almost five
years after I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called
dermatomyositis.
The side effects were terrible. Prednisone raises your blood sugar
levels, which in turns makes you have to pee all the time. It took years
to retrain my bladder to stop signaling to my brain that I had to pee
every five minutes. I never had acne prior to my illness—but prednisone
made my face break out so badly I still have acne scars.
Prednisone makes you emotional and hyper, so between crying in public
and not being able to sleep at night, I was a mess. Prednisone makes
your face turn red and round, earning me the nickname “moon baby” from
my brother.
One of prednisone’s infamous side effects is that it makes you gain
weight because you’re starving all the time. I was completely ravenous
24/7—it was hunger I’d never known. I gained almost 50 pounds. As a
petite woman, this was a lot of weight.
All this while trying to deal with the emotional and other physical
effects of my autoimmune disorder. It was a truly awful medication that I
hope to never have to take again.
So how did I get off that crazy drug?
Top 6 Ways to Reduce Inflammation without Prednisone
You ready to kick that nasty pill? Here are six things you can do to ensure an inflammation-free body, without drugs.
Stop Eating Grains
That autoimmune disorder that had me on chemo and prednisone for almost
five years? It was just a gluten intolerance. A herbalist suggested that
I go gluten-free because gluten may have been causing my
dermatomyositis symptoms. Within a week, all of my symptoms were gone.
Five years later, I’m still drug-free and totally fine.
Grains can cause inflammation in the body, especially gluten. And you
don’t have to have celiac disease to experience this inflammation—anyone
can be sensitive to gluten. Try removing gluten to see how your body
responds. And remember—the gluten-free diet doesn’t work unless you
remove 100% of gluten. So don’t be a wimp, just do it. You might just be
amazed at the results.
Get Omega-3s
Omega-3s are essential fatty acids that are natural anti-inflammatories
for your body. Often, we get too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3, so
this balance is crucial. Getting enough omega-3s into your diet helps
your body promote healthy nerve function and can support a healthy brain
and skin. You can get omega-3s from fish, nuts, seeds, grass-fed meats,
and oils such as coconut oil.
Take Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s a huge healer for your body.
This is especially true if you’re suffering from any type of chronic
ailment—vitamin C can help. Experts recommend doses of 500 milligrams a
day and upwards, but always consult your natural healthcare practitioner
before supplementing with doses this high. You can also get vitamin C
from foods such as peppers, watermelon, and citrus fruits.
Season Your Meals with Turmeric
Turmeric is a bright yellow-orange spice comes from a root that has
powerful anti-inflammatory properties. You can get turmeric through
golden milk or just season your meals with it. Experts recommend about ½
teaspoon of turmeric every day for some excellent anti-inflammatory
action! You can also pair this spice with ginger—ginger is another
anti-inflammatory herb that works great, and can even help menstrual
cramps!
Stop Eating Crap
I love sugar just as much as the next person, but sugar promotes
inflammation—so does all that processed food you eat. It can be hard to
alter your diet, but an anti-inflammatory diet might be the most
important thing to help your body get off prednisone. By
anti-inflammatory I mean lots of healthy fats, minimal or no grains
(definitely no gluten, but you may still choose to eat rice or quinoa),
grass-fed meats only, and tons of vegetables. When you stop eating crap,
you stop feeling like crap.
Eat Pineapple—But Not Too Much
Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which can help with
allergies as well as inflammatory responses. It can even help heal
wounds and kill bacteria. It’s important to not consume too much
bromelain and always talk with your healthcare coach about what amounts
are safe to eat. Plus, pineapple is delicious and high in vitamin C!
It’s easy to trust doctors that prednisone is a safe drug for us to use.
The fact is, this drug is toxic to our bodies and has side effects that
can be even more dangerous than the ones our original illness conjured
up. It’s also essential to not stop taking prednisone abruptly—talk with
your doctor about weaning off the medication. In the meantime, try
these anti-inflammatory remedies!
DISCLAIMER:
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and is for information only.
Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health
provider with any questions about your medical condition and/or current
medication. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay
seeking advice or treatment because of something you have read here.
