Does prednisone raise blood pressure?

If you have a health condition that leads to excess inflammation in your body, such as an autoimmune disease, a doctor may prescribe you a corticosteroid medication, such as prednisone.

Prednisone (Prelone) treats inflammatory and autoimmune health conditions. In these conditions, your immune system mistakenly attacks your healthy cells. Prednisone helps reduce this immune system activity.

Prednisone is available in several oral forms, such as:

• tablets
• liquid solutions
• dissolving tablets

Doctors commonly treat the following conditions with prednisone:

• arthritis
• lupus
• asthma
• severe allergies

Like with any medication, there are possible side effects from taking prednisone ranging from mild to severe. One of these side effects is hypertension, or high blood pressure. The side effects that you may experience depend on your age, other medications you are taking, and if you have pre-existing health conditions.

Can prednisone raise your blood pressure?

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), all corticosteroids pose a risk to your cardiovascular system, even at low doses.

Prednisone is one of the most common corticosteroid prescriptions. A 2020 study notes that your chance of developing cardiovascular problems increases the longer you take prednisone at dosages as low as 5 mg per day.

Changes in blood pressure are a common side effect of prednisone. This is because corticosteroids can cause your body to hold onto more fluids than usual. This means more fluid is circulating in your bloodstream, which can cause an increase in your blood pressure.

Prednisone can cause more of an increase in pressure than other medications of the same group of drugs.

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What are the benefits of taking prednisone?

Prednisone is a prescription-only medication that treats autoimmune conditions by decreasing the activity of your immune system. It does this by reducing the amount of inflammation chemicals produced by your immune system. Due to this action, prednisone can also help with severe allergic reactions.

It can also help boost your hormone production if you are experiencing adrenal depletion or insufficiency. This condition can occur when your adrenal glands cannot produce enough naturally occurring steroid hormones, so taking synthetic steroid hormones like prednisone can help.

Side effects of prednisone

Like all medications, prednisone carries a chance of side effects, both mild and severe. Some common side effects of prednisone include:

• weight gain
• nausea
• headaches
• insomnia
• acne
• increased appetite
• indigestion
• mood changes
• anxiety
• mild allergies
• muscle weakness

Mild side effects like these typically go away within a few days or weeks as your body adjusts to the new medication. If they persist or worsen, consider speaking with a doctor about alternative medications.

More severe side effects of prednisone include:

• slow wound healing
• increased blood pressure
• dizziness
• fragile skin
• swelling
• infections
• severe allergic reactions
• blurry vision
• eye pain

If you experience any of the above severe side effects, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

How can you manage prednisone side effects?

Although there are many possible side effects that can occur from taking prednisone, not everyone will experience them. If you do experience any side effects, there are steps you can take to try and counteract them.

These include:

• Increasing your potassium: Prednisone can decrease your potassium levels. Potassium helps maintain a healthy heart and protect you from hypertension. Make sure to keep your potassium intake up by including fruits such as bananas and oranges and vegetables like squash in your diet.
• Maintaining a healthy weight: Prednisone can increase your appetite and slow your metabolism. Be sure to keep physically active and be aware of your dietary intake to keep your weight healthy and prevent hypertension due to weight gain. 
• Keeping an eye on your bone density: Prednisone can cause your bone density to decrease, which can put you at risk of osteoporosis. To avoid developing this condition while taking prednisone, try taking calcium supplements and including more weight training in your exercise routine.
• Managing cholesterol levels: Taking prednisone for a long time can increase your LDL cholesterol levels. This is the ‘bad’ cholesterol that increases your chance of stroke and high blood pressure. Eating a low-saturated fat diet and regularly exercising while taking prednisone can decrease your levels of LDL cholesterol.

Summary

Prednisone is a corticosteroid that doctors often prescribe for autoimmune conditions or severe allergies. Like with all medications, there are possible side effects of prednisone, one being high blood pressure.

There are steps you can take to minimize your risk of developing high blood pressure while taking prednisone. These include exercise, having a low-saturated fat diet, and supplementing with potassium.

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