Adverse side effects associated with prednisone in the treatment of patients with oral inflammatory ulcerative diseases.

Systemic glucocorticoids in the form of prednisone have been effective in reducing signs and symptoms in a variety of acute and chronic oral inflammatory diseases. In the 101 patients prospectively studied, the benefits from prednisone treatment far outweighed the adverse side effects, which occurred in 61 patients. However, none of the adverse side effects was severe enough to require cessation of the prednisone. The adverse effects, which could be minimized by reducing the dosage in most instances, were primarily related to treatment that persisted for more than two weeks. Fluid retention or bloating was the most common symptom, and insomnia was the chief side effect in those patients receiving short-term treatment (less than two weeks). Blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, and white blood cell counts were not meaningfully altered. Variables in patients' drug response and side effects precluded formulation of precise prednisone dosages that would allow predictive outcomes.