Question: On Oct 15 I noticed a hearing loss in my left ear. At first I thought it was a defective phone. Later that day I tried using the phone using my right ear. I called my ENT office & asked to move up my annual hearing exam & an audiologist tested my hearing. I am 69 & always had less hearing in my left ear but the loss was significant ..... 30 to 40 % more than last year. She showed me the comparison & then I saw the PA. He said I either had an inner ear infection or a tumor, called in a script to local pharmacy for 60 mg. for 7 days, 40 for 7 days, then tapering to 20, 10,5 & 1/2 in 5 day intervals. He also said I would be called about an MRI. I took the medication because he said if I didn't I could have a permanent hearing loss. I began taking the pills on Oct 18. I have an anxiety disorder & take 1&1/2 mg of Klonopin per day. When under stress, I don't eat. I have had almost every side effect except hunger, bloating & swelling of face/throat. I lost my appetite immediately, felt like I was on amphetamines 24 hrs a day. I increased to 2 mg of Klonopin per day. I began taking one 5 mg of Ativan at night so I could sleep. By Oct 22 I called to ask when I would have the MRI. I was not scheduled until Nov 21 & I am leaving for Paris on Nov 27. I got it changed to Oct 29, saw the hearing specialist on 30th. I told him if he didn't get me off the pills I would commit suicide by overdose of all my pills. I am type 2 diabetic with all levels in normal,range with meds. I was told it was an inner ear infection of unknown origin and he changed timeline to 8 days : 4 of 20mg, 2 of 10, 2 of 5 because they had to taper them. I stopped taking them 4 days ago. I still live on I granola bar, I banana all day long & then I finally get hungry & eat weird stuff for dinner - not typical of me at all. I am still hyper all day long, smoke twice as much as before I started the pills, tapered coffee to only 2 cups per day. I have lost energy, fine & gross motor skills, focus and forget what I'm doing a lot of the time. I also could not sleep more than 3/4 hrs when I stopped taking pills. I finally called my primary care Dr & he sent in a script for Ambien I mg at night. I slept 8 hrs last night even going back to sleep after using toilet but do not want to take another pill to sleep at night. I require 8 hrs per night. I believe I have suffered permanent brain/ neurological damage because of taking Prednisone for 21 days. I will never take them again even if it is a matter of life or death. I am furious that a PA can prescribe pills w/o first consulting with a real Dr. I did ask the Dr what he would have done when presented with same symptoms & he supported the PA. What I didn't ask is the initial dosage of 60 mg for 7 days. Why couldn't I have taken an antibiotic instead of steroids? I am afraid I will never get better in time time for my trip to Paris on Nov 27. Can steroids damage a person permanently ?