IMO, steroids are Poison and are to be avoided at all cost. Steroids make your adrenal system go into overactivity, which results in your feeling a whole lot better. But the problem is that they are highly physically addictive because your own system just stops producing and when you stop taking them, your body doesn't know how to behave normally any longer.
This process takes a whole lot less time than 8 months, so this is what you are experiencing. The only way out of this bad situation is through it, unfortunately. Don't go back to taking steroids, and just let your system get back to normal again. This will possibly take as long as the time you were on the steroids. But if you mask this process with more drugs, you may mess up your system to the point of being dependent forever on drugs that are harming you.
Personally, I will not touch a steroid medication with a ten foot pole.
I truly feel for you, as I have experienced something similar to what you describe, even though I was not on the medication nearly as long as you were. You just gotta get through it.