Is florinef (fludrocortisone) better to take than prednisone? i'm concerned about long term side effects but need to take florinef (fludrocortisone) 0.05 mg for pots syndrome 3x/week.

Prednisone is not: really a good alternative for florinef (fludrocortisone) in terms of POTS. At least not in the long term. Prednisone has little mineralocorticoid effect compared to florinef (fludrocortisone), and you mainly need that effect, and a little adrenocorticoid effect that prednisolone offers. Eventually you will need to replace both substances as your both aspects of your adrenal function shuts down with long term steroid use.