effects of long term high steroid consumption

although i have had athma since 12 hours old, i have never had information about the effects of high dosage inhalers on the body. i am on seritide 250 and often have to have prednisilone and a seritide 500 when i have an attack. id love to some how be able to lower the dosage of my inhaler and am wondering if anyone has successfully done this to whichever ways and means bearing in mind i was born with atopic asthma. any replies would be a great help.

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To the best of my knowledge there are not long term problems with steriod inhalers. They can affect your voice a bit but I was told that was reversable. Long term oral steriods have a whole raft of problems but you have to be taking them pretty much all the time to ancounter these. You say often need to have pred how often is often as you might need to discuss calcuim supliments and possibly something to protect your tummy if you are taking them a great deal at high doses.

Bex

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I've been on 1600 of Pulmicort a day for a few years now. I have a lot of blood tests done for other medical problems and my gp picked up that my white count was persistently high. After seeing a specialist they came to the conclusion that my high white count was due to long term use of hight dose inhaled steroids. I've also developed a polyp on my tongue which is also probably down to the inhaled steroids. This has been a bit of a shock to me but I've balanced it against reducing or stopping my steroids which severely reduces my quality of life. so, on the one hand they're great drugs for keeping my asthma under control but on the other hand, they do have long term side effects.

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Hi,

I take pretty high doses of inhaled steroids, 500/50 seretide 2 a day and 1600mg of budesonide a day, and of course prednisolone when I get sick. I am getting close to menopause age, and my consultants are all concerned about bone density. I have had a scan which is normal, but on high doses of inhaled steroids this is a concern, particularly post menopause. Talk to your gp/ consultant next time you see them and ask for a baseline bonedensity scan, so at least you know where u are. I was told that it is only at the top levels of inhaled steroids that there is a concern, and even then benfits outway negatives.

Hope this is helpful

cheers

Ri

[KateMoss]

Copy & Paste this link to get more info from the main site on steroid inhalers - it is a recent article (Remove any gaps that apear)

asthma.org.uk/news_media/ne...

Kate

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my son who is 3 yrs old and has had asthma since he was 6 months old he has had loads of steriods plus steriod in haler, which now he is on steriod and he has suffered bad speak probs and also his growth is bigger than normal as he looks like a 4 yr old so i think it depends on how many u have had ova a period

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id love to some how be able to lower the dosage of my inhaler and am wondering if anyone has successfully done this""

I went from 2 x 2 puffs Becotide and maybe 3 or 4 puffs Ventolin daily to zero Ventolin and reducing Becotide to be medication free within about 6 months.

""to whichever ways and means""

Please feel free to message me for more details. I would point out I am not selling anything, so please don't expect that. I merely offer advice.

Mark...

[yaf_user681_33231]

I have been on long term Preds, of and on since 1982 and now on a daily maintenance dose of 15mg, increased when rough. Also on Seritide 500.

Side effects I have developed:

thinning skin,

spinal osteoporosis

steroid induced diabetes.

Preds keep you alive but at a cost.