Coming to the end of a 5 day course of prednisolone, how much better should I be feeling?

[Laney14]

I've had the awful viral chest infection that's been going around for about 10 days now. I was struggling with a very tight chest and after a visit to my asthma nurse was given a 5 course of prednisolone (this is my first experience of this). As I'm also a type 1 diabetic, it has had a significant effect on my blood sugars which I have monitored and adjusted reasonably well. My last dose of pred is tomorrow and I expected to feel better (haha). I'm due back at work tomorrow but don't feel nearly well enough. Should I go back to the surgery or is this perfectly normal? I have no expectations of how well oral steroids work in general. Thank you.

[emmasue]

To be honest, I would go back to your GP. I'm in the same boat. I've had a terrible chest infection. I finish my antibiotics this morning and I've already been on the 40mg steroids for 6 days and have to take them again this morning. I am so wheezy this morning and waiting for a call back from the GP. I wanted to wait until tomorrow so I could see MY GP instead of a random one but I can't wait. I hope you are feeling better soon.

[emmasue in reply to emmasue]

I am glad I went. I'm not on a second lot of antibiotics as my chest is still raspy. Hopefully this works. Are you okay?

[Laney14 in reply to emmasue]

Hi, thanks for your advice. I also went back.. Gp said I needed antibiotics & also repeated my pred for another 6 days (tapering).. Have laryngitis too. Not a great night & I feel a bit sick this morning.. Probably the antibiotics, fingers crossed for a better day. Hope you're feeling a bit better today 😘

[emmasue in reply to Laney14]

Thanks. I'm still a bit queasy (antibiotics?) and still coughing a lot. Stuff is still coming up, so I hope I am clearing my chest. I hope you are feeling better soon. This is a terrible bug going around.

[Laney14 in reply to emmasue]

Hi.. I'm starting to feel a bit brighter today thanks, only a little nauseous this morning. Cough is settling down & looser so I can at last cough something up. Hope you continue to improve 😘

[PaulRosedene]

Hi there, I have also been struggling with a bad chest which began on Saturday. I saw my GP yesterday. He said I had a chest infection. He prescribed anti-biotics and pred as a fall back if the anti-bios didn't work.

My experience is that if I have an episode of pure asthma, then pred usually works like a dream. There is usually a positive response within a week. Clearly we all have in different forms and severities. So it made sense to me to start with the anti-bios if its a chest infection. And pred will not clear a chest infection.

Your post mentioned viral chest infection. But I think virus and infection are different conditions caused by different bugs. And I believe that you can't treat a virus with anti-bios. Of course a virus can lead to an infection. A very happy bug party !!

[Laney14 in reply to PaulRosedene]

Hi & yes you are correct, no antibiotics for a viral infection however mine did develop into bacterial. Not having had any experience of the pred before I really didn't know what to expect. I do believe you're right about it working well normally & my gp did wonder why they hadn't been more successful, I think that's what made him suspect a bacterial infection. Now that I'm a day into the antibiotics, my steroids do seem to be getting the tight feeling under control, I'm feeling much more hopeful now 😊 Thanks, it's great to hear from people with real experience.

[Hidden]

I always have 7 days of preds and antibiotics just getting over a chest infection and after 10 days just feeling better every chest infection is different

[Lizzog]

Oooh glad I found this thread as was just about to post a question. I’ve had this since the 27th December- told was viral - seems to be going around? I’ve had 5 days of steroids but not really shifting. Don’t feel ill just wheezy and coughing particularly in the morning and at night. Not sure whether to go back to the Drs?

[emmasue in reply to Lizzog]

Do go back to your GP. This is a particularly bag bug going around. Hope you feel better soon. x

[LDloveslattecoffe in reply to emmasue]

I know I've been bad since 5/12 it's almost 6 weeks now for me.

Advice, at start when you hava wet phlegmy cough get sputum pot from surgery (they use urine sample pots).

Spit the phlegm in over a day or two (filled mine over a weekend) take it back and ask for test. Results in 5 days tells whether bacterial or viral.

Start Pred first which should help in long term add antibiotics when know if Bacteria or Viral. If add antibiotics after 5days GP should add another short course Pred

[Laney14 in reply to Lizzog]

I would, you've been struggling for a while with this.. It gets exhausting after so long. Hope you're feeling better soon x

[Lizzog]

Feeling loads better today -not coughing at all at night, no temp, just chesty cough which comes on in the morning when I wake up then again in the evening about 8pm!

[Lizzog]

How’s everyone feeling? I felt so much better then feeling rubbish today after being up in the night coughing. I went to our local walk in centre last night as I felt wheezy and chesty again. All my obs were fine they just said take it easy and take reliever inhaler as needed. Anyone had this virus come and go? I’m fed up with it now!

[Laney14 in reply to Lizzog]

Hi.. I hope you are feeling a bit better now. My steroids & antibiotics have finished & so far I feel OK. I still have the cough but it's getting better, also my chest isn't tight anymore. Fingers crossed that's the end of it.

[Lizzog in reply to Laney14]

Thanks for asking - sounds as though you're the same as me. My chest feels better but a little bit wheezy going up steps/hills. Just feeling very tired and glands up so probably now fighting something else. Going into week 3 here now and I think a lot of people are the same!

[Bridin]

Developed a tight chesty cough went to go and was put on antibiotics increased my inhalers as was coughing non stop for two days. It's improving. Not coughing as much. It's a nasty dose.

[Laney14 in reply to Bridin]

It certainly is! Hope you're feeling better soon x