How long for Prednisone to kick in?

[LizPat30]

Hi everyone just like some advice please. I started my rescue pack of Prednisone last Saturday (30mg) due to tight chest etc Usually after 2 or 3 days I begin to feel the results of the steroids. Today I have started to wind down the steroids as per usual but I still have the tight chest and not sure what to do. My peak flow is normal but this is never an indicator for me. Any advice as always welcome, thank you Jo

[Bevvy]

If you are still have symptoms and almost completed your steroids then you need to contact your doctors again either by phoning on Monday or calling 111 depending on how bad you feel and how many steroids you have left.

I regularly require several courses of steroids (and antibiotics) if have a bad chest infection, so your gp won’t be surprised you need more.

[LizPat30 in reply to Bevvy]

Thank you for taking the time to reply xxxx

[Chip_y2kuk]

you need to be seen by a doctor either you need more steroids or you may need antibiotics... or is it the dreaded covid? . .. that made me feel like I had been hit in the chest with a sledge hammer (although I knew I had covid so expected it) and I didn't really have any other symptoms;slight cough the second time, quite the cough the first time .... but I could just have easily put it down to having a bad chest

[LizPat30 in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Thank you, no it's not Covid I have had that and it presented with different symptoms. There is no chest infection it's just the tightness in my chest which doesn't make breathing so easy. Jo xx

[Hidden]

I would not start reducing the dose if your chest is still tight, but phone your doctor in the morning and ask for an urgent phone consultation , making it clear to reception the difficulties you are in. You may then be called for a face to face appointment or not.

[LizPat30 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you I'll remain on the dose and not reduce, thank you for responding. Jo

[Thomas45]

it always took me 6 hours of sleep for prednisolone to kick in for asthma. I was normally prescribed antibiotics at the same time which helped by attacking the infection.



[LizPat30 in reply to Thomas45]

I do have rescue antibiotics, but I have no signs of a chest infection as such and I don't want to take antibiotics when there isn't a need. Thank you for your help Jo

[hilary39]

How are you doing now? I just wanted to chime in and say that sometimes when my asthma is really bad it takes days or even a week for the prednisone to really kick in. I hope you're on the mend!

[LizPat30 in reply to hilary39]

That's so kind of you to ask. After 12 days of Prednisone I'm starting to wind down as, if they were going to make a difference they should by now. As soon as as I do anything energetic the tight chest just returns so I'm going to review next week after the full course of Prednisone. Thank you Jo

[hilary39 in reply to LizPat30]

That sounds hard. I hope your lungs calm down soon. Keep us posted!

[LizPat30 in reply to hilary39]

Dear Hilary just to let know week 4, 2 week course of steroids finished and still struggling. Yesterday it was tight chest just after doing some jobs at home. So rang GP, no appointments with GP or asthma nurse for 3 weeks. Offered a telephone with external GP Saturday. (What is the point of that). So rang my consultant's secretary, wrote everything down and acknowledged I should have returned for spirometry and FeNO by now. She will talk to him as soon as possible. I think the reduced Relvar is not working. But how wonderful to have someone listening, thank you for your support. Jo xx

[hilary39 in reply to LizPat30]

Oy I'm so sorry, that is so hard when you're on all the max meds possible and still feeling wretched. I have definitely been there and often find time is the only thing that eventually heals a bad flare. But it's definitely always good to be seen as quickly as possible just to be sure you are being followed by a professional. Is there a hotline for asthma nurses that frequently posts on this site? I feel like I've seen that but I can't remember where. I am in France so only a little familiar with the NHS.

Just from my own experience, things that sometimes help me in a flare are magnesium, big bursts of Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) if it's an allergic reaction, and regular nebuliser treatments. But I just got over a miserable six-week flare in which none of those things were helping and the month of prednisone barely took the edge off.

This disease can be so hard to manage! I hope you get some answers soon.

[LizPat30 in reply to hilary39]

Thank you xxxx

[Homely2 Administrator]

My gp asthma nurse generally takes three weeks or so to have a phone appointment with. If you want an immediate appointment, you have to ask for an, emergency asthma appointment, only that formulation of words is accepted by the receptionist.