betty boop

[cazbay]

i have slight copd ,but when I get a cold & cough I get really poorly , the cold & cough are in the early stages but do you think I should take my steroids , thankyou

[moogle]

Your primary health care advisor should be able to advise you about when you should take them. ie what to watch out for etc. You can check if your post went through by clicking your profile and seeing all your topics/questions.

[mrsmummy]

Hi, we all have different indicators that an exacerbation is starting, maybe a temperature or coloured sputum. Your doctor or nurse should have provided you with an action plan with details of what to check for and when to start treatment. Check out BLFs advice here:

blf.org.uk/support-for-you/...

[y_not]

If you think "Should I take them ..." then the answer is "YES! Now!" - Been in hospital twice this year because, being a fool, I wait and wait then the infection gets too bad!

Ignore the rumour-mongers who say you'll develop resistance to AB's ... worry about that if/when it happens - better than laying in a hospital bed thinking "That's good, I'm not AB resistant".

I've been asked too many times "Why haven't you started on the emergency meds, why have you waited?" - never been told off for popping them like Smarties!

Get well soon

[Didgeydo]

Hi,

I try to stay away from people who have colds and coughs as they have them for about a couple of days and I end up being really poorly for about a couple of months, I do take my steroids when my breathing is bad through a cold, I was on them for 2 years but am off of them now and only take them when a cold appears and my lungs hurt me.I always have an emergency supply just in case. Sometimes in my case, if, I take the steroids too early I end up taking them a lot longer as when I stop them the cold appears again as if I have not taken them, so sometimes I just take the 8 tablets for a week and that usually does the trick rather than taking 8 for longer which usually means cutting them down each time. I hope this has been of some help for you, but each and every one of us has different reaction times to steroids.

I do hope that you will soon feel better, make sure you have plenty of Vitamin C and if you are able to get some sun on your body then soak up the Vitamin D.

Take care,

[cazbay]

thank you every one ,,

[girliegirl2012]

Hi Cabay, Doctors often times prescribe steroids, often times known as Prednisone to help open up your bronchial. It;s to help assist you so you can breathe better. When I feel like an elephant is starting to sit on my chest, that is when I start mine. But still, you should really contact your provider for a definitive answer. Speaking for me, I normally need a super strong antibiotic to go along with the steroids. My compromised immune system due to Chemo is very difficult to live with. Often times what starts as a head cold, ends up in my lungs which becomes pneumonia! So each person is treated accordingly to their own specific medical needs. Since you are in the early stages of COPD, talk to your physician about what you can do to become vigilant with this. The longer you can keep it in the early stages, the better off you will be.

[cazbay]

thank you ,