My gp has now restricted my use of Preds.
I am permitted only 28x5mg at one time. To be taken 4days @ 30mg and one day @ 20 and stop.
This, I know from experience, will be next to useless in opening my airways.
Does anyone have any views of their own please?
Please can you say what your problem is and the doctor’s explanation? Other people’s experience may not be relevant to you. Perhaps you could provide more information?
Hi Bella : I have emphysema: Preds keep airways open. He says he doesn’t like me taking “so many “ in spite of hospital consultant
Thank you for explaining. Prednisolone is given to reduce inflammation. Bronchodilators are used to open up the airways. Steroids are more effective in asthma. They are sometimes used in people with emphysema, usually in conjunction with antibiotics when an infection is present. They have many quite serious side effects when taken for prolonged periods of time so your doctor is right not to encourage too much use, especially as emphysema tends not to be reversible to steroid, or have limited reversibility. Here is a list of side effects: nhs.uk/conditions/steroid-t.... That list doesn’t mention immune deficiency and this is a very serious side effect of prolonged steroid use.
From what you say (in respect of keeping your airways open) you need to be looking for a suitable bronchodilator. Salbutamol inhaler is the usual one and can be taken four hourly but is best taken via a spacer eg Aerochamber. There are other, long acting bronchodilator inhalers that can be helpful in emphysema so I think you should ask your clinician about these. Often a combination of bronchodilators can help to alleviate symptoms. This is because they work in different ways.
Unless you have an infection, oral steroids are best avoided. There are inhaled steroids but again, they tend to be more effective in asthma. However, they can help some people with emphysema. These do not have the serious side effects of oral steroids.
Thanks a lot Bella. Please tell me, are you a doctor? You seem so very knowledgable.
Yes, I use Salbutamol (4-6 eight or nine times a day). Trimbow 2 puffs twice a day.
Apart from these, currently having to use cosmocol to, at present, fail to “clear a blockage”. Eight sachets daily, three days so far.
The usual blood pressure, cholesterol, acid control, and so on.
Preds, while taken have a huge effect on my quality of life.
When not, am most appreciative of the crutch of sertraline.
Anyway, thank you for your interest and information. Ian.
It sounds like your respiratory consultant is in agreement with you taking steroids so I think you should take this problem back to him or her. The consultant needs to write to the gp and ask him to prescribe them. However, doctors sometimes prefer that patients take a small dose daily rather than frequent, high dose rescue courses. This is because of the side effects.
If you are really aware of the side effects and are willing to take the risk for a better quality of life then you need to make this clear to the doctor. However, it might be helpful to have your inhaler technique checked first to make sure that your bronchodilators are being delivered to the lungs properly.
Hi
What your are describing is a normal rescue pack dosage. To be taken at a sudden worsening of your breathing.
If your breathing was to continue to worsen it would be time to seek medical help, either 111 or 999.
Should have been explained in your management plan.
Typical plan
I’ve been on and off prednisone for 2 years so far have 4 crushed vertabre in back had 3 rib fractures and spine fracture I’d only take them in extreme situations
I am sorry that you have steroid induced osteoporosis - it is unfortunate and must be very painful. Do you take Alendronic Acid? My OH has been on steroids for years and was diagnosed with osteoporosis a long time ago. He was given this and has taken them ever since. However, he had Spondylolisthesis which was extremely painful. He underwent surgery and it was very risky due to his respiratory disease. It was successful and now he lives with screws and a plate in his lower back.
He has other side effects of steroids including immune deficiency. The other side of the coin is that if he hadn't taken them he might not be here now because the inflammation in his lungs (due to asthma) would have continued unfettered, with increasing damage to lung tissue.
You are right - steroids are best avoided if at all possible. That is why I mentioned that Kandi2 needs to think carefully and decide whether he wants to take the risks for a better quality of life.
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Prednisolone- concern over dosage
