Steroids and COPD.

[Badbessie]

There have been a number of questions regarding steroids recently I found this article useful in explaining why they are prescribed.

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[sassy59]

Thank you, very informative. Pete has 10mg of pred each day and it was originally prescribed for sarcoidosis but he still takes it now along with pulmicort via nebuliser. Xxxxx

[2greys]

My eosinophils count was at the highest end of normal and that is why my Fostair was upgraded to the higher dose of ICS (inhaled corticosteroids). The difference after a few weeks is a clear improvement of my breathing and exercise tolerance, both of which went downhill at the end of last year and coincided with cancer development. I am now faced with an uphill struggle to, hopefully, get back to where I was before.

So it seems the next question I shall be asking the Oncologist (I have been discharged from Respiratory to Oncology) is have I also developed Asthma, as I sometimes have difficulty breathing in as well as out. I do hope not.

[Badbessie in reply to 2greys]

Hopefully not you have enough problems in life without another.

[O2Trees in reply to 2greys]

Difficulty breathing in is associated with silent reflux 2G - asthma which Ive had since my 20s is like copd in that the difficulty is breathing out, not in. At least that's both my experience and what Ive frequently read. If you are having more steroids than previously they do tend to make our stomachs more acid so it might be worth looking into that possibility.

[2greys in reply to O2Trees]

Thank you, I will ask about that also. Obviously, I have something else going, on re. the eosinophils count that requires an increase of ICS and that could cause silent reflux as well. A vicious circle. So I could end up with PPI's as well, I think there is enough room in the monthly carrier bag for another box.

I only have to wait a week, to throw these questions into the mix, to see the Oncologist. Probably I will have more hospital visits then, to undergo tests. To think I never saw any medical professionals for virtually 65 years, oh well "all good things come to an end".

[Corin1950]

Thanks for posting this.

It explains quite a few topics: steroids, inhalers, bipap machines and diet for COPD.

Very useful information and well worth reading especially for people hewcto to the site.

Best wishes

Corin.

[shadow4me]

I feel a lot better on steroids but sadly my consultant is very anti steroid with a small daily dose I manage to cook do a bit off housework and odd jobs and my mood is much better ,Now im not on them im back to square one haven't no breath or energy to do anything and so depressed I saw a nurse at the hospital has I have ACOS she put me on a machine to test for inflammation mine is quite high ?she also reckons that TRIMBO isn't for my Asthma side off this disease so is going to talk to specialist about different meds .I know the side affects are bad with steroids long term but at least it gives some off us a bit of quality off life xx