Hi all,
I have been prescribed prednisolone soluble tablets to take after a course of antibiotics hasn't cleared up my chest infection.
Is this normal?
I've never been prescribed steriods before and its worrying me
However I want to do something to get rid of this cough and the tightness in my chest
Will they work??
Steroids are anti inflammatory meds so won’t clear a chest infection...that’s what the antibiotics will do. However steroids will help if your breathing isn’t good and your airways are inflamed.
Are you diagnosed with asthma or COPD or any lung condition?
Never been diagnosed with anything.I've taken antibotics for the last week and doctor can still here it.
So the antibotics have stopped and now he's prescribed the steriods
Will they help?
Yes they will calm inflammation down so aid your breathing. IF still unwell once completed course it is important to contact your gp. You may need more than one course of steroids and/or antibiotics.
Hiya 😊 as Madon mentioned,Steroids work by reducing inflammation for lot of things severe asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, allergic reactions, bowel diseases or skin conditions.
If your GP has prescribed you steorids I believe he has told you why or not? If you took antibiotics and it's not cleared up your chest infections, this would be the reason why he gave them to you. Easily to find out is to read the description of the pills to find out more about the effects.
Sorry to ask, you joined this forum to find out why your doctor has prescribed you steorids?
Hope you will get better again. Take care of yourself.
The doctor said he had prescribed them as he could still hear the wheeze which suggests that the antibiotics haven't worked.
I've never taken steriods before so just wanted to know if they would help
Well they you got your answer 🙂 Hun. Just make sure you take them as he prescribed and have a good meal before, it's better when you eaten something. Take care 😃
Yes, they will help. It'll only be a short course and safe to take . Important that you take as early as you can in the morning with a bit of food. They make some people restless at night.Your airways will be inflamed from the infection, steroids reduce the inflammation enabling your lungs to get rid of the infected mucus- you don't want that hanging around to grow more bacteria. I'm surprised that the doc didn't prescibe further antibiotics. Most of us here would expect an absolute minimum of ten days, usually get two weeks. Hence us saying if you're not better just before steroids are finished you absolutely must get back to the gp. Hope you feel better. Peege
I'm just getting over a chest infection. I was prescribed antibiotics and steroids. Cleared it up in seven days.
Yes the steroids are fine and should cause no problems I've been on and off them since 2003 and now have them and antibiotics on repeat Incase of any chest infection that springs up . And I get plenty of them
I've been on prednisolone for almost a year now. Before, I had a constant cough which has now gone.
There was an on line conference on bronchiectasis recently, which several of us tuned in to. Much emphasis was placed on the importance of inflammation in prolonging chest trouble. This applies to any chest infection, not just bronchi. I hope the steroids do their job for you. If not be sure to contact your doctor again. They made me insomniac, but it was worth it.
I suffer from insomnia anyway so that won't change plus only taking them for 5 days so I hope they do their job 
Fingers crossed. xxx
H i , SUNSHINE !- I have been taking a daily dose of steroids for TEN YEARS = 5mg ,, to keep my breathing going , - no side effects that I am aware of .., I think only Antibiotics will help here such as " AMOXYCILLIN ", or "DOXYCYCLINE " which I take when I have an infection .. but of course ask Doc to see what he thinks ... good luck ! ...😀
I've just finished a weeks course of antibotics
I have been on daily steroid for about 18 months. It really does help my breathing a lot. But I am increasingly anxious about how Rhin my skin is getting. I use Zeroveen as a moisturiser. But any suggestions would be really helpful. Also I am hopefully going on holiday from cloudy Cumbria to sunny Devon. I assume I have to cover up my already fragile skin?
My skin bothers me too and I have mentioned it to my consultant. He is looking to reduce my dose.
I was about to ask my GP if I could cut out the daily dose. And promptly got an exacerbation. So six steroids a day! But if I get back to feeling as well as I did a couple of months ago, I shall ask.Do you use factor 50 if you sit out in the sun? Is there a stronger one?
Hullo straddle. Your skin is thinning due to continuous steroids. Ask your Doctor's advice, maybe it's time for a review. But maybe the end justifies the means. Have a lovely holiday. For alternative moisturisers google "indybest hydrating moisturisers for sensitive skin". Reliable recommendations from the "I" (ex- Independent) newspaper. Good fun to Google indybest for a lot of things anyway! Best wishes.
P.s. You musn't stop Longterm steroids suddenly. Read the accompanying leaflet. And please consult your doctor x
Thanks Hobbledehoy. I checked with the doctor just the other day and sadly she said I need to keep taking the daily steroid. She is an excellent doctor so I have faith in her. She reminded me of how I felt a year ago compared with now and it is true that I finally feel I have my condition on an even, manageable level. The steroid and other medicines and better chest clearance have all contributed.Thanks for the tip on moisturisers. I use Zeroveev but very open to trying others. Will have a look.
Hi,. Please follow doctors advice he knows your medical history & wouldn’t prescribe if he didn’t think you could manage them.
As others have said best taken in the morning after eating, Im sure you’re breathing will feel much improved within days,
Obviously if your still having issues after a week it’s back to see your GP, Many of us on this forum have been taking steroids on & off for years because of lung problems which have been lifesavers for us.
Hope you feel better very soon.
Hi Thisisthetime,
I was in exactly the same situation in January & February 2020. My GP prescribed steroids for a week. I too had never taken them before and was not on any other medicines. I was told they would help my breathing and coughing. I too suffered with this tightness in my chest which you describe and which my GP said was due to stress....I didn’t believe that for one minute. I was not stressed and never have been....laid back perhaps but never stressed! Something just wasn’t right with me.
I also had a full blood count taken and my lymphocytes (white blood cell count), was way over the normal limit meaning I was fighting something though no one knew what at the time.
However, the steroids didn’t help me, so I decided to consult a private doctor who then prescribed antibiotics (just in case I had an infection), and gave me a big one-off steroid injection in my backside plus some strong cough medicine. The injection temporarily stopped my cough and my breathing began to get better going forward. (I’d had a chest X-ray at the beginning of all this in late January 2020...which showed my chest was clear).
It took until the end of April 2020 for my infection/virus or symptoms to clear up, (approx 3 months of coughing), but with all the coughing I’d done for so long my throat and windpipe area didn’t feel right until the autumn. My swallowing was not normal. I’d obviously done damage to it coughing so much. Also, until August 2020 I would still become breathless after exercise. A hot cup of tea eased the exercise induced breathlessness very quickly indeed.
Apparently I’d contracted Covid-19 during the pre-pandemic (unknown) era according to my orthopedic surgeon who was working the Covid wards during the pandemic.
Later in 2020 (early October), I tested positive for Covid, (now a 2nd time) and this time I had hardly any symptoms. The first thing I noticed was a tightness in my chest. My husband got the same chest tightness and he tested positive too....both of us testing 2 days apart from each other. Apparently our thymus gland is in the chest between the lungs. It makes white blood cells (T lymphocytes) which are part of the immune system and helps to fight infection. When triggered, as required by the body’s immune system, a tightness can be felt. So my antibodies memory had kicked in from the first round, ramped up their production to clout Covid on the spot.
Our bodies are truly amazing!
Best wishes to you and I hope you get better soon. T57
I've been tested for covid and all my tests come back negative Also I have had my first jab
Hi, steroids wont in themselves clear up an infection but they will reduce inflammation in your airways so there will be more room for the air to go in and out, therefore breathing improved. Your chest will feel less tight and you may find yourself coughing up mucus more easily. It may be though that you need a second course of antibiotics so Id suggest speaking to your GP about this if your mucus is still looking infected (ie different colour to normal). Good luck!
Ended up at A n E due to chest pain and tightnessXray clear
Bloods normal
But can still hear a wheeze through the stethoscope
Doctor has now prescribed clarithromycin for one week.. Can I take this alongside prednisolone??
Doctor at A n E didn't say
Hi, I have asbestosis (pleural thickening) and have a rescue kit which I take if I get a chest infection. This contains prednisolone and also doxycycline, so they are obviously compatible as a medication Geoff
Yes. Don't be afraid of it when prescribed. You will feel much better shortly. I have a chronic chest disease, and hold a short course by me to use occasionally when necessary. Best wishes.
Chest infection?
Chest infection and vomiting
chest infection had enough
