Very confused and angry.

[horseblister]

I am new on this side of the forum. to cut short my story I started 1969 age 26 when I was told if I did not start steroids for Asthma attacks I would not live to end of week. I was give a probable life span of 10 yrs and the steriod lecture about getting addicted. Over years of course steroids kept going up, three years trying to get off them. Now I have just come out of hospital having had chest sepsis. problems of long term steroid abuse I was told, included veins blowing or just not wanting to take a cannuler. and a Professor telling me its all my fault for starting on steroids in the first place. I just told him I'm 73 and was supposed to be dead anyway by the first consultants maths. I have had Atrial Fibrillation since 2014. I was put on Diltiazem 360mg by my then Cardiac consultant and written off as I cannot have operations because of Chronic Obstructive Airway Disorder. Hes retired now. My recent stay in hospital saw the dose cut to 240mg Diltiazem and they added 125mg Digoxin a day. I had originally been told that I could not stay on the two.

[Tugun]

Hi,

Amazing the contradictory statements you get from different doctors isn't it? When I once made the mistake of telling a doctor that the previous doctor (in the hospital) had said something different he said, "Well I'm your doctor now so we'll go with what I say". I thought "No we won't." Going with one of two contradictory statements just because that doctor said so was not good enough. I listened to him but then went and did my own research. I must admit I didn't go back to him.

Sorry I can't help you with this but by looking up info on Google at least you may know which questions to ask the doctor. Wishing you all the best.

[horseblister in reply to Tugun]

Thank you for replying.

[Lynneypin]

I’ve had the same. We have to try and do our own research to protect ourselves. And then they wonder why we are all on google! Every doc I see now is exasperated that I was put on long term oral steroids at aged 18 (I’d never been in hospital). I now have osteoporosis. We trusted docs back then. Not any more.

[horseblister in reply to Lynneypin]

I was put on steroids for a good reason at the time and accepted that I was getting worse back in the 80s. my consultant then in the 80s was very sympathetic but this last consultant knew he had a captive victim and seemed to delight in telling me how bad I was to have made myself a steroid addict. Thank you for your reply.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to horseblister]

Ugh, I can't stand steroid shaming and too many doctors seem to do it. Yes, they can be bad but as you say especially when you first started there really weren't many other choices. Doctors need to warn people of the side effects but there is a way to do that without blaming the patient (your doctors told you to after all) and making you feel as though you chose to.to . damage yourself. I have had run ins with steroids much more recently and found I am partially resistant but that is not my fault and I am past being made to feel like a criminal for taking them when I believed it was the best option at the time and a doctor supported that. Or being made to feel as though I am.too stupid to understand the risks and that's why I keep taking them, which my former consultant always did.

[Griffon]

You have been on medication for nearly fifty years . In that period medicines and medicle knowledge will have advanced a lot , consequently the advice and treatment you receive will alter over time .