I have had to stop taking my steroids. I had a weeks course along with antibiotics. They made me feel so poorly. My heart was racing didn't know what to do with my self. I felt suicidal.
Telling the doctor today by phone.
Is there an alternative to Prednisolone???
Thank you in advance
Irene
My husband has also started to get very bad side effects to them - he cut the dose down to 20mg rather than the recommended 30mg and that lessened the effects. Taking them in the morning sometimes is helpful. I am not sure there is an alternative but perhaps the nurses on the helpline know - You can call the helpline on 03000 030 555 Lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Hope you are feeling better very soon, lots of love TAD xx
Irene, I have no idea. Like most I take them too and have side effects, mostly not sleeping, and increased acid reflux, but these are manageable, or at least bearable especially as i don't take them daily, just with exacerbations. But your side effects sound dreadful. I don't know if there's anything you could take at the same time to ameliorate them. Hope you can get this sorted soon, and its a good suggestion to call the BLF. I think there are others here who have found them very problematic.
Good luck.
I don't think there is Irene I have refused to take them in the past as they make me feel so ill, palpitations, no sleep, reflux, and worst of all my muscles in the top my shoulders, under my arms, down my sides and in my stomach are so painful even just after two days.
Hope the doctor can help you.
take care
pollyxx
Hi Irene, my side effects are so bad I do not take them any more. My consultant said the only difference would be that it took a few days longer to beat any exacerbation.
I haven't taken steroids since Sept 2014. At that stage after a difficult year which involved about 8 courses of steroids, I was diagnosed with steroid myopathy and will not be taking them again. The myopathy was severe muscular weakness, particularly in my legs. Walking was slow and painful and I couldn't stand long enough to brush my teeth. The weakness and tremor ( wobbly legs) lasted until December. I've had no steroids since and the weakness and tremor went away but return when I have an exacerbation. No more steroids for me, definitely.
Hi, I sympathise because I always felt the same and refused them. One GP at my last practice of 20 years said "don't worry, there's enough steroid in your inhalers and nasal spray.
Recently though I've had consecutive infections and my new GP said I really must take them this time. I took 30mg instead of the prescribed 40mg daily & took that for more days. I didn't tell them but by golly it took ages afterwards to get well.
I set my alarm for 6am to take them as early as possible in the hope I'd get some sleep, it helped a little in that I wasn't having the palpitations at night.
On balance (and after the event) I'm glad I took them. I've had a glimpse of being bed ridden for 3 weeks and it was worse than miserable.
I really hope you get better soon.
As to answering your question...one december my last GP suggested I double my Seretide to 500 twice daily to avoid exacerbation & infections for the winter. It worked pretty well but wrecked the skin on my arms particularly.
(I don't have copd btw).
Now, when I feel the need I double my Seretide dose particularly at night when my asthma & SOB is worse.
They give us them to get the inflammation down which is vital to keep our airways open.
Have I read that an alternative to Pred is cortisol? I'm not sure. Perhaps a call to BLF or try Mrs Google. X
No-one likes taking them but some people just can't tolerate them at all and it sounds as if you're one of those. They definitely shouldn't make you feel suicidal, you poor thing. They are of course brilliant anti-inflammatories which is why they're so useful for our lungs. There are some natural products which are anti-inflammatory eg fish oil, turmeric but I don't know of any other drug which has the same effect as steroids. I avoid them like the plague because they've given me adrenal failure.
I'm not aware of anything. I too feel lucky that for me an quick high does only really affects my sleep. its the one thing I take when I feel an exacerbation coming on - usually well before antibiotics too. Have a word with your GP but I can't think of an alternative. For many they are an evil - for me they are my go to drug of choice when my chest starts to tighten up.
Good luck
marie
Eel have a different lung condition
I was on 40 mg of prendisolene for 8 months now down to 10
My specialist has put me on Cyclothosimide 100 mg
But also has side effects
Every person behaves differently to different drugs
Good lick
I wish there was like you too I have a very bad time on them but they do open the airways just try to use a little as possible and not very often - good luck with trying to find an alternative - my doctor by the way is happy for me just to take a low dose 30mg one now and then when needed so I do not have to stick to a rigid course of them like the antibiotics, maybe your Doctor will advise the same - hope so xx
Steroids and sleep.
Steroids & Purpura? 
Thin skin from steroid use
Organising pneumonia - how soon do the steroids kick in?
Steroid inhalers and oral thrush.
