Rheumatoid arthritis steroid injections impact on cll

I have recently had steroid injections for my back pain and was told it impacts my blood counts, anyone familiar with this? How long does the impact last?

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

What steroid... ?

Prednisone for example is a synthetic corticosteroid drug that is particularly effective as an immunosuppressant drug. It is used to treat certain inflammatory diseases, some autoimmune diseases, and some types of cancer.

I was on it for 12 months to treat Richter's transformation in CLL... it has a raft of side effects... I was also on Dexamethasone another steriod...to prevent inflamation and chemo induced peripheral neuropathy...

Had prednisone in my eye for shingles as well...

It also suppresses the production of B cells among other blood components...

Tapering off the drugs was a month long process...

More on this...

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cor...

~chris

[Hidden in reply to Cllcanada]

Depomedrol was injected 40 mg. I get these a couple times a year.

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to Hidden]

Actually that is Methylprednisolone injectable rather than infusion...

Methylprednisolone is used in combination with Rituxan, another RA treatment,...for high risk refractory CLL...

The treatment is R-HDMP... high dose methylprednisolone... it is still used.

~chris

[olyocl in reply to Cllcanada]

At the moment the treatment I am receiving is 1 day Rituximab and 1,500 Methylprednisolone for 5 days by infusion. I feel exhausted because being on such a high dose I have problems sleeping at night.

[Hidden]

So does it increase or lower your lymphosite count, and for how long would it impact it from a 40 mg injection. I also take Leflunomide for my RA

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to Hidden]

Steroids lower the lymphocyte count, but 40mg is quite a small dose... your doctor might know the degree it effects blood counts...

[Newdawn Administrator]

I'd not heard of a connection between steroid injections and lymphocyte levels but I do know from experience that steroids in any form can increase blood glucose levels.

I'm having another steroid injection into my shoulder in just over a week so hope there is no impact on ALC.

Newdawn

[Jm954 Administrator]

The prednisolone will make interpreting your lymphocyte counts difficult as not sure if level is due to illness, treatment or prednisolone.