Should I increase my Prednisolone?

[Felixstowe]

Hi, I’ve been unwell since middle of August just a summer virus I thought. By 2/9/21 I was actually feeling worse and was staying in bed. I did an e-consult with my GP but didn’t hear anything back. As I was not getting any better I decided to follow the Sick Day Rules and continued this for a week, this certainly seemed to help. Fast forward to 17/9/21, started feeling very unwell with pain in the right side of my chest when trying to breathe. Over the weekend I still coughing, still had pain and on Sunday Eveing my temperature went up to 39.7. Called my GP surgery and after a telephone consult actually got a physical appointment! I do have a chest infection and was prescribed antibiotics, I explained to GP about sick day rules but he doesn’t want me to increase my Pred at the moment.

Does anyone have any advice please? Thank you

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

The sick day rules should be done in agreement with GP, so if he doesn’t want you to increase then best not. I guess he’s hoping the antibiotics will sort things out. See how you feel at the end of the course of treatment and if you still fell unwell then contact GP again and discuss.

Hope you soon feel better.

[Felixstowe in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you so much for your reply Dorset Lady.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

What dose of pred are you on?

With a chest infection I'm surprised the GP hasn't given you a course of high dose pred, especally since it is now pretty longstanding.

[Felixstowe in reply to PMRpro]

Hi PMR Pro thank you so much for your reply. I’m only on 10mg, every time I get down to 8mg I have a huge flare. Diagnosed with PMR Sept 2019 started on 15mg and pretty much left alone to deal with tapering and increases due to flares. Thank goodness for this site! I do have asthma therefore not sure if that was a reason? To be honest I was pretty out of it yesterday.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Felixstowe]

Even MORE reason to give you a short sharp blast of pred I'd have thought! My daughters and grandaughter are all asthmatic and always get a course with a chest infection. Reduces the swelling that the inffection induces and reduces the likelihood of the asthma flaring up as theirs always does in response to the infection.

[Felixstowe in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you! Tuesday evening/WednesdayMorn I was feeling even worse, temp up to 40.7, vomiting, shivers and shakes so decided to take extra Pred anyway. My body, my decision and I’ll face my GP when I have to, he’ll probably not even remember. I felt my only option was to call 999 and I didn’t want to do that.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Felixstowe]

Did it help?

[Felixstowe in reply to PMRpro]

Without a doubt, halfway through yesterday I started to feel vaguely human.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Felixstowe]

Good - keep it up!!!!

[Meggsy]

OH and I both had a virus which caused continual coughing night and day. GP prescribed 50mg for 4 days for both of us. I was on 5mg pred at the time and had no trouble dropping back.

[Iamhappy]

Should have the antibiotics and then see how you feel.Did you do a COVID test.

[Felixstowe in reply to Iamhappy]

Hi Iamhappy thank you, yes have done 3 Lateral Flow and 2 PCR all negative except for last PCR and I should receive result for that tomorrow. Tuesday evening (after 2 full days of antibiotics) I was actually feeling worse and temperature up to 40.7 and vomiting due to high temperature so decided to take extra Pred. Otherwise my only other option was 999. According to my steroid card and Endocrinology.Org it is possible to suffer an adrenal crises. NICE and endocrinology.Org both advise (if on lower than 20mg) to take 10mg every 12 hours. I’ll face my GP when I have to and if necessary ask why he didn’t want me to increase.