Any info gratefully received…..

[Fiddlemum]

Does having pmr increase infections.

Not sure if it’s the Prednisilone that does that or if the condition itself that does that….

Thanks for being here. xxxx

[PMRpro Ambassador]

PMR itself no - pred may well do for certain things. However, there are a lot of us who feel we haven't had any more infections while on pred than we did before.

[123-go]

Prednisolone reduces the body's ability to fight infection. The risk is greater with high doses over a long period hence the need to taper sensibly to achieve the lowest dose required at each stage to manage inflammation and to avoid the yo yo effect (in an ideal world!).

Have just seen PMRpro's reply and have indeed 'heard' people here say that they haven't suffered from coughs and colds since starting Pred: a bonus 🙂. It's the nasty stuff like chickenpox, shingles and influenza that may really take its toll and why vaccination against these are recommended.

[SheffieldJane]

I have a chronic nasal infection and Blepharitis. I am convinced that these pesky infections are hanging on because my immunity is suppressed by both Prednisalone and Tocilizumab. It was also touch and go with a gum abscess which I finally got rid of with two lots of antibiotics and three bottles of antiseptic mouth wash.

[Sharitone]

I have had a few bouts of gastro-enteritis and long-running probable oral thrush, both of which my GP says are caused by invaders taking advantage of the lapse in defences caused by all the meds. I never had either before. But I haven't had a single cold while all about me have been snuffling, so make of that what you will!

[Blearyeyed]

As others have said , it is not the PMR that makes you more susceptible to infection but higher doses of steroids can reduce your immunity making it more possible of catching an infection.

Steroid Use and PMR ( or any chronic health condition , not just PMR ) can mean it takes a bit longer for your body to recover from an infection and injury . There is one simple reason for that ; your body is already a little weaker and is already trying to cope with the health issue you already had before you caught an infection as well. The body therefore has to work a bit harder all round to get over an infection and steroids can sometimes cause us to absorb a little less of the medication that we are given to fix the infection , which is why you may find you need more than one course of an antibiotic , for example.

All in all though , taking steroids to deal with the PMR/ GCA far outweigh the side effects for the majority of people . If we keep up healthy lifestyle choices while suffering from a chronic health issue we can still reduce the number of infections we have and how long they last , and if we pace ourselves when we have an infection it is less likely for us to have a flare up of our PMR/ GCA .