Everything was going well, then bang, I ve got a cold.

[Gatorchief]

I’m in the 5th week and just got my timing for the 10 and 5 mg dose right. No pain and very little fatigue and nausea . I’ve been working out every day ( modified of course ) and I was feeling normal. Now I’m starting post nasal drip and cough with a tight ness in throat and chest. Not bad yet as I’m taking Zicam and Niquil , but I worried about the prednisone and immune system ‘s response to the virus. If I have to take Antibiotics will it interfere with the prednisone and PMR treatment? Will I have to stop the prednisone to treat cold? Would the antibiotics damage my intestines after 5 weeks of prednisone? Will the cold last longer while the immune system catches up with the virus? Allergy, Cold , and Flu season here now, The thought of starting the prednisone treatment all over again already is the pits, and would hate to cancel the gym for another month.as I’m moving so well without pain. I guess I should be more worried about a cold turning into pneumonia than going to a gym.

[SnazzyD]

My advice would be to stop over thinking it! 🙂. None of these worries are answerable really and are not a given. The main thing to say is that in no circumstances do you stop the Pred because your adrenal function will be suppressed (a normal by product until you get to low doses) and your body would go into a crisis especially when ill.

My experience is that there is no rhyme or reason that’s obvious as to how the body deals with all these things when on Pred etc. Having had the body go wrong with getting PMR etc, it is easy to assume that every cold etc could end up in disaster. It could all be over in a week or it might longer. Personally even on high doses of Pred, I didn’t fall ill any more than anyone else. On 30mg we had influenza in the house and I nursed everyone else as all I got was a headache and a sniffle.

Do you have a specific reason to worry about being high risk of pneumonia after a viral infection? If you have a high risk, I’d seek medical guidance for a plan before anything happens. IF you need antibiotics, you just take them and your Pred. The types generally used first for chest infections don’t tend to strip the gut like some.

What I *wouldn’t* do is go to the gym until you are fully better, especially in case it is Covid. The rates are high in the US so it could be. Your body needs rest now so be wary of knocking symptoms on the head with meds and then over doing it.

[Gatorchief in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you SnazzyD, I do t think it’s Covid but it’s a good idea to grab a test tomorrow and check. I tested positive back in 2021 and it was very mild for me. I was back to normal in a week. This just seems to be a classic cold and I’m hoping that’s all it will be. I’m just starting to deal with PMR at 5 weeks since diagnosis and was hoping that I wouldn’t have to deal with additional problems already.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Totally agree with SnazzyD - you are overthinking things. Many have gone through similar on much higher doses.

Just take sensible precautions [like giving the gym a miss] and plenty of TLC.

[Gatorchief in reply to DorsetLady]

I know you’re right. It ls the old sailor in me trying to right ship before the storm. 👍

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Gatorchief]

Understandable… but view it as a slight swell rather than a force 9 hurricane!

You’ll be fine.. but do make sure it’s not Covid… 😊

[PMRpro Ambassador]

"Will I have to stop the prednisone to treat cold?" - absolutely NOT!

But as Snazzy says - stop overthinking it. Most of us just get on with life with PMR and on pred just as we did before. Like her, I have probably had fewer colds etc since I have been on pred. If anything, they may feel less bad because the pred calms any inflammation. Any cold, whether you are on pred or not can vary from the last one or the next one. Lots of fluids, rest, paracetamol if you feel you need it (can't say I have ever noticed needing it) and OTC remedies if they float your boat - if they depended on me the manufacturers would be out of business. I have very little time for proprietary medications - the money stays in MY pocket. The cheapest paracetamol is identical to the most expensive version claiming to be targeted at whatever. Load of rubbish - a drug is a drug once it gets into your body, you can't influence where it ends up.

And don't go to the gym, even professional athletes change their approach when they have a systemic illness.

[S4ndy]

Hi there, the infection got was a bad chest infection. Lasted for over 2 weeks and took longer to get rid of cough.As others have said, do not stop your prednisolone. Keep taking them.

I see you are in the USA so you can get a good choice of over the counter treatments for virus infections. I would use paracetamol (Tylenol) for pain and Piriton for the nasel drip. A soothing cough sweets helped me to stop the barking.

I was an exercise professional before I got ill and retired. I suggest you give the gym a miss and maybe just have a gentle stroll in the fresh air to help get the stuff off your chest. It's not wise to exercise with an infection as you are then using up energy that your body needs to heal.

Hope you feel better soon x

[Myfoe]

I was taking 30mg down from 60mg the first time I got Covid which was new to Drs and especially new for people with PMR who are on prednisone I was given paxlovid and was told to maintain my current dose of prednisone all went well with no issues Covid ran its course and I healed as quickly as people who were not on prednisone second time I got covid I was on 10mg of prednisone and 25mg of methotrexate I did not take paxlovid and recovered well I am certain you will be fine please do not stop taking prednisone your body is dependent on it and doing so could cause you to have a adrenal crisis.. stay the course treat your cold symptoms like you normally would I recommend homemade chicken noodle soup!! take care of you!!

[Gatorchief in reply to Myfoe]

Thank you for the reassurance. Colds are nasty things for me. I have allergies that make hard to tell the difference at times. I’ve been talking Zicam (zinc ) an OTC cold chewable and resting. The cough is much better now.

[Adults2Kids3]

I don't have answer for all your concerns. I did take an antibiotic recently & continued with my regular prednisone of 3 mg & no problem.

[Gatorchief in reply to Adults2Kids3]

Thank you, my concern with antibiotics is that they can sometimes cause Gastro internal issues as I have acid reflux. Another present with getting older it seems.