Stay on same dose of pred for an operation?

[Angelsmummy]

Hi all,probably answered my own question,but if I go in for an op with general anaesthetic do I continue with my 7 week taper as normal,or do I stay on same dose for a few days?Nothing major,just a wrist operation.Many thanks,xx🌼😜

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Don't continue taper, just tread water where you are on it... before , and probably for a week afterwards. Just see how you are.

Your anaesthetist and surgeon should be aware you are on steroids and you will get an iv supply during procedure - but they may also suggest a little bit extra oral afterwards - really depends.

Good luck with it, hope all goes well,

[Angelsmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Thankyou SO much DL,all just for a trapeziectomy!Pity I couldn’t have it done under local!Will tell consultant when I see him on the 4th.Had to go private,2 yrs average to get it done NHS!x🌼😜

[Angelsmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Hi DL just wondering,would I take my 5 mg at 2 am the day of op!x🌼😜

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Angelsmummy]

I would… do you know if you’re on am or pm list for surgery?

Even if it’s am, you’ve still got time to take it - and if it’s pm it’s going to be a long day without any… 😳

[Angelsmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Don’t know yet,guess I shall take it at 2 am then and let them give me what they want to when I am bye byes eh.,x🌼😜

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Angelsmummy]

Even if it’s morning… usual advice is liquids only from 5am or 6am.

[Angelsmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

So good to take at 2 am then?x

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Angelsmummy]

👍

[Angelsmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks a lot,have a good weekend.x🌼😜

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Stop the taper until you are recovered. Make sure your medical/surgical team know you are a long term pred patient, especially the anaesthetist.

[Angelsmummy in reply to PMRpro]

CheersPmrP,ro,will let them know,wish I didn’t have to have it done but it is dominant hand and because of having to do more now because of OH it is getting worse ,blxxxx painful to say the least.xx🌼😜

[powerwalk]

Hope it goes well.

[Angelsmummy]

Thanks for kind words Powerwalk,I hope it does too!xxHope you are well?xx🌼🌼😜

[Bluey-1]

Don’t taper. Make sure you speak to the anaesthetist. I had a general for an ablation in September. Private as well with an 18 mth wait on the NHS. I too had an IV supply but actually increased steroids after discussion with rheumi before and afterwards because my CRP markers were on the rise so I went from 2.5mg up to 10mg to get things back on track. A bit fed up to start the taper down again but better to be safe than sorry. I had felt so ill with the arrhythmias, no energy and becoming breathless. After a bumpy couple of weeks afterwards things have settled and I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to have a normal heart rate. I think I had the heart problem for a long time and was blaming pred/GCE/adrenal insufficiency for my symptoms. Good luck with your op. I was very pleased to have a general.

[Angelsmummy in reply to Bluey-1]

Hi Bluey,Thankyou for your kind words,and so glad things have settled down for you.Its only a wrist op but I never do well under generals,blood pressure crashes and I spend hours in recovery.A real catch 22 for me,but it is so damn painful,can barely lift a cup of tea unless I have a brace on.Things are getting worse with OH and I really need to be on top of my game .Just got to put my big girls pants on and think positive.There is always somebody else worse off,I just want to meet the buxxxx!xx🌼🌼🤣😜

[Hidden]

Hope it goes really well and you make a speedy recovery 🤗x

[Angelsmummy in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou so much,won’t be for a couple of weeks or so( I hope) ,costing an arm and a leg, but that is the only way because of the state of the NHS now.Maybe we have all had it good for so long and now everything has gone belly up.I shudder to think of the poor souls housebound waiting for new hips ,knees etc.Makes mine trivial in comparison.xx🌼🌼😜

[Bcol]

Can't add anything to things already said, but just to say good luck and hope everything goes well.

[Angelsmummy in reply to Bcol]

Thankyou Bcol,not a serious op in the grand scheme of things but something I really would not have if it was not necessary,plus it gives me less to spend on frivolities!Only joking I am quite frugal really!!xx🌼🤣😜

[Bcol in reply to Angelsmummy]

It's sad it comes to that though. With the things we put up with, the frivolities in life are actually quite important.

[Angelsmummy in reply to Bcol]

My frivolities are cosmetic touches for home,and special treats for animals.Probably lucky that I have been cautious with money as it is certainly needed now for medical stuff for me and OH.£3,600 for new hearing aids for him if we cannot get his NHS ones sorted!😱😱😱🍂😜xx

[Grammy80]

I just wanted to hop on and wish you well.....take all this good advice!!! Hope all goes well💞

[Angelsmummy in reply to Grammy80]

Thanks Grammy,the same to you as well!Hope you are resting up ?xxx🌼🍂🐈😜

[Elvied]

I had a colonoscopy a few weeks ago. My Endocrinologist gave me a plan .

On day of surgery take 15 mgs of pred. The anaesthetist had to give me Intravenous hydrocortisone 100mgs at start of anaesthetic.

iV hydrocortisone every 6 hours till eating and drinking. Then back to normal dose.

Write this down and show the anaesthetist .

I had no problem. Hope this helps x

[Angelsmummy in reply to Elvied]

Wow,what a lot of of cortisone,were you climbing up the walls of hospital?Got to be honest,all this is worrying me now,I don’t do good under generals anyway.Thankyou SO very much for all your info,think my daughter is going to have to drag me into hospital kicking and screaming!xx😱🌼😜

[Elvied]

it was great , I felt fine . Your own body would make that much if you weren’t on prednisone.

It was so easy .

[Elvied in reply to Elvied]

We don’t increase our cortisol to stress like people who don’t take prednisone. You have to account for the stress of the anaesthetic.

You can increase to that dose for a short time with no ill effects I’m told 🤩

[Angelsmummy in reply to Elvied]

Ok Elvied,thanks for that.Think as we get older our bodies are a bit like cars,some need just a service and MOT,others are sent to scrapyard,think mine is becoming the latter.!xx😱🌼😜

[Elvied in reply to Angelsmummy]

You can do it, I had no problem . My Endo is great 🤩

[Angelsmummy in reply to Elvied]

🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼xx💐😜

[Elvied]

goodluck 👍

[Dance62]

HiI had abdominal surgery last Thursday under general anaesthetic. I had managed to taper to 1mg prednisolone and was told by my surgeon and the anaesthetist that I would "get some extra steroid" during/after surgery. What actually happened was that they just gave me 2mg for the 48 hours immediately after surgery, then put me straight back to 1mg.

Having never had surgery before, I had no idea what to expect in terms of how I'd feel in the early days afterwards, but I do know that it took my body some time to get my blood pressure back up to anything like where it should be. Consequently I've felt extremely fatigued, much like I did last year when first diagnosed with aortitis.

I'm not saying any of this to alarm you, simply to reinforce what others have said - don't be tempted to taper any further, stay on what you're on, and if necessary ask for it to be increased post surgery. My surgeon wasn't willing to contemplate surgery until I was down to 5mg a day.

I'm supposed to come off my steroids completely on 1st November and have an appointment, at last, with rheumatology on 15th.

We'll see.

I wish you all the best and hope all goes well, but don't underestimate what a toll a general anaesthetic can take on your body.

[Angelsmummy in reply to Dance62]

Absolutely,I normally feel ok afterwards once they have got my BP under control and then just the normal tiredness for a couple of days.Boy oh boy really wish that I didn’t have to have it done!😱😪xx🌼😜

[Angelsmummy in reply to Dance62]

So sorry Dance,pred head forgot to ask if you are ok after your surgery last week?Hope you are taking it easy and being kind to yourself,xxx💐😜

[Dance62 in reply to Angelsmummy]

Don't worry at all!

Yes I'm doing OK thank you, the surgery went as well as it could have done , in that it was keyhole rather than open. I'm just very tired, which may be compounded by not having enough steroid or may be completely normal at this stage. 🤔 who knows!!

Good luck with yours 🙏

[Angelsmummy in reply to Dance62]

Glad you are ok,take it easy ,as you say we need to listen to our bodies when we feel like this don’t we?Wish I could take my own advice sometimes.!xx💐💐😜

[Dance62 in reply to Angelsmummy]

Thank you, you are absolutely right! And listening yo my body is not something I'm very good at. 😳

[Angelsmummy in reply to Dance62]

Spent five hours out shopping yesterday,trouble living in country,have to drive to different shops all a distance from each other.Feel as weak as a kitten today,so am going to prepare OHs lunch,and dinner and that is me done!Oh to have pre GCA levels of energy back!xx😱😪🌼😜

[Dance62 in reply to Angelsmummy]

Yes I think the lack of energy us thr worst thing about my GCA. I can't live at 300mph like I used to and learning to pace myself has been so difficult. Enjoy the rest of your day - have a quiet one 😌

[Angelsmummy in reply to Dance62]

Cheers you too,hot water bottle behind achey neck,little dog snuggled up next to me ,bliss,just wish I could nap but never can,strange when one feels so tired isn’t it eh?xx🌼😜

[Poshdog]

🍀🤞🙏😘

[Angelsmummy in reply to Poshdog]

Thankyou a posh dog.xxx🌼😜

[Rubha]

I don't have an answer to your query but want to thank you (and wish you luck) for saving me having to ask the question. Im due a hip replacement , privately due to 3year wait on NHS , and was wondering about my steroid journey ...thanks

[Angelsmummy in reply to Rubha]

No thanks needed,that is what this wonderful forum is for ,expert advice and we all help each other in our own way.Mine may be too jokey sometimes, but humour is what keeps me going.Good luck for your op too and really hope all goes well for you Rubha.xxx🤞🏼🌼😜

[Rubha in reply to Angelsmummy]

Agree 100% ....humour is needed. Keep it going .

[Angelsmummy in reply to Rubha]

If we don’t laugh we will cry!Put my sarcastic humour into play today whilst out shopping and then had a cuppa,an elderly man,probably a bit older than me,pushed past me as I was going to sit down at the last table that was free.He must have seen my cane but obviously didn’t care,So I sarcastically said to him,” You need the table more than me you poor poor man” Pre GCA he would have copped a lot more I can tell you!NOTE TO MYSELF,Must be more tolerant and less sarcastic!But then maybe not…..xx🌼🤣😜

[Rubha in reply to Angelsmummy]

Love your style. Very similar to mine. As I age , I become less tolerant of intolerant people. I volunteer at our local Community Cafe and sometimes I have to stuff my fist in my mouth ....poor hubby gets it when I get home .

[Angelsmummy in reply to Rubha]

Why stuff your fist into your mouth when you have access to all that lovely food?🤣I have never been a tolerant person,brought up by an iron fisted stepfather who installed manners,courtesy and respect.For that I am grateful but not all the abuse.I can be one of the most kindest ,generous persons in the world as long as nobody treads on my figurative toes.,😡Probably why I don’t have many “ friends!”I was thinking of doing volunteering in a charity shop a while back but decided against it,too old to have a non molestation order at my age!xx💐😜

[calibriel]

Absolutely what everyone above has said. I recently had a hip operation. I plateaued for a bit on my taper, and the anaesthetist had his own views on what I should be taking over the day of the operation and following. I’m sure you’ll let them know what you’re taking, and they’ll make sure you’re on the right dose. Just be nice to yourself afterwards: no surgical intervention is a small thing, especially with a general. You deserve a bit of tlc: there’ll be plenty of time to think about tapering when you’re fully recovered. Best of luck with the op, hope you feel the benefit

[Angelsmummy in reply to calibriel]

Thankyou so much for your reply,everybody is so kind on here and I am pretty sure that there are a LOT worse off than me.,troubleis,hands are one of the most important thing on our body and the continual pain is something I want rid off!Many thanks again,xx🌼😜

[Rubha in reply to calibriel]

Thank you. I had my other hip done 6 years ago. It was a breeze....before GCA mind you. Cheers