Chest infection and Pred

[Dinahmite]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. 14 and a bit months on Pred. Recently I completed 4 weeks on 7.5 mg Pred & then 2 days on 7.mg, during which time I began a chest infection which is proving to be particularly severe. So I upped my Pred to 10mg a day. The GP locum prescribed antibiotics which I started yesterday evening - the first one he tried made me very sick - and today is my 8th day on 10mg Pred. It will still take a while for the antibiotics to work and I am still pretty ill. My question is what to do about my Pred dose when I am feeling a bit better, or indeed better. Any advice gratefully received.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

You can stay on the increased dose for 2 weeks without an issue -and then suggest you drop back to7.5mg -stay for about a month and then provided you are okay recommence tapering.

[Dinahmite in reply to DorsetLady]

Oh thank you so much. I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure. I feel very relieved to read your reply.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I'm surprised the GP didn't give you a burst of a high dose of pred together with the antibiotic. But after up to 14 days there is no need to taper. And really, above 7mg or so, it isn't a problem dropping back as there won't have been much recovery of adrenal function yet even at the lower dose. You just might feel it as steroid withdrawal from the change of dose.

[Dinahmite in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you very much. It's quite a minefield this PMR journey with so many twists and turns. Just when I think I've got a handle on it I discover I really have not!