fed up

[Dion3844o1]

hi all I'm still on prednisolonbe into the 4th week now two more days of four tablets then a week of two or is it ??iv woke up this morning face slightly swollen and a cough I cant get rid of and for last few days I'm pretty sure ,well I know I'm coming down with a infection yet again people keep telling me to stay away from the steroids but I'm all new to this so don't no why iv got to the stage I have repeaded infections that either clear with meds and come back straight away or don't clear and mid way come back worse than before .

[whisperit]

Hello Dionnumbers,

I expect you know that the steroids won't decrease the likelihood of getting an infection - they are for other things, usually damping down inflammation? I can understand why people are wary about them, but they are very widely used and very effective when correctly prescribed. Have you discussed your concerns with your doctor? What has s/he said about your recurrent infections?

x

[Dion3844o1 in reply to whisperit]

thankyou for replying I suppose I just presumed the steroids would get rid ot the infection but in all fairness I feel better than what I did ,I havnt seen the specialist since may I'm just waiting for an appointment now to come through I feel as though I'm been kept in the dark I'm gonna have the questions inj my bhead ready as wel I need answers .

[whisperit in reply to Dion3844o1]

Yes, I always have trouble getting everything that I need to say crammed into a short appointment. I do try to write down the most important ones beforehand, and at the end, I always repeat what my understanding of the plan is in case I have misunderstood - "So you have prescribed X to deal with my joint pain, and you are going to refer me to Dr Y for an opinion on my heart, and I will see you again in 6 months?" or whatever. x

[Dion3844o1]

Thank you

[misty14]

Hi Dion

Sorry to read of your infection problems and reducing steroids. What dose are you on?. Hope you've reduced slowly. Steroids make you more likely to get infections and then they need to be increased to cope with the effects if you flare and it's like being caught in a hamsters wheel!. Glad you have Rheumy appt coming up so you can discuss this. Hope you feel better soon. X