ITS VERY IMPORTANT EVERYONE READ THIS

[boninclyde]

I posted earlier on 3-22-06 and no responses. You may want to read it as well. Numerous problems. I did everything I could to find out reason for my symptons. Recently visited gastro doc. then off to my endocrinologist. After all these years maybe an answer. When my problems started I had gotten a shot of cortisone in foot for some bone spur type pain. I did not know this was same as prednisone. Dr. had also prescribed celebrex. The next day the itching burning and bone pain started. Two days later I got hives. Went to my doctor who gave me another shot of prednisone for the hives and he said I must have been allergic to the sulfa in celebrex. No help. Next day to emergency room with hives and still the bone pain with burning. This circle has repeated itself for 3 1/2 years now (doctors and hospital) With every visit I explained how this all started with the cortisone shot in my foot and while taking celebrex. It turns out after all these years my endo says they have been injecting me with the very thing that I was allergic to PREDISONE. They use prednisone to treat hives. Many Many side effects from the prednisone. Many scares, tears and pain. My body is left with the perminant scares. Premature aging, bone pain, severe osteoporosis, digestive problems, depression and the list goes on. I do believe this med may be good for some not everyone. So much for my 12 doctors and all those ER doctors who could never find out what is wrong with me. My husband and my children have all suffered from my ongoing problems. You could never imagine what we have been through.

[peanutprinces]

I have been given this medication twice while in the hospital. Each time I began itching and very short of breath. 5 minutes later I stopped breathing. Had to be put on life support each time. Watch out for this med.

[MCube]

I was diagnosed with my allergy to Solu-Medrol in 1998. I have given copies of all of my allregies to my supervisor, friends, family, etc.  At one point my doctor jokingly said I should have it tattooed around my wrist but that I would probably be allergic to the dye.  

I finally found a bracelet that screws open and shut. Which allows you to record more information and accordian fold it inside.  I haven't seen any bracelets like it since that time.  Since your post was 4 years ago, you have probably found something by now.

~MCube~

Note: When you see your doctors as often as I do, you develop a more relaxed relationship.  I appreciate that relaxed relationship because I know he will tell it as it is in both human terms and medical terms.  I wish there were more doctors like him in this world.

[MCube]

     I was skin tested for an allergy to steroids after an anaphalytic reaction to solu-medrol. Prior to this I had experienced minor dermatitis reactions to prednisone (oral) and decadron (iv and oral).  The skin tests which were done by injection under the skin rather than scratch confirmed the allergies.  However, I did not react to the IV version of prednisone or the oral version of solu medrol.  The education I received following the results of this testing was very in depth and detailed.  This is not just a rare allergy, but one that requires immense research to even find recorded cases.  Even at this it still does not prove that I am allergic to the corticosteroid only the medication, either way I cannot take it.  
     My allergy to the drug developed over a decade. Yes, you can take something and not be allergic to it initially and develop an allergy to it later. In fact the way that allergies work are that you have to have an initial exposure before your body creates the antibodies IgE to the allergen.  
     Back on subject, I am not surprised that it took so long for the doctors to figure out what was going on.  There isn't that much in recorded literature about allergies to oral and/or IV steroids because it is rare to find a true case of it.  There has been extensive research done of reactions to topical steroids because it is more common.  Even with the topical steroid allergy the term "more common" is not meant to indicate that there are many cases of it.  As many people have pointed out above, you can develop allergies to medications whose main component is considered "natural" to be found in your body.  The biggest example of that is autoimmune disease itself.  However, in the case of medication the allergy itself might not actually be to the main component of the medication (corticosteroid) but to a binder or side product of the manufacturing process or to some component from the organism that was used as the basis for creation of the drug (guinnea pig, etc.).  
     When I was diagnosed, I was fortunate enough to have found a doctor that had seen one case in her lifetime.  Because she saw the case when she was in medical school she had to do a presentation on it to the class which proved to be difficult because of how rare it is.  She ultimately had to go to country specific journals from around the world and then only found 4 cases that had confirmed the allergy through skin testing (via injection not scratch which can sometimes give false positives).
     I will see If I can again get a copy of the article that she did on the case she saw in medical school, young boy receiving corticosteroids as part of his cancer treatment regimine.  She is no longer located in this state so it may be difficult to get in touch with her but I will give it a try.
     I am sorry to hear that you have the allergy to this medication.  I need corticosteroids as part of the treatment for my asthma and chronic bronchitis.  Unfortunately I have contiued to develop allergies to other anti inflamatory medications and currently appear to be developing one to the last of the corticosteroids that I can take.  Yes, the corticosteroids have some very nasty side effects but they are often better than the alternative.  As my doctor once told me when I debated with him over the continued use of corticosteroids to to treat me, do you want to be alive today and we can deal with the side effects as they come because the alternative is that you aren't alive today.  They would be the miracle drug if it weren't for all of the side effects, but then again in some cases they are better than the alternative.

~The 40 year old mom with Asthma, Allergies, Chronic Bronchitis, Osteoporosis, Moon Face, Thin Skin, Deep Stretch Marks from Arm Pits to Mid Calf, Thinning Hair BUT that the doctors didn't think would live to see her 25th birthday...then her 30th...then her 40th so now they don't speculate~  :)  

ps. Now you can definitely consider yourself to be 1 in a billion. :)

[boninclyde]

Thanks for the comment. I knew I could not be alone. They do treat many conditions with prednisone. Since endo. has told me this many doctors disagree with her ideas but it is strange that since I have not had any injections of it to treat my hives, I have have no hives. It did however take over 6 months to get out of my system and still not sure it is.

[jjkkwalk]

I found boninclyde's reaction to Prednisone very interesting!! It does the same thing to me and doctors for years have acted like I was nuts because that's what they use to treat allergies, among countless other diseases and problems!  It is a HORMONE that's how my body reacts to hormone imbalances - I get hives in whelps that are miserable and take a week or more to go away.  I am glad to hear an endocrinologist finally agreed that yours was an allergic reaction to Prednisone.  It kinda alarms me because they treat so many problems with this steroid and I can't take it.  They have this allergy listed on all my charts, but my wonderfully caring doctor told me it would be a good idea to get a bracelet or some kind of warning of  my allergy to Prednisone.  He says in the event of a traumatic accident that impaired my ability to talk to medics, it could be disastrous because they automatically pump you full of this to help with breathing issues!  I don't have a bracelet or warning yet but this reminds me to look for one.

Best wishes to you -

[T.Oneil]

Hi all,
     I just went through three years of severe itching, all over body rashes, joint pain.... just found out January 13th, 2006 that it was Splenda/Sucralose causing all of this.  It is in hundreds and hundreds of products, including medicines, mouthwashes, foods, drinks, etc....  My rash began within the first week of putting it in my coffee, July 2003. I lived in a nightmare where no one could tell me what was happening to me for THREE years!  
     Within 48 hours of eliminating it from my diet I started to have relief and now have no rash unless I unsuspectingly ingest it (most recently from Yoplait low fat yogurt!!) The rash showed up within 24 hours!!!  There are petitions to the FDA to have this product eliminated until more testing is done on it. Check out an awsome website; belicove.com and type in the search box, "splenda allergy".  You will be amazed. Feel free to write me at terri_oneil***@**** and good luck to all of you....  I just hope that this helps someone out there.  God Bless

[baby4Staci]

Also,
I suffered through stress and anxiety for several years.  I also had many symptoms that i was having and i also had every test done and the Dr's never found anything wrong.  As soon as I got rid of the stress in my life, i felt much better (and got off antidepressants)  

Stress can do weird things to your body.. even go as far as making you physically ill.

[Candyb]

U have said that I should change my drugs.I don't take any prescribed or street drugs. As far as alchol goes I don't really drink.I have rattled my brain thinking everyday for the past year and some odd moths to figure out a slight possibility.nothig.I have seen several family doctors...ER doctors,allergist,dermatologist and rheumotologist.I was checked for liver,kidney,lyme disease,lupus,RA,RF,STD,blood disorders,hormones,.........Iam going to another allergist,dermatologist,rheumotogist soon.I have had my blood work done about 11 times for this situation.Every test comes up negative for everything.The only thing that is coming up as abmormal is my white blood count,which is a sign of infection.I have no visual infection...a number one sign of infection would be fever,which I do not have.

[boninclyde]

I honestly don't mean to sound harsh. Just trying to help. Please don't get upset. You sound so much like me. For 3 1/2 years i've gone through the same thing. My white blood cell count was abnormal quite often. Then my red. Prayers.

[boninclyde]

You may also want to re-check to see what types of meds were given to you during surgery (Get names, CC's) then look up on the net. Maybe some you don't know about or some you have forgotten about. It can take a really long time to get some meds out of your system especially prednisone.

[Candyb]

I did not have any medications prior to surgery.I was not on any medications post surgery, I was only on the medications I was prescribed because of this problem. I have not had cortisone or predisone shots. I believe I had predisone just to help the joint pain(once) but it didn't make my sympotms improve or get better...any other suggestions?