Prednisone

[hoho147]

I was given 3 50mg, pills of prednisone to be taken within 12 hours. As a preventative for an allergic reaction to iodine for a ct scan. After the last pill my breathing is tight, more coughing than usual and wheezing. Could this be caused from the prednisone? How long before it's out of my system?
Thank you

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
Yes, as Caregiver pointed out, there is a ‘missing piece’ in the story. There are other ways to judge the reaction to MRI dye like a skin test. This is indeed a very high dose of steroid. Either the drug was given to lessen any potential hazard of the dye (which is usually not much) or you have some condition that warrants such a high dose.
The half life of steroid is very short. Within 24-48 hrs, your body should be completely free of the drug.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[caregiver222]

That is quite a high doseage, however there is a "missing piece" to this story. Apparently, your physician decided that the necessity of taking a dye scan was worth the risks of a reaction, and tried to make sure the reaction was dampened. The prednisone will work itself out fairly raopidly, although usually, one "tapers down". Prednisone depresses the immune response, which could make one more susceptible to a viral or bacterial infection in the lung. There should no long-term harm from a single use of prednisone, even at such a high dose. I do question why you are having a CT scan, because an MRI scan with dye contrast is less toxic (the different dye itself is different) and less dangerous), as well as being less dangerous from the standpoint of radiation exposure.