steroids

[elvera1]

i have been  on 7.5 mg of prednisolone for 19 years because of asthma, churg strauss syndrome and probs with adrenal glands.

often in times of stress much higher doses. now i am burnt out and have to come of f the steroids. since january i have weaned off slowly without to much distress, however i am now on 5mg and finding it difficukt to maintain. my main problems being sneezing, wheezing, lots of mucus. not geting usual symtoms of asthma i. e. shortness of breath. i aked my g p for something for through night as this was my worst time and i mentioned singulair. however she prescrbed atrovent instead. it does bring the mucus up easier but its not the best solution as by the time i have coughed up all the extra mucus i am bedbound until chest has had time to recover.  i am using my releiver ventolin 8 times a day. any suggestions welcome
maria

[allmymarbles]

I got off steroids before they killed me. I now take 1000 mg of vitamin B5, two droppersful of mullein extract, 1/2 tsp of MSM, and 500 mg of vitamin C. (I also take the B's and liquid trace minerals.) The first four items are natural anti-inflammatories and B5 is also a mucolytic. Believe me, I am much healthier since I got rid of the steroids. It was the steroids that were killing me, not the emphysema.

[Tammy2009]

The thing to remember is that prednisone is used for other diseases .....  

Elevera would be on prednisone because that is the treatment for adrenal problems.  Your adrenal glands make a natural hormone which is very similar to prednisone, if the adrenal glands aren't working and producing that hormone you need to take something that can do the same job .... hence prednisone.  This is why it isn't that great for you, because it does a whole bunch of different things to different areas in your body, not just your lungs!  

I believe Chrug-Strauss is also a hormone deficiency illness and treated with oral steroids as well.  


I hope your doctor also has you on inhaled steroids or a combination inhaler.  This allows the delivery of higher doses of steroids to the place where it is needed (the lungs, to help the asthma) and greatly reduces the overall systematic effects of the steroids.  

[RachelVaughn]

My daughter has asthma and I was told that Prednisone is TERRIBLE for your health and they key to good asthma control is to take controlling daily meds- symbicort- pulmicort etc>>> See another doctor plzzzzz

[caregiver222]

Treating asthmatics with 7.5 mg of oral prednisone a day was standard treatment in 1934 in the United States and is also very popular in certain villages in Afghanistan on the Pakistan border still held by the Taliban. It is also the protocol currently taught in the top medical school in Zaire.

It is not appropriate for me to suggest alternatives.

I will sugest that you immediately pack your kitten in a carry bag and scurry to find find another physician, and get an up-to-date pulmonary evaluation. You don't need a "G.P."  You need an evaluation at a clinic by respiratory specialists.

Tammy2009 had good suggestions, but nineteen years on oral prednisone is inappropriate.

[Tammy2009]

Lots and lots of water to help thin the muscous a bit should help.  I also have had great success with omega 3 supplements over the long term to clear up the muscous, however I didn't notice how much it was helping until I stopped taking them (oops).  It did take about 2 months of taking high potency ones solidly to notice much of a difference, but it's not going to hurt taking them.  Webber naturals has some nice ones that are 600mg EPA and 400mg DHA (or the other way around), just make sure you are getting fish oil supplements (preferably from deep sea fish) and not the plant based omega 3s.  

Hope you are feeling better soon!