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Prednisone anyone? [2007-12-14]
I have a rare autoimmune condition called lymphocytic hypophysitis diagnosed in 2002. I have had to be on prednisone at varying doses since then. I am currently on 20 mg a day. It is a drug I love to hate. Unfortunately it is the only thing that seems to help with my symptoms, but not I am steroid dependent. Just curious if anyone else on here has had to be on this drug long-term and how they deal with the side effects of it all.
I have had RA for about 13 years too. In the first few years....sm [2008-08-16]
before the new drugs came out, I had a very hard time with flares, awful pain and deformity. Prednisone slowed it down, but when I went on Humira it was a miracle, no more flares, no pain, no further deformity.
To Donna regarding RA [2008-06-18]
I was diagnosed with RA three years ago. I completely understand about prednisone and weight gain. I was between a size 6 and 8, and after being on prednisone for a few months, I went up to a 10 and then leveled off at a 12. That isn and have really small bones. My advice there would be to do as much exercise as you can, anything to help counter the prednisone. Exercise will help with your stress level too.
The prednisone was a high dose initially to help get my RA under control. Several months later, I went on methotrexate, 6 pills/weekly. Then in Sept 2007, I started on Remicade, which works along with the methotrexate. It's very expensive, but I feel better than I have in years and my inflammation is finally under good control. I also have a lot more energy, so I've gotten back to my exercise regimen and am slowly getting my weight under control.
Couple days late on responding to this, sorry, sm [2007-12-18]
I Been doing this since off the prednisone and doc said I am a lifer for either methotrexate or prednisone. What fun, but at least I Have to take the good with the bad I guess.
Thank you for your response..SM [2007-12-17]
I am so happy to hear you were able to be weaned off the prednisone. My physicians have tried me on methotrexate, CellCept, Imuran, etc. in an attempt to help me wean, but my body definitely does not tolerate this class of drugs well at all and I am sicker on them (extreme nausea, vomiting, fatigue). Seems the prednisone is the only thing that helps, and as much as I hate having to take it, I have to be able to function at work, etc, so have just learned to accept it
What dosage of methotrexate are you on? I think I was taking12 mg a week. Actually, out of the above drugs, that is probably the one I tolerated the best! However, I did notice the longer I was on it the more fatigue I had, in addition to losing hair in gobs (I don't have much hair to spare!). Have you tried taking folic acid with the methotrexate? I heard it helps with the GI symptoms and mouth ulcers.
I tried to take Fosamax, but it would make me pass out. I think it is a very rare side effect, but I couldn't take that drug either. Also, in 2005 I had to be admitted to the hospital due to diplopia caused by the inflammation from the LH in my pituitary gland, received massive doses of IV steroids and developed glaucoma and serous retinopathy. NOT FUN! The glaucoma resolved, but have permanent damange from the serous retinopathy
I took it for 11 years and was finally weaned off sm [2007-12-16]
2 years ago. So far so good, although there are times when I wish was back on it. I learned to live with the side effects since I had no other choice. It screwed up my teeth and had to get dentures. I'm finally off the Fosamax for a year now. Bone density is now normal. I had more energy on the prednisone than I have now. I developed cataracts at 43 and had the surgery to fix that and have bifocals now. I have polyarteritis nodosa, a rare form of vasculitis. They took me off the prednisone and put me on methotrexate weekly to replace it and I despise it. Am sick for 2 days with nausea, fatigue and diarrhea with that. I totally agree, prednisone is a drug you love to hate.
Prednisone anyone? [2007-12-14]
I have a rare autoimmune condition called lymphocytic hypophysitis diagnosed in 2002. I have had to be on prednisone at varying doses since then. I am currently on 20 mg a day. It is a drug I love to hate. Unfortunately it is the only thing that seems to help with my symptoms, but not I am steroid dependent. Just curious if anyone else on here has had to be on this drug long-term and how they deal with the side effects of it all.
Pain and fatigue [2007-09-19]
I've had fibro for the past 15 years - i contracted rheumatic fever and fifth's disease at the same time - and the pain just never left I do sleep a lot - and work very little. My life is very stressful right now - i'm moving soon and hopefully the stress will be somewhat relieved. I spent over 10 years taking prednisone and penicillin that an internist prescribed. I finally got with a pain management specialist and they put me on oxycontin - which I got off of this past May - the had kept upping my dose - i am now maintained on Norco (because I have diabetes) and Soma. The combination of these 2 seem to help with the pain - but the fatigue - haven't found anything that helps with that. I got lost in the Wal-mart parking lot Friday night and a man came up to me and asked me if I needed to go to the hospital - I told him I was looking for my car and was headed back up to the hospital when I found it (I had gone to pick up some things for a friend who was a patient) - it wasn't so funny then - but now I can laugh at the situation.
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