Does Pred really make us more vulnerable to infections?
Posted , 6 users are following.
This isn't a question about COVID-19 though it is relevant.
My personal experience suggests that Pred has not increased my vulnerability to infections, and may have reduced it. I have been on Pred for nearly three years, and for most of that time have hovered around 9.5mg, as I relapse if I go lower. During that time, I've had enough time to assess how I've been affected by things like the common cold and related virus infections. We have six-year-old triplet grandchildren so there is plenty of exposure! The summary is that colds/viruses have been significantly less common and less impactful to me over those three years. I get them less often than hitherto, and compared to my wife (when before we often were both affected). Moreover, when I do appear to be developing a cold - nascent sore throat, stuffiness and ill feeling - it stops developing after about 36 hours and disappears, without becoming "full-blown".
Any others with enough Pred time to offer an assessment?
0 likes, 4 replies
EileenH dmart7
Posted
I would say I am exactly the same - I rarely have a proper cold, just one stinker a year, the same as pre-pred. It is possibly partly because even pre-Covid-19 we don't mix in large groups anyway but when the family visit they always bring something (all adult, my grandchildren are all 19+)! OH almost always catches something on a plane. I don't often share it though. I sneeze a lot, have sore throats - but I think both are associated with the PMR rather than allergies and are not infection-related.
And I've been on pred for 11 years ...
peggy_56092 dmart7
Edited
I too find that I have remained free of yearly colds, etc. and felt that it was because of the pred I was taking. I am beginning my fifth year at 4 mgs. (started at 15).
karenjaninaz dmart7
Posted
I am on pred 41/2 years. I took extra care in public by avoiding crowds and sick people, not shaking hands and handwashing. I also took varying amounts of Vit D consistently. I have rarely even gotten a cold. Once I advised my husband not to shake hands in his mens' club he never caught colds either to bring home to me.
Healthy triplets - I have no experience with that.
sierrapamela dmart7
Posted
Hi, I have noticed that if I get a scratch or something like that, I have to take extra care. Usually apply some antibiotic ointment for a week or so. I notice these take a lot longer to heal then before and are more suseptible to infection. Have others found this to be the case?