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Prednisolone and breathlessness

Posted , 11 users are following.

humpalumpa
humpalumpa

I have been on a reducing course of this medication for 8 months now and have had the odd side effect ie depression and mortality fears , however over the last two/three weeks i have noticed i am becoming more and more breathless even when walking (which i like to do), my question is, does anyone on this forum know if  this side effect is reversible once you stop  taking this medication, i only have three more monthe left to reduce and i am so desperate to get off this and to hopefully start to loose some weight again and to stop being puffy when walking.

Thank you for reading my post and i would welcome any replies .

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust humpalumpa

    Posted

    I suffered breathlessness when on quite high doses of pred, which may or may not have been the cause - it could have simply been the PMR as I really was quite poorly at the time.

    My only advice to you is to hang around and read some of the previous posts on here - there's a wealth of information if you are willing to read it.  You will find out all sorts of things that you didn't know.

    • humpalumpa
      humpalumpa FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      Good morning FlipDover Aust

      Thanks for your reply, can i just ask if your breathlessness has improved ? of course i will "hang on in"    we have no option just to ride along with it do we? and yes there is some very good info on here and you dont feel alone, I live on my own and when my daughters come and visit (which by the way is almost every day ) i look at them and think they just dont understand why i feel the way i do, i  hate having to ask them to do for me , even opening a pickle jar some days is difficult, it frustrates and infuriates me so much some days , but hey ho ! as the song says "things can only get better"

      Good luck to you .

       

    • karenjaninaz
      karenjaninaz humpalumpa

      Posted

      I have been breathless the whole time on my PMR journey regardless of the pred dose. On 15 mg which might help an asthmatic 

      My O2 levels went down to 93. I had breathing issues before PMR: never smoked but my chest cavity is reduced fron scoliosis and the scarring from the surgical chest approach; I was exposed to a chemical when my mom's home was being prepared for sale and I developed reactive airway disease and I became very deconditioned after almost dying from small bowel obstruction - which I believe triggered the PMR. Some days better than others; cardiac ruled out. I think the PMR affected my lungs. I have started using a breath retraining device with my pulmonary blessing. So my case is complex. 

      I'ts very ironic because I am a retired anesthetist and breathed for others for 37 years.

      There was a one person observation study in an elderly lady who developed breathlessness on certain pred doses with PMR. I posted it somewhere on this forum but lost the link. I think it was Danish.

    • FlipDover_Aust
      FlipDover_Aust humpalumpa

      Posted

      Yes, my breathlessness improved - as I started feeling better - again, Im not sure if it was reducing the pred or getting the PMR under control which improved the situation. I still get breathless, but I suspect that is due to my (un)fitness levels.

      So glad you have your girls to support you, things would be much worse without them. My daughters have been a godsend. Much more useful that Mr Flip! lol

  • pam1793
    pam1793 humpalumpa

    Posted

    Hello.  I've been on Prednisone since last March and am now down to 12 mg daily.  I started at 60 mg.  I had breathlessness almost all the time at first; now I have it occasionally, even just walking around the house or doing laundary.  I completely attribute it to the Prednisone as I've never had that issue before.  As I said, it's gotten a lot better since decreasing.  How much do you take daily?

    • humpalumpa
      humpalumpa pam1793

      Posted

      Hi Pam , I had one month on 20 mg then was reduced to 15 then each month I have come down by 1 mg ! I am now on 4 mg but am due to go to GP next wk for my monthly reduction plan , and it is only since having 4 mg that I have become breathless , and rightly or wrongly like you, I blame the Pred , I have received some very good advice and knowledge from this site and I'm dreaming of the day they take me off this drug cause I'm now even more convinced I don't have PMR so believe me I will be asking some searching questions next wk .

      Good luck with your journey

    • pam1793
      pam1793 humpalumpa

      Posted

      Best of luck to you, too.  I was diagnosed with pmr in 2013 and after four months on Prednisone, the symptoms were gone.  Then last February, I began feeling symptomatic again, and after a blood test, the doc said it was GCA.  I still question the diagnosis, and cannot wait to get off this drug

        Best of luck to you, as well!

    • EileenH
      EileenH humpalumpa

      Posted

      If the breathlessness has only occured now you are at a lower dose I think it is unlikely it is the pred - it would have been likely to be worse at higher doses.
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