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Steroids and copd

Posted , 17 users are following.

Nanny10
Nanny10

Is it true that when copd is chronic you may have to take steroids all the time?

2 likes, 33 replies

33 Replies

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  • krissi17
    krissi17 Nanny10

    Posted

    i take steriods but only when i have a flare up....
  • louslatts
    louslatts Nanny10

    Posted

    My husband has been on and off seriods now for over a year he is chronically Ill with hiss copd they not longer work only on the first day 
    • louslatts
      louslatts krissi17

      Posted

      Hello @krissi17 it's bad I hate seeing him so ill he gets breathless just getting dressed. Hiss lung capacity is 42 and he has a consent chest infection that will not go away. Hiss oxigon was 90 when we went doctors. Even doctors say they can see bad he is getting he is only 40. I also lost my dad to this 3 years ago he was only 60. It's evil and I think more should be done as no one wants to help nowadays 
    • krissi17
      krissi17 louslatts

      Posted

      Hi Again to you..Yes... it is one the most frightning illness's you can have.. i so understand how you must feel for him. i have had this illness for 12 months this month...your right not many people seem to care about this illness..liveing alonei find it at times very scary.....
  • william6088
    william6088 Nanny10

    Posted

    Nanny10 The steroid that you're accustomed to hearing is different than the steroid that CO PD patients have to take. they do give you energy and help you breathe. To start with your doctor might put you on a steroid to help you get over an illness but it would be temporary.
    • karen78573
      karen78573 william6088

      Posted

      Afternoon William6088

      Which steroid is it that patients with copd get given what's the name as I also have copd since last June & have had repeated respiratory infections & only get given prednisolon & antibiotics ciprofloxacin! I also asked the doctor if there is an alternative to predinisolon & have been told there isn't as I've been on prednisolon mant times & can't stand the bloating feeling so it's a viscious merry go round also the predisolone leaves me feeling drained.......

    • karen78573
      karen78573 william6088

      Posted

      Sorry William6088 I mean have I've taken prednisolon many times......
    • jude65855
      jude65855 karen78573

      Posted

      I've been using Symbicort, cortisone puffer, for nearly 6 months and it's improved my breathing quite a lot, but I'm not sure about its long term effects
    • emmgee
      emmgee william6088

      Posted

      Sorry to have to disagree, William. When in hospital with exacerbations or when infections have hit over the past 8 years, my dose of Prednisolone has been 6 x 5mg tablets per day for a week or more thence gradually reducing to nothing. My doctor recently told me that this constant on / off & up / down dose was not good for me so has prescribed a "maintenance dose" of 1 x 5mg per day (... and a bone density scan as COPD is known to be deterimental to bone health). Time will tell if this works ! (my FEV is 15%)

    • Vee2
      Vee2 emmgee

      Posted

      Hi emmgee, its the prednisolone that is detrimental to bone health long term not COPD itself, its the steroids that often people with COPD need to take.  Oral form especially so.

      Hope you are finding the maintenance dose helpful to you, keeping fingers crossed you will be able to improve on your FEV percentage or at most stabilise at that level.

      Best wishes V.

       

    • Vee2
      Vee2

      Posted

      or at least stabilise at that level, I had meant to say smile 

  • brenda62546
    brenda62546 Nanny10

    Posted

    Hello, they have me on Prednisone (10 mg), one tablet daily, for the last three years. I have been hearing negative things about it, and every time I speak to the doctor, he says I must take it. But, this time I will speak to the pulmonologist and see what he says, even if he could lower the dosage. Anyhow, I believe this is the steroid you are speaking about? 
    • jude65855
      jude65855 brenda62546

      Posted

      Prednisone can suppress the immune system:  I don't understand the advantage of a medication which increases you chance of infection when your lung function is already compromised by COPD - can anyone explain this please?
    • brenda62546
      brenda62546 jude65855

      Posted

      Thank you Jude...but, yes, you are so right. I have also thought about the same thing. This is why I am going to speak to a Pulmonologist soon.
    • karen78573
      karen78573 jude65855

      Posted

      afternoon jude65855

      Yeah can't understand neither how can that be right if anything it just leaves you open to more infections like myself prednisolon doesn't help me either but the doctor says theres no alternative surely there must be what would they prescribe for one of us copd patients if we were  to develope an allergic reaction? I wander what happens then it just leaves some of us feeling really bloated & drained most horrible it is but what can we do!?I just got over a respiratory infection then seamed to be battling a sinus infection & now an eye infection what's next!Can't avoid infection atall as I have children who pick up all kinds of bugs & nasty colds it's a viscious cycle eek

    • Vee2
      Vee2 jude65855

      Posted

      I know jude asked this question over a year ago, but as this post has resurfaced again recently I am noticing content  which I had not noticed before.

      ">>>>>>

      Jude said to Brenda: Prednisone can suppress the immune system:  I don't understand the advantage of a medication which increases you chance of infection when your lung function is already compromised by COPD - can anyone explain this please?  <<<<<< "

      Below is my understanding:

      it may help to compare it to when the body produces histamine when it reacts to pollen, the symptoms we get from hayfever are those produced by the body producing histamine in an attempt to expel the irritant, hence runny nose, sneezing etc.  So we take anti histamine to suppress the immune response that produces histamine.

      This is what happens when we have a lung infection, the symptoms produced are those by the body's immune system to try and rid itself of the infection, or to bring awareness that something is not right and needs attention.  Coughing, increased mucus to cough up.  Where there is only lung inflammation, more difficulty breathing, tiredness etc, the body produces these symptoms as a communication mechanism.  Steroids, treat inflammation (an immune system response), helps with the breathing and the Anti biotics clear the infection and stop bacteria multiplying in the lungs thus.

      So when the bodies immune system reacts and produces symptoms we use medicines to suppress the immune system so that inflammation and other symptoms are calmed and infection is halted.

      You may understand that Cancer patients undergoing chemo the medicine suppresses the immune system to help the drug treat the cancer.

      That is my understanding of the reason why the immune system needs supressing in certain circumstances and the reasons why drugs help in doing so.  

       

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