When do you increase prednisone?

Posted , 10 users are following.

Im in week 4 of bronchitis and ear infection that has left me dizzy and woozy. finished antibiotics and ear drops but the symptoms are lingering. still coughing, weak, wobbly, feeling like a sick person. see ent on april 4th. many people in my retirement community have had bronchitis and attendant other problems for 3 months. im able to walk a little each afternoon and do some light housework but thats about it. im not getting out at all.

my pmr is the same as ever--Im never pain free. got pmr in sept. 2016, am currently at 5 mg. pred. given that i feel so run over by a truck--congested, coughing, weak, wobbly, etc., would you recommend that i got up a little on the pred? 1/2 mg for 7-10 days and then right back down to 5, or should i not do that because my pmr isnt really acting up--but the rest of me is. thank you.

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14 Replies

  • Posted

    Twopies, I only increase my prednisone when my PMR acts up, then I bump it up like to 20 from 5. Stabilize , decrease quickly in 5 mg steps to 5. I has worked for me and working as ski instructor. Good luck Twopies. think positive stay act and smile. 🙂

    • Posted

      That works for you, but in general I think your increase would be a bit too high for most of us. I believe the recommendation is for something like an extra 5 mg, not an extra 15!

    • Posted

      I typically up pred by 4 mg the first day, down to 3 the second, 2 the third, and 1.5 the fourth. Works for me.

  • Posted

    I was recently in hospital with gastric upset, high temp etc. Consultant recommended increase to 15mgs from 11mgs for three days, going back to usual dosage after that. She explained that normally the adrenals produce more cortisol to fight infection so you need more Pred when ill.

    • Posted

      Interesting. thats what the urgent care doc said too--every single person in my retirement community with bronchitis has been prescribed 20 mg pred. but my gp said pred lowers bodys ability to fight infection. hes in the minority, i think.

  • Posted

    I can sympathise, Twopies, as I have something similar which has knocked my balance and hearing is very dull with tubes filled up. I was already recovering from a virus when this one pounced from the shrubbery!!! I don't know the answer but I have not increased my Pred as I have no extra pain. The cough lingers but it has lessened somewhat and the balance is returning though it is another blow to the confidence. Roll on summer.

    • Posted

      Misery loves company, as they say. i sure thought by now i would be on the mend. pounced from the shrubbery, haha, havent heard that one. sure thought i would be going forward by now, not backwards. years ago i had bronchitis, saw a pulmonologist who told me when warm weather came, i would feel better, and i did. but im in florida now where its hot, hot, hot (and pollen ridden) so maybe when i head back north this week ill get better. good to know your balance is better.

  • Posted

    When I was on 8 mgs. I had a dual bad reaction to Alendronic Acid and Penicillin at the same time ( AA made me wheeze and GP feared chest infection so gave P which I'd never had before and I ended up in hospital where they upped my Pred. to 20 for a week. Then straight back to my previous dose.

    Hope you feel better soon. No fun feeling unmotivated and having to nag yourself to do anything.

    • Posted

      Yes, when i went to urgent care at the onset of the bronchitis/ruptured eardrum, the doc wanted me to take 20 mg pred for 5 days, but i couldnt because that dosage drives me bonkers, so i did 10 mg for 5 days.

      but last summer when i had a ferocious uti, my gp said "do not increase pred, as it lowers your bodys ability to fight infection." i may just have to tough it out?

  • Posted

    I would have thought a good GP might have suggested a bit more - 5mg is in dodgy adrenal function territory and the body's normal reaction would be to produce more adrenal/cortisol to deal with the stress of the infection. And at present you are still very much dealing with ongoing symptoms due to an infection. Though having said that - my suspicion would be the actual infection is gone, it is the result that is still hanging around.

    Yes, to some extent your GP was right but if it were me I would seriously think about trying an extra few mg, not more than 10mg altogether though. If it doesn't help you feel any better you can stop again.

    • Posted

      tears of gratitude, thank you, eileen! to make matters worse, we are heading north for the summer on thursday--2 day trip. trying to pack, so weak. worried about surviving the trip. i was told to go up a little when i travel so i was planning to do that on thursday anyway.

    • Posted

      Best wishes - hope you get through the next few days all right and then have a chance to rest properly.

    • Posted

      Hi EileenH, I still taking 5 mg as you suggested. Skiing and teaching daily feeling good. That bomb cyclone hit us as well as Colorado, the ski area lost power for two days hundreds of trees down. Down trees also took out one ski lift for a few days. 22 people have lost their lives in over a 1000 avalanches so far this year in the Rockies. Wishing you well, with a smile. 🙂

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