General Medicine

» neverwell - prednisone versus a myriad of problems.

Diagnosed 13 months ago (with an ESR of 140) and "classical" symptoms of above disease.I am now on 7.5mgs of Prednisone with an ESR of 30.It seems that I will never get back to "normal".I feel my body has betrayed me and I am tired of feeling sad,fat,hungry,shaky,and having a broken little toe! To add insult to injury it seems now, after a 24hr urine sample I have to have a Renal and bladder scan.....I know I should be grateful that the disease was dignosed quickly,and that there are others in a more dire situation (I could think like that initially) but now I am at a stage where I
need to know what next.I am becoming rather paranoid about the fact that my immune system is compromised,hand washing, hand wipes,not touching door handles at the blood clinic. Is there any way I can learn to accept the fact that this might take a long time to resolve/or not.

-- posted by neverwell

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» Elaine Moore - prednisone versus a myriad of problems.

In response to prednisone versus a myriad of problems. posted by neverwell:
Hi,

The good news is that you responded so well to what's now a low dose of corticosteroids. And even though vision problems are a frequent complication of giant cell arteritis, if they haven't developed within the first two months after diagnosis, it's unlikely that they will.
Renal complications can occur but they are very rare. It's likely that your urine showed some small changes that could be indicative of kidney problems and your doctor is running the other tests to rule out the possibility of kidney problems.

Following good infection control techniques like handwashing is important for everyone. And it's also important to strengthen, not stimulate, your immune system with a nutrient-rich diet and supplements that benefit blood vessel health and reduce inflammation. There are several diets geared at reducing inflammation that may benefit your condition and improve your general health. Pomegranate juice comes to mind because of its beneficial effects on blood vessels. And avoiding sugar, saturated fats, and process foods are an important part of reducing inflammation.

It seems that with your good response to meds you just need to fine tune things. With diet, exercise, and supplements, you have a good chance of reducing your corticosteroid dose further. Keep us posted on your progress. Best, Elaine

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» neverwell - prednisone versus a myriad of problems.

In response to prednisone versus a myriad of problems. posted by daisyelaine:

Good afternoon Elaine.
I have just returned from a consultation.
My ESR is now 21 and I can reduce my Prednisone from 5 mgs( taken for the last 28 days) to 2.5mgs.
My last blood test showed a rise in my cholesterol (random test)levels all other results were good. On first being diagnosed with Temporal Arteritis(June 2006 taking 40mgs
Prednisone daily ) my cholesterol levels were very normal, and now are elevated. Could the fact that I have been taking Steroids now for 18mths, have any relation to the "Sudden" increase in cholesterol levels?
Thank you for taking time to read my query.

-- posted by neverwell

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» Elaine Moore - prednisone versus a myriad of problems.

In response to prednisone versus a myriad of problems. posted by neverwell:

Hi,
A random cholesterol level is generally about the same as a fasting level. Triglycerides, however, are significantly affected by not fasting.
The steroids could be to blame and so can changes in thyroid or liver function. You might want to ask about having your thyroid levels checked because a move into hypothyroidism will cause a rise in cholesterol. Changes in liver function will also affect cholesterol so you might want to see if you've had a recent metabolic profile too.
If steroids are the cause of the elevated lipids, lowering the dose can also help lower your cholesterol. Your improved ESR level is a good sign. Best, Elaine

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