Hi everyone~
My doc has given me an Rx for pred for my pneumonia along with an antibiotic, Advair, and an Albuterol inhaler. I have held off on the pred rx because last time I was on a pred pack I wound up with Strep A and a nasty viral syndrome and in the hospital for a week. I'm super nervous about taking it again. He did say I could hold off if I am not feeling better in a couple of days. So far, today has been my worst day yet. Should I be so nervous about taking the pred? What are my chances of getting even more sick from it. Altho the way I feel today I don't think I could feel any worse.
Thanks everyone for the help!
I've been on prednisone, varying doses from 40mg to 7.5 mg since last May and haven't gotten sick at all. But you may want to give it a day or two to let the antibiotic kick in just to be on the safe side!pred suppresses your immune system like everything else we take, so there is a chance you can get sicker.
I take my pred even when I am sick or have an infection, and it does not make me sicker or bother me.
I wouldn't be afraid of 5mg but I would not take 30mg when sick until the antibiotic starts to work. If you have a lot of chest pain from the pneumonia, the pred should make you feel better.I have a lot of experience with this. I tend to get a lot of infections that go to my lungs, and have ended up in the hospital on several occasions. They always put me on antibiotics and prednisone. It usually makes me feel a lot better and it has never made me worse. I would make sure that the antibiotics kick in, like marian said. Hope you get to feeling better soon! He may have put you on the pred to reduce in the inflammation in your lungs from the pneumonia. That's pretty common for pneumonia or bronchitis sufferers. Because of the infection your bronchial tubes and lungs become inflammed - and it inhibits your lungs from clearing out. I was given heavy doses of prednisone for two weeks some years ago as a check for asthma. It made me feel so good I jokingly offered the doc money for another script. He refused, of course, and put me on puffers. Now here I am, with RA and back on prednisone. Funny world, isn't it?Like joints filling with fluid, your lungs can fill up when they are inflamed. Sometimes there is no infection just chronic bad inflammation like with COPD, (not talking about pneumonia). Thanks everyone. I sent hubby to fill it since I had to go back to the doc for another nebulizer tx. The dose is 40mg for 5 days. My doc didn't charge me my co-pay for this office visit either. He put it as a nurse visit. He did come in and check my lungs and my peak flow. I'm just tired of feeling like I am breathing thru a wet blanket. I can't complain too much tho. The girls are waiting on me hand and foot.