Just recently went to the allergist/immunologist (works with breathing etc. not RA) and they stated that i have chonic asthma and bronchitis and am waiting on allergy tests (find out on july 6th).
Now, i have odd swelling throughout my body caused by breathing problems. They have made skin and muscles swell (edema) and it also swells over the tops of my joint areas (not joint though).
During the almost 3 years i have waited for diagnosis, i have been treated for RA cuz i had a factor. I no longer see this doctor due to how no meds work and they refused to send me to another doc to see why thighs, calves, tops of feet etc. swelled (respitory problems cause that).
Anyway, why i tried tons of different antiflammatory pills (arava, metho, plaq etc.) nothing works, in fact they make me worse due to the respitory problems and how due to it, i can't take chemicals well in drugs, food or breathing.
Anyway, i was on prednisone for a long while and it was wonderful. It helped my swellings disappear, breathing was great etc. But they took me off due to how pred causes bone damage.
But, what is worse?
Pred helping and slow bone damage or the fact that without pred i can no longer bend my wrist backwards, have a huge square knuckle and a large gone spur on my finger, top of bone of foot is odd shaped and knees have some odd bone damage.
What's worse, no pred or pred?
pred.
Everyone strives to be pred-free on this board. Pred is not good for you. Even us "pred junkies" would love to be off the pred.
I hope they can find something else to help ya with your problem, other then taking just pred.
Pred is a nasty med, of course, it does wonders but soon those wonders will turn into more problems then needed.
Good Luck!
I dunno...its a toughie. I loathe being on pred because of the sideeffects. However, when I try and cut down, and Im not on any other med, the pain soon drives me back to a higher dose of pred, so Iguess that speaks for itself in my case.Wow this is a tough one. Pred is good short term...but long term the effects from it are really bad. It isn't just bone loss we have to deal with from it, but also stuff like diabetes and cushings syndrome. Pred under 30mg isn't too bad...but, we still get the effects from it long term no matter what.
Have you tried any of the biologics or IV infusion drugs? Do they think you might be too sensitive for those?
AP therapy could be a very good option for you.
I have chronic asthma and it can be an offshoot from the ra. When I flare or the ra is out of control, so is my asthma.
I think it would depend on how much pred you are on. I resisted being raised from 5 to 10 until my drs and folks here pointed out that 10 is not so much. I feel much better with just the 5 mg increase. I should not have suffered so long before increasing it. Hopefully I can cut back again when the other meds kick in more. I had been on 20 quite a bit of the last year. Can you at least go on it for a time to get the asthma under control?
Laker
No meds. Just my opinion. Ten mgs. and under is not such a high dose and if it minimizes the inflammation and pain then I wouldn't hesitate to take it. Everyone is different but I was on Pred for almost 10 yrs. before any bone loss started to be a concern. I really should have been taking fosomax while taking the pred. Even now after 15 yrs. my blood sugar is elevated but not enough for meds. BP is borderline and has been for a while. I will be the first one to tell you to get off of it ASAP but if it's helping you while waiting to get your disease under control, then I'd use it. Being in pain is not helping you either. Compensating for the pain can really harm other joints also. Kinda darned if you do and darned if you don't!I'm unusual. I've been on pred (10 mg with an occasional medrol pak) for more than 10 years (now weaned to 7.5 and holding), and I have no bone loss -- as a matter of fact my bones score slightly higher than average. Prednisone in early RA actually has proven to have a DMARD effect: http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/news-archive/2002/prednison e.html
Do I recommend it? No. Why? Some people aren't as fortunate as I am. I can't function without pred. I take it, but I'm older and have weighed the risks and the benefits.
J
Thanks for all your info.
I was on pred for a year and my periods started going 26 days long. Not sure if it was pred or arava that did it cuz i stopped them both around the same time.
But with pred i could shop, dress myself, cook, clean etc. Now all i can do is say "honey can you get me this or that".
I try to walk around the house but i have stages. Stage one is cane, two is crutches and 3 is walker. Right now ihave been stage 2 for about 3 months.
I want to cry but know i have to stay strong. RA doc won't give me more meds due to how i blow up when i take anything. Or i should say that she ignores me.
So i just didn't go to the last appointment. All she does is sed rate over and over knowing i can't walk due to swelling. A "duh" for her.
I am doing my own thing starting today. Vitamin e and fish oil i can take without side effects so i am trying my own herbal version with them.
I feel hopeless. I keep finding allergies, food intolerances, respitory problems but still now help for swelling.
I was shocked that she said my swelling wasn't joint yet she didn't send me to another specialist or try to help with different diagnosis.
I just want to cry :(
I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I think your quality of life is so poor that it would make sense to be on prednisone if you need it to feel better. Isn't what you are suffering now probably worse than what the prednisone may do to you? That is what you need to think about. Perhaps you should look into getting an appt at a university or Mayo. It sounds like your health problems are complex.
Wishing you better days soon.
Laker
Been there, done that bought the TShirt, do yourself a favour and go for the pred, I am on it still after 7 years and Lord knows I have side effects but what my 7 years would have been like without it, I dread to think. Best of luck, Janie.