Cigarette smoking

[Packard]

I've never heard anything about Prednisone being dangerous? I have had it several times, for Poison Ivy infections. Two of those times as an injection, along with the "dose-pack" follow-up. The others were not as severe, so dose-pack only. The injection actually works so fast that it can be seen as well as felt.

The danger of Prednisone when you wean yourself off the drug. Taking Prednisone for an extended time will shut down your adrenal glands.  Abruptly ceasing the medication will find your body short of cortisol. Apparently, that deficit is dangerous.  So there is a weaning off of the drug to allow your body to ramp up production of the cortisol. 

If you are only taking the drug for a short period of time, that is not a consideration.  If you are taking it to treat some forms of arthritis, then the use is long term and weaning is critical.

Prednisone is like cortisol, a hormone naturally made by your adrenal glands. If you take prednisone for more than a few weeks, your adrenal glands decrease cortisol production. A gradual reduction in prednisone dosage gives your adrenal glands time to resume their usual function
https://www.mayoclinic.org/prednisone-withdrawal/expert-answers/faq-20057923#:~:text=Prednisone%20is%20like%20cortisol%2C%20a,to%20resume%20their%20usual%20function.

 

[rst]

Interesting that Prednisone is being discussed as, I just started an 8 day regimen for IT band friction syndrome.  Two weeks ago I was pulling fence stakes, the next day I had sore pain above my right buttock.  I assumed I had pulled a muscle. over the next weeks, the top of my quads started aching and I was getting sharp pains directly below a knee.  Pain was so sharp I initially thought I was cut and checked for bleeding.  The pain was beginning to wake me from sleep. I was belt sanding a glass table top pattern this morning and a pain severe enough to double me over and I starting speaking in extremely colorful expletives. Luckily our hospital has a walkin ortho dept.  I was hoping this, my right hip had not given up the ghost as my left hip was replaced 15 years ago.  Xrays  came back clear hence the ITB diagnosis.  Yah, Gonna be 72 in a month so I'm a happy camper!

 

[Packard]

Before my arthritis was diagnosed, Prednisone was the only thing that provided absolute relief.  But it is not used for long term treatments.

The methotrexate worked for a month, then lost its efficacy.

Embrel, an immunotherapy drug was the treatment of choice, but cost $1,400.00 per month, plus doctor visits and lab tests every 6 weeks (testing for kidney damage).

So about $20,000.00 per year.  The insurance company insisted I use the earlier drugs which did not work for as long as possible. 

8 years later the arthritis (psoriatic arthritis) was beaten into submission.  I liked to say it “tapped out” using the mixed martial arts lingo).

It would have been cheaper for the insurance company to hire a hitman and take me out.  You could probably get someone shot for $50,000.00.  Much cheaper that the $160,000.00 or so they spent for the 8 years of treatment.