I am tapering down from 14.5 mg to 14. When I go back up to 14.5 a single day my breathing I severely affected. The ventolin inhaler doesn't hold me very long. My Pulmonologist suggested some people are allergic to pred. I am really worried. I called my rheum nurse said medrol is an alternative. How does one taper that? First Inwill see the pulmonary who can call the rheumo with her findings.
I took a Benadryl, which seems to help.
Can you be tested for sensitivity to pred? Are you ok at 14?
My rheumatologist recommended I take Benadryl along with pred. I seem breathe better in the lowered dose. Just when I altered back up 14.4, with the slow taper, did my breathing worsen. I am due to stay at 14 then taper to 13.5.
There is a case report of a lady who's breathing got worse with higher doses. I have issues already and don't need this. My body is mostly somfortable with my taper.
I also read others on this forum have had the same problem. The Benadryl really helped with ranitidine i.e. To types of antihistamines. Since this dries the mucus I need guafenesen to loosen it.
What an ordeal.
It's quite a journey, isn't it? One thing after another. But if your taper is working, hopefully you will be out of the woods in the not too distant future.
One of the good things since starting preds some 20 months ago is; I stopped using my Qvar (brown one) shortly after starting preds and I have not used my ventolin (blue one) for several months!! I also am on BP meds (Amlodipine) and dosage has been reduced to half and I am not so breathless and BP has come down (av 135). There are some good side effects! I have been asthmatic most of my life, and borderline hypertension since 2001.
Medrol is still a corticosteroid - it is methyl prednisolone, prednisolone with a methyl group. However, different people react differently to the various versions of steroid - I had problems with Medrol that I don't have with prednisolone or prednisone. The doses are almost equivalent so you take a similar dose in terms of the figure and taper it in exactly the same way. Medrol is available in 2mg, 4mg, 8mg and other higher strengths which all have scores on the tablets so you can break them. I think there is also a 1mg formulation but I can't find it online.
I'd dispute the term "allergic to pred" - but breathlessness is a known side effect of corticosteroids.
I developed the breathlessness after 2 weeks on Prednisolone. It's no better at 5.5 than it was at 15 mg. it's not an allergy as such and it goes away when you stop and take a rest. It no longer worries me. I just accept it. I will take this rather than the pain! Of course it's a nuisance but I don't believe anything bad is going to happen. I have an inhaler too but it's not the same as Asthma.
Today I went to my pulmonary doctor and extensive lung testing. I had issues before PMR. It showed worse function than before . It showed weak breathing muscles. That makes sense since prednisone weakens muscles. I started out with weak lung muscles from surgery through my chest. I have to do breathing exercises. Hope it helps because I feel like I am ready to smother.
My pulmomologist recommended ai breath through the incentive spirometer and continue my Buteyko program. My gp. Was more specific about this exercise: 4x a day - increasing repetitions.
This has really helped. My breathing muscles, severely cut for spinal surgery chest approach, need to be specifically exercised while on pred.
Glad I have a solution.
Breathing tests today are worse but the air quality is bad and the temp is ~90•F.
I actually have some really good days As the dose gets lower-,now tapering to 11.5.
I don't have asthma- never cough and rarely wheeze. I have "reactive airway disease " which does not respond to airway steroids. Ventolin helps some however I've been on Qvar 2 puffs 2x a day just in case.
Today we discussed tapering the Qvar since systemic steroids make me worse.
My internist, who also happens to be a rheumatologist assured me that as my prednisone lowered my airway muscles could strengthen. I do breathing exercises with an incentive spirometer.
I add it was the pulmonary Doctor I saw today .