I have a friend who is taking prednisone for her allergies. She says she has never felt better. Has anyone else gone thru this treatment? Did it have a lasting effect on your allergies? Any bad effects from the prednisone?
Thanks.
Prednisone is NOT standard treatment for allergies. It is usually prescribed in short (week to 10 day) bursts for people who are in the middle of a serious allergy flare which is causing them to have signficant inflammation of either the sinuses or the lungs. It is sometimes prescribed over the long term for folks with serious allergies who take all the other treatment options and still have trouble staying out of the emergency room.
Prednisone is a corticosteroid. It is a very powerful, effective and cheap anti-inflammatory. It has many short-term side effects (bloating, increased appetite, sleep interruptions, etc.) and it can have long-term side effects to folks who take it frequently or for a long time (bone loss/osteoporosis, drug-induced adrenal insufficiency, etc.)
Ugh prednisone!
Never felt better?
That's a shock!
I usually feel my sickest on prednisone! My blood sugar drops, i'm nauseated & dizzy the entire time, it irritates my stomach & gives me bad acid reflux, makes me unable to eat(I actually LOSE weight being on it), makes my heart just POUND superfast, makes me all jittery & shakey & keeps me awake all nite.. and that's just the beginning. It knocks down my immune system, my first time on it, I developed bronchitis right at the end of the "burst" & a week later had pneumonia. However, nothing opens up my lungs better, makes them clear & painless to breathe faster.
It's not a drug to be used as a standard treatment for allergies, usually it's only used in the most severe, persistent sinus problems(like when theres severe dizziness/nausea involved) or when there is asthma symptoms. If it's being prescribed for any other reason, your friend is likely being over & mis treated b/c prednisone is not a drug to mess around with! Even short bursts of it can have lasting adverse effects. It is a very very serious drug that should not be messed around with unless the person is completely & totally debilatated or their life is in danger(asthma). There are always alternatives for allergies to prednisone. These days there are so many drugs.
But to answer your questions. Yes it's effective for allergies. But for simple allergies like hay fever the risks outweigh the benefits. Does it have long term effects? It can have adverse ones, it is only effective in getting severe inflammation under control, once that has happened, it must be maintained.
My point is: prednisone is not a drug that should be used unless they are suffering from a life threatening condition(asthma) or severe, debilatating problems(severe dizziness/nausea from sinuses). In any other case, the risks outweigh the benefits.
Hi again,
I'm pretty sure that this was a short term treatment. Like 10 days. That's why I was curious to know whether after the treatment is stopped, will it still keep her allergies under control? I am thinking that it was to help get her crazy immune system that is causing the allergies under control. What do you think of this method? Would it work?
Thanks.
Prednisone has many side-effects associated with it. Water retention, terrible acne, ocular pressure, etc. the list is a mile long.
I took it for Sinusitis in March, and yes, it does work. Problem is, the minute you go off it, your allergy symptoms will come roaring back. It's a band-aid fix.
Immunotherapy combined with irrigation (using my super secret ingredient Alkalol) and Rhinocort/Astelin is a much better route to take.
