RE: Side effects time? (was Excessive Hair Loss due to Aspirin)

[Guest guest]

Please don't take this as me being rude, but let me say....

Wouldn't we all like to avoid steroids? Of course, but that isn't exactly an

option for all of us Suffering Samterites. It all depends on what your

definition of " life saving " is. I WAS taking steroids after having had sinus

surgery to reduce any additional inflammation and put me on the best road to

recovery. While this wasn't a life-or-death situation, I think it was very

important! Yes, the side effects are horrible, but I think that avoiding

steroids

completely is unrealistic.

Local steroids, such as nasal sprays, are very effective in reducing

inflammation due to nasal polyps and are not absorbed into your system quite as

much

as Prednisone. Steriod sprays and drops work well for some of us, and again, I

don't think they should be avoided.

Its all a personal decision really. Each person has to weigh their options

and the consequences... relief vs. side effects... etc. I wouldn't strictly

encourage a person to avoid steroids.

Finally, I would like to say that I recently saw my doctor at s Hopkins

and he said that my sinuses look the best of anyone he has ever seen with

Samter's Triad. So yes, I may be losing a lot of hair and I gained some weight,

but I don't think I would be feeling as well as I do today if it hadn't been for

Rhinocort, Pulmicort in my rinses, and a course of Prednisone following my

surgery. My surgeon came up with an excellent treatment plan. I only hope

others can feel as well as I do now.

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Prednisone has a very short half life ( About an hour I think) so it will

leave the body almost immediatly. However I believe the effects of systemic

steroids could take two years to go away - if they ever go away completely.

Hence, unless it's life saving or protecting you from very damaging

inflamation, like perhaps super severe nasal polyps I would do everything to

avoid systemic steroids or even local steroids on a long term basis.

Chris.

[Guest guest]

Prednisone has a very short half life ( About an hour I think) so it will leave the body almost immediatly. However I believe the effects of systemic steroids could take two years to go away - if they ever go away completely. Hence, unless it's life saving or protecting you from very damaging inflamation, like perhaps super severe nasal polyps I would do everything to avoid systemic steroids or even local steroids on a long term basis.

Chris.

-----Original Message-----From: samters [mailto:samters ]On Behalf Of billie fordSent: 23 May 2006 00:43samters Subject: Side effects time? (was Excessive Hair Loss due to Aspirin)

Carol and All,

What is the typical time for the side effects to go away? I have been told that it can take up to 2 years for the prednisone to totally leave your body, but my dr just told me it was immediate.

Billie in TexasCarol <shedokdo@...> wrote:

I agree- it is most likley prednisone- it just takes a while for the side effects to go away. Carol

Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2¢/min with Messenger with Voice.

[Guest guest]

I don;t know what the lifecycle of steroids is, but independent of how long they stay and despite the relief they give (I enjoyed SOS for several weeks after taking prednisone for 2 weeks), the damage to the body is in the side effects (http://ibscrohns.about.com/cs/prescriptiondrugs/p/medprednisone.htm):Side Effects - PrednisoneCommon Side Effects: Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome: increased appetiteindigestionnervousness or restlessnessLess frequent or rare: Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome: darkening or lightening of skin colordizziness or lightheadednessflushing of face or cheekshiccupsincreased joint pain (after injection into a joint) increased

sweatingsensation of spinningAlways Notify Doctor: Less common Decreased or blurred visionfrequent urinationincreased thirstRare blindness (sudden, when injected in the head or neck area)burning, numbness, pain, or tingling at or near place of injectionconfusionexcitementfalse sense of well-beinghallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there)mental depressionmistaken feelings of self-importance or being mistreatedmood swings (sudden and wide)redness, swelling, or other sign of allergy or infection at place of injectionrestlessnessskin rash or hivesAdditional effects: Side Effects that may occur when this drug is used for a prolonged period of time. Check with your doctor if any

of the following side effects occur:Abdominal or stomach pain or burning (continuing)acnebloody or black, tarry stoolschanges in visioneye painfilling or rounding out of the faceheadacheirregular heartbeat menstrual problemsmuscle cramps or painmuscle weaknessnauseapain in arms, back, hips, legs, ribs, or shoulderspitting, scarring, or depression of skin at place of injectionreddish purple lines on arms, face, groin, legs, or trunkredness of eyessensitivity of eyes to lightstunting of growth (in children)swelling of feet or lower legstearing of eyesthin, shiny skintrouble in sleepingunusual bruisingunusual increase in hair growthunusual tiredness or weaknessvomitingweight gain (rapid)wounds that will not

heal Other Notes Corticosteroids may lower your resistance to infections. Any infection you get may be harder to treat. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any possible signs of an infection, such as sore throat, fever, sneezing, or coughing. After stopping this medicine, a body may need time to adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of prednisone taken, and how long it was used. After large doses of this medicine for a long time, it may take up to one year to adjust. During this time, check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur: abdominal, stomach, or back paindizzinessfaintingfeverloss of appetite (continuing) muscle or joint painnauseareappearance of disease symptomsshortness of breathunexplained headaches (frequent or continuing)unusual

tiredness or weaknessvomitingweight loss (rapid) Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor. This information is meant only as a guideline - always consult a physician or pharmacist for complete information about prescription medications.Bartlett <cjb_tokyo@...> wrote: Prednisone has a very short half life ( About an hour I think) so it will leave the body almost immediatly. However I believe the effects of systemic steroids could take two years to go away - if they ever go

away completely. Hence, unless it's life saving or protecting you from very damaging inflamation, like perhaps super severe nasal polyps I would do everything to avoid systemic steroids or even local steroids on a long term basis. Chris. -----Original Message-----From: samters [mailto:samters ]On Behalf Of billie fordSent: 23 May 2006 00:43samters Subject: Side effects time? (was Excessive Hair Loss due to Aspirin) Carol and All, What is the typical time for the side effects to go away? I have been told that it can take up to 2 years for the prednisone to totally leave your body, but my dr just told me it was immediate. Billie in TexasCarol <shedokdo@...> wrote: I agree- it is most likley prednisone- it just takes a while for the side effects to go away. Carol Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2�/min with Messenger with Voice.

Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2¢/min with Messenger with Voice.

[Guest guest]

Thank you. According to this site, the effects of the steroids can last up to a year after stopping the drug. After taking it for 33 years, sometimes at high doses, I guess one more year won't hurt! Billie tibor vais <tiborv@...> wrote: I don;t know what the lifecycle of steroids is, but independent of how long they stay and despite the relief they give (I enjoyed SOS for several weeks after taking prednisone for 2 weeks), the damage to the body is in the side effects (http://ibscrohns.about.com/cs/prescriptiondrugs/p/medprednisone.htm): Side Effects - PrednisoneCommon Side Effects: Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome: increased appetite indigestion nervousness or restlessnessLess frequent or rare: Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome: darkening or lightening of skin color dizziness or lightheadedness flushing of face or cheeks hiccups increased joint pain (after injection into a joint) increased sweating sensation of spinningAlways Notify Doctor: Less common Decreased or blurred vision frequent urination increased thirst Rare blindness (sudden, when injected in the head or neck area) burning, numbness, pain, or tingling at or near place

of injection confusion excitement false sense of well-being hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there) mental depression mistaken feelings of self-importance or being mistreated mood swings (sudden and wide) redness, swelling, or other sign of allergy or infection at place of injection restlessness skin rash or hivesAdditional effects: Side Effects that may occur when this drug is used for a prolonged period of time. Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects occur: Abdominal or stomach pain or burning (continuing) acne bloody or black, tarry stools changes in vision eye pain filling or rounding out of the face headache irregular heartbeat menstrual problems muscle cramps or

pain muscle weakness nausea pain in arms, back, hips, legs, ribs, or shoulders pitting, scarring, or depression of skin at place of injection reddish purple lines on arms, face, groin, legs, or trunk redness of eyes sensitivity of eyes to light stunting of growth (in children) swelling of feet or lower legs tearing of eyes thin, shiny skin trouble in sleeping unusual bruising unusual increase in hair growth unusual tiredness or weakness vomiting weight gain (rapid) wounds that will not heal Other Notes Corticosteroids may lower your resistance to infections. Any infection you get may be harder to treat. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any possible signs of an infection, such as sore throat, fever, sneezing, or coughing. After stopping this medicine, a body may need time to adjust. The length of time this takes depends on the amount of prednisone taken, and how long it was used. After large doses of this medicine for a long time, it may take up to one year to adjust. During this time, check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur: abdominal, stomach, or back pain dizziness fainting fever loss of appetite (continuing) muscle or joint pain nausea reappearance of disease symptoms shortness of breath unexplained headaches (frequent or continuing) unusual tiredness or weakness vomiting weight loss (rapid) Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor. This information is meant only as a guideline - always consult a physician or

pharmacist for complete information about prescription medications.Bartlett <cjb_tokyo@...> wrote: Prednisone has a very short half life ( About an hour I think) so it will leave the body almost immediatly. However I believe the effects of systemic steroids could take two years to go away - if they ever go away completely. Hence, unless it's life saving or protecting you from very damaging inflamation, like perhaps super severe nasal polyps I would do everything to avoid systemic steroids or even local steroids on a long term basis. Chris. -----Original Message-----From: samters [mailto:samters ]On Behalf Of billie fordSent: 23 May 2006 00:43samters Subject: Side effects time? (was Excessive Hair Loss due to Aspirin) Carol and All, What is the typical time for the side effects to go away? I have been told that it can take up to 2 years for the prednisone to totally leave your body, but my dr just told me it was immediate. Billie in TexasCarol <shedokdo@...> wrote: I agree- it is most likley prednisone- it just takes a while for the side effects to go away. Carol Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2�/min with Messenger with Voice. Love cheap thrills? Enjoy PC-to-Phone calls to 30+ countries for just 2¢/min with Messenger with Voice.