Just out of the hospital...pneumonia

May 18, 2004

Well, I got a good scare. I thought that my asthma was ramping up to

be a problem late Saturday night. I didn't feel like I was

struggling with breathing, but I wasn't getting enough oxygen

either. So I used my inhalers. After not getting any relief after

using my inhalers, I felt that there was a deeper problem (good old

instincts). I followed my guts and went to the local ER. One good x-

ray showed pneumonia in my left lung. The doctor prescribed a neb

cocktail of albuterol and attrovent every four hours. That plus the

steroids and antibiotic helped to get me back on my feet in about a

day and a half. During the course of my brief stay, I learned a few

things about prednisone and solumedrol. While taking prednisone, the

doctor advised a low sugar diet. Why? The prednisone can and does

raise your blood sugar. Repeated high blood sugar can lead to

diabetes per my doctor. I guess this is recent, because the last

time I was really on prednisone for any length of time, they said I

needed to be on a low, almost no dairy diet. Solumedrol given

intravenously can also increase your sugar. The doctor wanted to give

me insulin. I am not a diabetic and I wanted to know why suddenly I

was about to be given insulin. He said it was because my blood sugar

had shot up to 198. Has anyone else had this experience?

Artondra

May 19, 2004

Hi!

> I guess this is recent, because the last

> time I was really on prednisone for any length of time, they said I

> needed to be on a low, almost no dairy diet. Solumedrol given

> intravenously can also increase your sugar. The doctor wanted to give

> me insulin.

this looks really crazy! crazy than what is going on in India!

Many Greetings,

Senthil Kumar.S.

> Well, I got a good scare. I thought that my asthma was ramping up to

> be a problem late Saturday night. I didn't feel like I was

> struggling with breathing, but I wasn't getting enough oxygen

> either. So I used my inhalers. After not getting any relief after

> using my inhalers, I felt that there was a deeper problem (good old

> instincts). I followed my guts and went to the local ER. One good x-

> ray showed pneumonia in my left lung. The doctor prescribed a neb

> cocktail of albuterol and attrovent every four hours. That plus the

> steroids and antibiotic helped to get me back on my feet in about a

> day and a half. During the course of my brief stay, I learned a few

> things about prednisone and solumedrol. While taking prednisone, the

> doctor advised a low sugar diet. Why? The prednisone can and does

> raise your blood sugar. Repeated high blood sugar can lead to

> diabetes per my doctor. I guess this is recent, because the last

> time I was really on prednisone for any length of time, they said I

> needed to be on a low, almost no dairy diet. Solumedrol given

> intravenously can also increase your sugar. The doctor wanted to give

> me insulin. I am not a diabetic and I wanted to know why suddenly I

> was about to be given insulin. He said it was because my blood sugar

> had shot up to 198. Has anyone else had this experience?

>

> Artondra

>

May 19, 2004