Prednisone caution!

[fozheart]

I still need to write my story, and learn how to make a profile and picture, but I get uneasy for you people who are on the long term prednisone. I have had mixed connective tissue disease for years, and have been on and off of prednisone a great deal of time. Never had stomach issues until 2010, when I was rushed to the hospital due to terrible stomach pain, which was diagnosed as diverticulitis. (Had a bad infection.) I spent the first week in the hospital with the NG tube, NPO, and lots of IV antibiotics. If I had not been on prednisone, the doctors say it would have cleared up easily. On the 8th day, my colon perforated and I had emergency surgery, with a colostomy. They said that the perforation happened BECAUSE of the prednisone. It weakens and thins your tissue, when you are on it long term. So... I just worry about all of you who are on it! I would say it is worth asking your doctors about! Please just be careful!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Thanks for your caution and sharing your experience. Prednisone is a double edged sword it can really help people short term but it can also cause lasting damage. It's definitely a drug that needs to be monitored and used at the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time possible.

 

[alex_chris]

Thank you, fozhead. You are right, pred leads to thining of tissue and potential perforation of the intestine. That is why it should never be used long term. I was on pred 4 times in my life over a period of 14 years of Crohn's and never longer than a few weeks. I will still use it to fight severe flares in the future, but hopefully not more frequently than in the past.

My very first GI in 1999 provided me of a detailed explanation of the effects and dangers of pred. Sometimes I wonder why many docs don't give that very same information to all Crohn's patients at diagnosis.

 

[fozheart]

Yes, prednisone is a double edged sword. After those surgeries we stayed away from it completely, but then last summer I had lung/oxygen saturation issues, and was on a very high dose, (along with O2 24/7, for 5 months. The thing I noticed right away was how much better my stomach felt...I was finally able to enjoy eating, because there was room for the food, and it seemed like it passed through my colon MUCH easier! Tapering off of the pred, my stomach got icky again. It is as though without it, everything gets kind of stuck where my colostomy site was. I do not have another stricture, but do have quite a few adhesions, scar tissue, fully meshed stomach, and permanent stitches. Sorry...I am getting off the subject. I don't want to be annoying..I am trying to learn how this forum works! Thank you for your replies! I appreciate any suggestions!

 

[Jennifer]

Entocort is another possibility if you don't want to be on Prednisone again yet it only works in certain sections of the bowel (ileum and ascending colon). Prednisone is very effective at reducing inflammation but most agree that long term use can cause more harm than good. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with it.

 

[fozheart]

Thank you! I am going to my new GI doctor on Friday morning with fingers crossed that he has a plan!