Prednisone pre-surgery- safety?

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Sep 20, 2011
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I will be having surgery in July or August. I recently started on Prednisone due to an obstruction. I am confused about the safety of prednisone before surgery. One GI said it would not cause any complications for the surgery. The other GI said I should wean off it because it could cause complications and increase the likelihood I would need a stoma. What have your doctor's said about this? A laparascopic ileocecectomy is planned. I haven't talked to the surgeon yet about her opinion on the prednisone.
 
I was on 20mg of prednisone for about 2 months before my surgery, and stayed on it until a couple of months after my surgery. I was not told that it could be harmful to me at all.
 
I've never heard heard that prednisone could make a stoma Moira likely. If youD on it because of an obstruction, I would think the opposite would be true, but what do I know? Good luck.
 
I was told something similar, the surgeon said to me that they needed to find a good window of opportunity when I had reduced enough on the steroids to operate. He said that being on a high dose of steroids could make things more complicated and result in a leakage post surgery.
 
I am having surgery on July 5th. My surgeon wanted me off Prednisone for a week before I have surgery. I took my last dose this morning. I tapered fast - from 15mg to nothing in 2 1/2 weeks, did it 2.5 mg at a time, dropping every 3-4 days. It wasn't hard as long as I stayed away from caffeine. Stopped having sweats at about 7.5 mg. No pain at all, even though I have an abscess from an obstruction / perforation. I have been on antibiotics for 2 1/2 weeks. I am also juicing every day - that was to get in shape for the surgery, and don't know if it has also helped with the taper, but it can't hurt! I can finally sleep about 7 hours now, which is so much better than 4 hours at 30 mg.

I tried tapering at 5 mg a week, but couldn't handle it when I got to 15, so that's when they told me to try 2.5 mg at a time. Had to buy a pill splitter, but it was totally worth it!

My surgeon said being off the Prednisone will help the tissue be stronger and the healing go faster.

Good luck with your surgery.
 
I was tapering off pred after 5 months when I had surgery I think I was down to 5 maybe 10 mg when I had it and then completely tapered off it the week or 2 after surgery. I wasn't told about any risks of being on pred for surgery but did wonder. Anyway it didn't cause me any harm or a stoma. Goodluck
 

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