Hi - has anyone seen purple marks on their child's leg after taking prednisone? My son just showed up the purple bruise looking marks. He's been on pred for 3 months and has tapered to 10mg per day from 60 mg. Also, curious if your child started growing after getting off of it. He hasn't grown in a year but has gained 16 pounds since August (now normal weight) Thanks for your help.
Prednisone side effects and taper
- Thread starter JacksMom
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I know for DS ( 3 month pred course this summer)
He bruised very easily on it and even when he came off for a while which may explain the purple marks .
When he was on pred in feb of this year he grew some afterwards maybe in May but he went back on pred in June .
I " think" he just started to grow again. He weaned off completely end of Sept.
He gets officially measured Monday and Tuesday so I will let you know.
His feet grew since he needed new shoes.
Feet are usually first .
He bruised very easily on it and even when he came off for a while which may explain the purple marks .
When he was on pred in feb of this year he grew some afterwards maybe in May but he went back on pred in June .
I " think" he just started to grow again. He weaned off completely end of Sept.
He gets officially measured Monday and Tuesday so I will let you know.
His feet grew since he needed new shoes.
Feet are usually first .
We will be so happy to see him grow. It's been a long time trying to figure out what's wrong. We are happy with the weight gain but would love him to be back to the 50% percentile he's always been. He's 12. I'll call the dr. about purple marks tomorrow. He said he showed me before, but I would have remembered them. He had so many side effects he didn't share over the last year or so.
Crohn's Mom
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Do the "purple marks" resemble "stretch marks" ?
oh..and where are they ? legs around the knees? back ? abdomen ?
edit: oops...you said legs...sorry
oh..and where are they ? legs around the knees? back ? abdomen ?
edit: oops...you said legs...sorry
Crohn's Mom
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That is what happened to my daughter when she tapered off of Prednisone
She was steroid dependent, and the doc said that is why it happened ~ her adrenal glands didn't kick in with the taper like they were supposed to
She was steroid dependent, and the doc said that is why it happened ~ her adrenal glands didn't kick in with the taper like they were supposed to
Crohn's Mom
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unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about them. They do fade a bit over time tho ~ we can hardly notice hers anymore.
She did use a cream to help with their fading ~ I'll text her tomorrow and ask her what it was.
I think it happens with the rapid weight gain, bloating, etc. that comes with long term steroid use.
Although, it can also happen to children with just "normal" rapid growth, or weight gain as well.
edit : I actually just remembered what it was ~ Bio Oil ~ you can buy it at local pharmacies
She did use a cream to help with their fading ~ I'll text her tomorrow and ask her what it was.
I think it happens with the rapid weight gain, bloating, etc. that comes with long term steroid use.
Although, it can also happen to children with just "normal" rapid growth, or weight gain as well.
edit : I actually just remembered what it was ~ Bio Oil ~ you can buy it at local pharmacies
Crohn's Mom
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Awe I'm sorry - sounds just like my girl - horrific moon face
Yes, she ended up managing to taper but we went very very slow after that - they did bump her back up a bit but just for a short time. She did get through it tho.
It sounds like he may be steroid dependent as well IMO.
Now when Gab needs a boost of steroids, they are using Entocort for her and it works much better with very few side effects - I believe only 3% is filtered through the blood so it doesn't give the moon face, bloating, withdrawals, etc.
He will be able to taper, it just may take a little extra time
Hang in there !
:hug:
Yes, she ended up managing to taper but we went very very slow after that - they did bump her back up a bit but just for a short time. She did get through it tho.
It sounds like he may be steroid dependent as well IMO.
Now when Gab needs a boost of steroids, they are using Entocort for her and it works much better with very few side effects - I believe only 3% is filtered through the blood so it doesn't give the moon face, bloating, withdrawals, etc.
He will be able to taper, it just may take a little extra time
Hang in there !
:hug:
Crohn's Mom
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I sent you a friend request JacksMom ~ I have an album on my profile of "before, during, and after prednisone" so you can see Jack's not alone
edit: and neither are you :heart:
edit: and neither are you :heart:
Hi Jacksmom,
Yes, those are stretch marks from the pred and as Crohn's Mom said they won't go away. The color will fade with time. My son has a number of stretch marks from being on prednisone but his are on his belly so they are easy to hide.
As for the growth.
He is very unlikely to grow as long as he is on steroids of any kind - prednisone or entocort.
He is also very unlikely to grow until he gets into at least partial remission.
I don't know what other treatment he's getting beside the pred so I can't comment on his treatment and potential remission.
It's good that he's gained weight but at least some of it may be due to the prednisone causing water retention and it will go away again once he's off the pred.
I suggest, if you aren't already doing so, that you see if he will add some liquid nutritional sources to his diet. Ideally he would go to those exclusively - no regular food at all. This would almost certainly end any symptoms he has within 2 or 3 weeks and put him into real remission if he did it for 6 to 8 weeks.
Assuming (since he's 12) that he won't go for this plan, perhaps you could persuade him to do it just on weekends - to give his gut a break and help it heal faster. It will also help him grow taller faster.
But just adding some liquid nutrition like Boost or Ensure will help get him solid easily digested nutrition every day.
Once he's off steroids and gets into remission he should start growing. Some kids get "catch up" growth where they grow a lot quickly until they are back on the curve close to where they should be. Other kids don't - they just poke along on their new curve. And then there are all the ones in between.
The bottom line is that growth is tied to remission. If he's not growing (assuming no steroids) then he's not in remission. Not growing means that he's had less than 1/2" growth over a period of 9 months or zero growth in 6 months or less than 1" in a year and a half. It's hard to give definite figures like this because a lot of it is about looking at the pattern or lack of pattern over a long period of time. Ideally two years or more is the appropriate time period for evaluating growth issues. But these are the numbers that seemed appropriate when we were dealing with growth issues.
Keep in mind that kids are like plants - they grow in the spring and summer. Average growth per year is 2" except during adolescent growth spurt when it's more like 4".
So don't freak out if he doesn't grow 4 inches by Valentines Day. Give him til Labor Day OK?
Yes, those are stretch marks from the pred and as Crohn's Mom said they won't go away. The color will fade with time. My son has a number of stretch marks from being on prednisone but his are on his belly so they are easy to hide.
As for the growth.
He is very unlikely to grow as long as he is on steroids of any kind - prednisone or entocort.
He is also very unlikely to grow until he gets into at least partial remission.
I don't know what other treatment he's getting beside the pred so I can't comment on his treatment and potential remission.
It's good that he's gained weight but at least some of it may be due to the prednisone causing water retention and it will go away again once he's off the pred.
I suggest, if you aren't already doing so, that you see if he will add some liquid nutritional sources to his diet. Ideally he would go to those exclusively - no regular food at all. This would almost certainly end any symptoms he has within 2 or 3 weeks and put him into real remission if he did it for 6 to 8 weeks.
Assuming (since he's 12) that he won't go for this plan, perhaps you could persuade him to do it just on weekends - to give his gut a break and help it heal faster. It will also help him grow taller faster.
But just adding some liquid nutrition like Boost or Ensure will help get him solid easily digested nutrition every day.
Once he's off steroids and gets into remission he should start growing. Some kids get "catch up" growth where they grow a lot quickly until they are back on the curve close to where they should be. Other kids don't - they just poke along on their new curve. And then there are all the ones in between.
The bottom line is that growth is tied to remission. If he's not growing (assuming no steroids) then he's not in remission. Not growing means that he's had less than 1/2" growth over a period of 9 months or zero growth in 6 months or less than 1" in a year and a half. It's hard to give definite figures like this because a lot of it is about looking at the pattern or lack of pattern over a long period of time. Ideally two years or more is the appropriate time period for evaluating growth issues. But these are the numbers that seemed appropriate when we were dealing with growth issues.
Keep in mind that kids are like plants - they grow in the spring and summer. Average growth per year is 2" except during adolescent growth spurt when it's more like 4".
So don't freak out if he doesn't grow 4 inches by Valentines Day.
Give him til Labor Day OK?
Thanks Patricia56 - he was on 3 x a day pediasure Since bloodwork was all back to normal and he had gained so much, doctor dropped back to 1ce every other day. I think he is dropping him off pred since he believes he has healed. Now I need to begin the process of figuring out how to keep him that way. Bummer about the stretch marks but at least they are under shorts. THanks so much for the info.
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Please say they have a maintenance med already started like 6-mp or Imuran even pentasa least.
6-mp takes 3 months to work so you could end back up on pred if he starts to flare once off the pred.
6-mp takes 3 months to work so you could end back up on pred if he starts to flare once off the pred.
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Hi Jacksmom,
Caitlyn also got those stretch marks. Hers have really faded you can barely notice them. We put Bio-oil on them which I think helped. You can order it online.
Caitlyn also got those stretch marks. Hers have really faded you can barely notice them. We put Bio-oil on them which I think helped. You can order it online.
According to the available research and based on our personal experience, sulfasalazine (5-ASA) is not sufficient for someone who was sick enough to require 60 mg of pred on diagnosis. Here's a research review article that has the full article available for review which discusses the data on this medication in case you want to review it yourself.
According to the abstract for this publication "5-ASA therapy has also not been shown to be superior to placebo for maintenance of medically induced remission"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21857830
I strongly suggest you discuss with your son's doctor whether there are alternative treatments to be considered, assuming you have not had that discussion already.
While the enteral nutrition is a great way to jump start remission it is only in very rare cases sufficient to get a durable remission. In nearly all cases the strategy that has shown success is to use that window of remission to start 6-MP or methotrexate to sustain remission. That was certainly true for my son.
If your son's doctor declines to offer alternatives, I strongly suggest you get a 2nd opinion now. And/or If you need a 2nd opinion I suggest you go to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill if possible, it's closest center to you with a nation-wide reputation for excellence.
According to the abstract for this publication "5-ASA therapy has also not been shown to be superior to placebo for maintenance of medically induced remission"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21857830
I strongly suggest you discuss with your son's doctor whether there are alternative treatments to be considered, assuming you have not had that discussion already.
While the enteral nutrition is a great way to jump start remission it is only in very rare cases sufficient to get a durable remission. In nearly all cases the strategy that has shown success is to use that window of remission to start 6-MP or methotrexate to sustain remission. That was certainly true for my son.
If your son's doctor declines to offer alternatives, I strongly suggest you get a 2nd opinion now. And/or If you need a 2nd opinion I suggest you go to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill if possible, it's closest center to you with a nation-wide reputation for excellence.
DustyKat
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I agree with Patricia JacksMom.
5ASA's are a first level drug and suitable for mild disease only. That is not to say it isn't effective for some sufferers but for a 12 year old that requires a Pred dose starting at 60mg then the implication is his disease is not mild.
David also has a very informative and interesting thread about 5ASA's located here.
Good luck!
Dusty. xxx
5ASA's are a first level drug and suitable for mild disease only. That is not to say it isn't effective for some sufferers but for a 12 year old that requires a Pred dose starting at 60mg then the implication is his disease is not mild.
David also has a very informative and interesting thread about 5ASA's located here.
Good luck!
Dusty. xxx
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Hi Jacks mom.
My son had some marks too while on Pred but his went away. They were more like broken blood vessels and appeared in lines down his leg. It was very weird. His Dr. saw them and ordered blood tests to see if he had a clotting issue but all was normal. It happened twice while he was on Pred. He was also on 6mp too so I am not sure which med it might have been from.
My son didn't grow while on Pred but stopped taking Prednisone on Dec. 30 and he started to grow around April. Since last October he has grown 3 inches, most of it very recently. Our Endocrinologist said a child with mild to moderate crohns will still grow normally as long as weight is good. She says growth will stop when BMI is 20% or below. My son is at 50% now but we are working on weight gain more after his last appointment. My son lost so much weight before diagnosis because he had no appetite and wasn't eating, also not absorbing much of what he ate. The Endo said she sees it most clearly with children who are put on Ritalin for ADHD. There appetite drops, they stop eating and growth completely stops. She felt that nutrition would effect his growth way more than his crohn's unless his disease was severe. From what I have seen in the last two years with my son, I would agree.
I hope the taper goes well. Johnny had some minor issues while tapering so it was good just to get off that stuff!
(((((Hugs))))))
Tiffany
My son had some marks too while on Pred but his went away. They were more like broken blood vessels and appeared in lines down his leg. It was very weird. His Dr. saw them and ordered blood tests to see if he had a clotting issue but all was normal. It happened twice while he was on Pred. He was also on 6mp too so I am not sure which med it might have been from.
My son didn't grow while on Pred but stopped taking Prednisone on Dec. 30 and he started to grow around April. Since last October he has grown 3 inches, most of it very recently. Our Endocrinologist said a child with mild to moderate crohns will still grow normally as long as weight is good. She says growth will stop when BMI is 20% or below. My son is at 50% now but we are working on weight gain more after his last appointment. My son lost so much weight before diagnosis because he had no appetite and wasn't eating, also not absorbing much of what he ate. The Endo said she sees it most clearly with children who are put on Ritalin for ADHD. There appetite drops, they stop eating and growth completely stops. She felt that nutrition would effect his growth way more than his crohn's unless his disease was severe. From what I have seen in the last two years with my son, I would agree.
I hope the taper goes well. Johnny had some minor issues while tapering so it was good just to get off that stuff!
(((((Hugs))))))
Tiffany
