Steroids

[Leebie3]

:sign0085:

Hey guys.. Is it safe to ask my gp to start me on a course of steroids just to see if it helps? I know I don't have a diagnosis yet but a couple of the nurses and one of the doctors all (on the side) at the hospital told me to ask for it as they too think I have an IBD. As I have found out they don't always know and I have found too that you guys, with your personal experiences, are often a better judge of what a medication can do to you rather than what the 'books' say.

so, do you think it would do any harm? and how long would I need to take them for to show any improvement/know if it's going to work?

If you think it'd be fine then I'd be asking for 40-60mg Prednisone yeah?

thanks in advance guys.. I have really appreciated all the help you guys have offered me xoxo

ps: my appt is first thing in the morning so my query is kinda urgent :-s

 

[Grumbletum]

If they said, then I guess it won't do any harm to ask. Won't the hospital send a report to your GP? It might be they want you to start on them soon.
I called my GP after had a Barium FT then had over a month to wait to see the GI for the first time, but was having ever worsening symptoms. She started me on Pred at 20mg.

 

[Leebie3]

thanks grumbletum..

no, the hospital don't send discharge letters anymore but even if they did.. these nurses and docs said it on the side.. it went against what their consultant (who didn't even see me) said so they kinda said it but said I didn't hear it from them iykwim?

 

[Grumbletum]

Ah, OK. Well I hope your GP will start you on it. If it's going to help, you'll probably feel an improvement quickly, within a few days. And a response can be a sign that it is IBD. Let us know how you get on. It's horrible hanging around undiagnosed when you know yourself that something is wrong.

 

[Leebie3]

it is! thanks heaps for your response grumbletum ;-) appreciated.

one of the docs that said it to me knows my GP and said he reckons he'll give it to me.. my gp is the one that believes I have crohns in the small bowel anyway.

He said the below which I have are all highly suggestive of crohns although some are IBS as well some aren't ie: skin tags, bleeding

constipation but during painful times get severe D
blood in poo and at the moment (a painful time) it's D that is pretty much black.
anaemia
anal skin tags
joint pain - mostly hips & knees
abdo pain - periumbilicus and upper right and upper/mid left (right and left pain new to this flare)
mouth ulcers - particularly during painful times
feeling blah
nausea and not wanting to eat (partly because i know the pain will get worse about 20 -30 minutes afterwards partly just no appetite)
nausea

 

[Catherine]

Sarah was very sick on friday, too sick be left alone. After starting pred 30 was back at svhool on thursday of next week. If you problem is only ibs you should get no improvement pred. I think dose depends on weight, sarah was 44kg when starting pred.