When oral prednisone doesn't work..

[Brad P]

I'm having a bad flare, first one in 6 to 7 years. My gi put me on 40mg of pred tapering 5 per week. I just started 30 and absolutely no improvement. Biologics are not an option for me because of the risk of cancer as I've already had cancer.

When oral prednisone hasn't worked for you, what did? I'm going to discuss iv steroids with my gi once I get a CT scan done in the morning.

Thanks guys

 

[ronroush7]

IV steroids might be a good idea. I had an abscess in the early 90s. It got worse a week and a half after it had been drained. They put me in the hospital and put me on medicine given by IV. They couldn't have given me the same strength of medicine by mouth because it would have been too strong. Let us know what the doctor says. Also, ask the doctor about other options. Best to you.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

I didn't feel the steriods worked for me either - no change in symptoms but there was a change in my blood results - my inflammation markers all went down into the normal range.

Non Anti-TNF biologics may be an option for you like entyvio or stelera - as another person on this forum was put on entyvio who had been at risk of lymphoma and so wasn't allowed the other biologics. See her thread about that here:
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=74495

 

[Bunty]

Maybe the oral steroids need to be tapered more slowly.
I was on them for five months continuously last year, every time I started to taper down the symptoms came back. After this happened a couple of times the GI then kept me on the high dose..40mg..for two months without even starting to taper. This did the trick.
Bunty x

 

[nitty]

Similar to Bunty's experience for me. I had to go back up to 40mg for another couple of weeks when symptoms didn't really go after dropping to 35mg. After that the taper went fine.

 

[tots]

Maybe its not a high enough dose or to soon of a taper?


Lauren