Budesonide
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Golfingail
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:53 am
- Location: Ocala, FL
Budesonide
I have been on Budesonide for about 4 months. The past few months, I seem to bruise at the slightest bump - especially my arms. They look so terrible! I am 61 and do seem to have 'thin skin' but it is really much worse. Could it be a side effect? Starting today, I have decreased the capsules from 3 to 2 and am hoping this will help with the bruising. Anyone else ever notice this while on this med??
Hi Gail,
Yes, easy bruising is one of the common side effects of corticosteroids that many/most patients eventually develop, because corticosteroids cause thinning of the skin, among other things. The problem should slowly fade away as you reduce the dosage and eventually wean off completely.
Tex
Yes, easy bruising is one of the common side effects of corticosteroids that many/most patients eventually develop, because corticosteroids cause thinning of the skin, among other things. The problem should slowly fade away as you reduce the dosage and eventually wean off completely.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Golfingail
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:53 am
- Location: Ocala, FL
When budesonide is no longer needed, it tends to cause constipation symptoms, so many members use that as their cue that it's time to lower the dose. That doesn't always happen though, sometimes because an additional food sensitivity is still waiting to be detected and avoided, sometimes because more healing time is needed, and sometimes just because some people are very tolerant of budesonide and they can handle it even if/when they don't need to be taking it.
Some people find that after they have been on a lowered dose for a few days or so, the quality of their control begins to diminish, and if they are keeping a food/reaction diary, they can often spot a food that is causing the problem. After removing it from their diet, they get back on track.
Depending on how long they have been using the full dose, it seems that most people stay at the 6 mg (2 capsules) per day dose for at least 2–4 weeks, and if control is still good, then they drop to a single capsule each day. From that point on, our cumulative experience shows that the slower (and longer) the dose is tapered (1 capsule every other day for a couple of weeks or so, 1 every third day for a couple of weeks or so, 1 every fourth day for a couple of weeks or so, etc.), the better the chances of maintaining remission. And the slower tapering at the lower dosage levels allows more time for minor food sensitivities to show up so that they can be eliminated from the diet while at least a small amount of the budesonide is still available to help maintain control.
The main reason (IMO) for the long, drawn-out taper is to minimize the inflammatory effects of the mast cell population rebound that occurs if a corticosteroid is discontinued too rapidly. Corticosteroids suppress inflammation by suppressing mast cell numbers, and after the treatment is discontinued, mast cell numbers typically rebuild and overshoot original levels. This effect can trigger a relapse of inflammation. If the treatment is tapered slowly enough though, the rebound risk can be minimized, so that it's easier to maintain remission after the treatment is ended.
Please be aware that this is not proven medical research data — it's my theory to explain why so many people relapse after ending a corticosteroid treatment too rapidly. Members here have had much better success by tapering their withdrawal much more slowly than most GI specialists recommend.
You're very welcome.
Tex
Some people find that after they have been on a lowered dose for a few days or so, the quality of their control begins to diminish, and if they are keeping a food/reaction diary, they can often spot a food that is causing the problem. After removing it from their diet, they get back on track.
Depending on how long they have been using the full dose, it seems that most people stay at the 6 mg (2 capsules) per day dose for at least 2–4 weeks, and if control is still good, then they drop to a single capsule each day. From that point on, our cumulative experience shows that the slower (and longer) the dose is tapered (1 capsule every other day for a couple of weeks or so, 1 every third day for a couple of weeks or so, 1 every fourth day for a couple of weeks or so, etc.), the better the chances of maintaining remission. And the slower tapering at the lower dosage levels allows more time for minor food sensitivities to show up so that they can be eliminated from the diet while at least a small amount of the budesonide is still available to help maintain control.
The main reason (IMO) for the long, drawn-out taper is to minimize the inflammatory effects of the mast cell population rebound that occurs if a corticosteroid is discontinued too rapidly. Corticosteroids suppress inflammation by suppressing mast cell numbers, and after the treatment is discontinued, mast cell numbers typically rebuild and overshoot original levels. This effect can trigger a relapse of inflammation. If the treatment is tapered slowly enough though, the rebound risk can be minimized, so that it's easier to maintain remission after the treatment is ended.
Please be aware that this is not proven medical research data — it's my theory to explain why so many people relapse after ending a corticosteroid treatment too rapidly. Members here have had much better success by tapering their withdrawal much more slowly than most GI specialists recommend.
You're very welcome.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Golfingail
- Little Blue Penguin
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2014 6:53 am
- Location: Ocala, FL