Hi Tex and everyone,
I have just been diagnosed with sudden hearing loss and have been given 60mg of prednisone to take for 9 days, tapering after 7.
I have no choice if I wish to try and salvage my hearing.
I've read that prednisone can cause tummy upset/contraindicated for ulcerative colitis. However, it can be used for MC too, right?
So, I don't want to, but have to.
I have not been able to communicate as yet with my gastro, but this is urgent.
Question: I am on 1-2 budesonide per day maintenance dose. Should I continue taking it? One per day?
Thanks for all the support you provide.
Sincerely
Paul
Urgent Question
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Hi Paul,
60 mg of prednisone is a full dose and it will definitely supplement the budesonide. Since you are not taking a maximum dose of budesonide there's probably no risk of overdose. Whether or not you take budesonide for a few days may be irrelevant, because the prednisone alone should put you in solid remission. IOW, chances are, the pharmacological effects of the budesonide won't even be significant as long as the prednisone dose (in mg) exceeds your current budesonide dose. After the prednisone dose is tapered to below that level, whether you take the budesonide (or not) should once again begin to be significant. There is a possibility that you may no longer need the budesonide afterward, but that remains to be seen.
Some difficult-to-resolve MC cases have found that the sudden shock of a substantial prednisone treatment has resolved their persistent diarrhea when nothing else worked (as long as they remain careful with their diet). So you might view this as an interesting experiment.
Best of luck with the experiment.
Tex
60 mg of prednisone is a full dose and it will definitely supplement the budesonide. Since you are not taking a maximum dose of budesonide there's probably no risk of overdose. Whether or not you take budesonide for a few days may be irrelevant, because the prednisone alone should put you in solid remission. IOW, chances are, the pharmacological effects of the budesonide won't even be significant as long as the prednisone dose (in mg) exceeds your current budesonide dose. After the prednisone dose is tapered to below that level, whether you take the budesonide (or not) should once again begin to be significant. There is a possibility that you may no longer need the budesonide afterward, but that remains to be seen.
Some difficult-to-resolve MC cases have found that the sudden shock of a substantial prednisone treatment has resolved their persistent diarrhea when nothing else worked (as long as they remain careful with their diet). So you might view this as an interesting experiment.
Best of luck with the experiment.
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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Pebbledash
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Good morning. We are so fortunate to have Tex to give us advice! Best wishes, Paul. I hope your hearing returns quickly and your D is resolved.
Marcia
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My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style. - M. Angelou
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My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style. - M. Angelou
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Pebbledash
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Pebbledash
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Hi all,
Another question. Because of my sudden hearing loss, I am on 60mg prednisone for one week. I'm worried, though, that the out of control stress from having hearing loss and being forced to work through a tenure process (never become an academic) is playing absolute havoc with my autoimmune issues.
In short, I can feel inflammation returning to my tummy.
My question is: once I get through this week of hell, should I stay on prednisone for a little longer as I try to relax? It is only the prednisone that is keeping me from returning to a terrible MC relapse, I can tell (yes, one positive "side effect").
Also, if I need to use prednisone in the future, can I? I had always been keeping it "in reserve."
Indebted.
Paul
Another question. Because of my sudden hearing loss, I am on 60mg prednisone for one week. I'm worried, though, that the out of control stress from having hearing loss and being forced to work through a tenure process (never become an academic) is playing absolute havoc with my autoimmune issues.
In short, I can feel inflammation returning to my tummy.
My question is: once I get through this week of hell, should I stay on prednisone for a little longer as I try to relax? It is only the prednisone that is keeping me from returning to a terrible MC relapse, I can tell (yes, one positive "side effect").
Also, if I need to use prednisone in the future, can I? I had always been keeping it "in reserve."
Indebted.
Paul
Hello Paul,
A few more days shouldn't cause any major issues,. Extended use (months or years) can increase the side effect risk and make the tapering process as you end the treatment much more difficult (due to adrenal dependency). That difference probably won't be significant, though, for a treatment of a few weeks.
Remember that each time you stop using it and then restart a treatment again, all corticosteroids become a little less effective. IOW, to get the same effect, a larger dose may be needed. This can lead to more serious side effect risks in the long run. In the short run, it shouldn't make much difference.
Tex
A few more days shouldn't cause any major issues,. Extended use (months or years) can increase the side effect risk and make the tapering process as you end the treatment much more difficult (due to adrenal dependency). That difference probably won't be significant, though, for a treatment of a few weeks.
Remember that each time you stop using it and then restart a treatment again, all corticosteroids become a little less effective. IOW, to get the same effect, a larger dose may be needed. This can lead to more serious side effect risks in the long run. In the short run, it shouldn't make much difference.
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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Pebbledash
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It may be that I have Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, though it is too early to say.
The impacted ear has further deteriorated over the last week, and I am now tapering off the oral prednisone. I did have a second shot of steroid in my ear.
I've had a nervous breakdown, but am recovering, though scared and depressed--that's why my writing is abrupt here. Hands shake.
Questions:
1. Prednisone has given me bad constipation at 60mg. What is the normal dose for MC? How long for? (one possible treatment if it is AIED might be longterm immuno suppresant).
2. Any one know anything about sudden hearing loss or AIED?
Thank you
Paul
The impacted ear has further deteriorated over the last week, and I am now tapering off the oral prednisone. I did have a second shot of steroid in my ear.
I've had a nervous breakdown, but am recovering, though scared and depressed--that's why my writing is abrupt here. Hands shake.
Questions:
1. Prednisone has given me bad constipation at 60mg. What is the normal dose for MC? How long for? (one possible treatment if it is AIED might be longterm immuno suppresant).
2. Any one know anything about sudden hearing loss or AIED?
Thank you
Paul
Hi Paul,
I know nothing about AIED.
I'm not sure what the current recommendations for Prednisone treatment of MC might be. It was pretty much replaced with budesonide after budesonide received FDA approval. Budesonide was gaining favor for treating IBDs about the time that this forum was created, but I can vaguely remember that decades ago, doctors prescribed 60 or 80 mg, and then slowly decreased the dose. I don't recall what a maintenance dose was (it was probably somewhere around 20 or 30 mg), but I do recall that many patients would eventually have to get off the drug, and then tapering the dose below about 5 mg was pure hell for some people because of all the side effects. They couldn't get past that point.
Tex
I know nothing about AIED.
I'm not sure what the current recommendations for Prednisone treatment of MC might be. It was pretty much replaced with budesonide after budesonide received FDA approval. Budesonide was gaining favor for treating IBDs about the time that this forum was created, but I can vaguely remember that decades ago, doctors prescribed 60 or 80 mg, and then slowly decreased the dose. I don't recall what a maintenance dose was (it was probably somewhere around 20 or 30 mg), but I do recall that many patients would eventually have to get off the drug, and then tapering the dose below about 5 mg was pure hell for some people because of all the side effects. They couldn't get past that point.
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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Pebbledash
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My life is an unholy mess. A total wreck. I soiled my bed, I am back to watery D all day long. Sick of it, sick of it, sick of it.
My original gastro told me there was no treatment, just pepto bismol; for years I lived a compromised life, made the inflammation ten times worse, suffered in silence. Now the budesonide will not work. I have lost my hearing in one ear--possibly due to autoimmune condition and the constant inflammation I cannot stop in my poor body.
I will retire soon at 55 and leave America and make a life for myself as best I can. I do not deserve this. I've done my duty to this f-ing world and no longer want to be a slave to the machine. I am a complete mess. I've had a nervous breakdown. Can't deal with wanker academics and hateful students. Done.
My original gastro told me there was no treatment, just pepto bismol; for years I lived a compromised life, made the inflammation ten times worse, suffered in silence. Now the budesonide will not work. I have lost my hearing in one ear--possibly due to autoimmune condition and the constant inflammation I cannot stop in my poor body.
I will retire soon at 55 and leave America and make a life for myself as best I can. I do not deserve this. I've done my duty to this f-ing world and no longer want to be a slave to the machine. I am a complete mess. I've had a nervous breakdown. Can't deal with wanker academics and hateful students. Done.
Hi Paul,
I hear you. i bailed out of the academic world 47 years ago, and so far I haven't regretted it.
I hate to recommend an immune system suppressant in the face of a COVID-19 pandemic, but you may have to consider that in order to stop the symptoms. The safest choice would probably be Imuran, but it's somewhat slow to gain control. One of the so-called biologics would be faster, although possibly riskier. Any good GI doc should be able to apprise you of the risk/benefit ratio.
Best of luck to you.
Tex
I hear you. i bailed out of the academic world 47 years ago, and so far I haven't regretted it.
I hate to recommend an immune system suppressant in the face of a COVID-19 pandemic, but you may have to consider that in order to stop the symptoms. The safest choice would probably be Imuran, but it's somewhat slow to gain control. One of the so-called biologics would be faster, although possibly riskier. Any good GI doc should be able to apprise you of the risk/benefit ratio.
Best of luck to you.
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.
