Please help understanding steroid effects -- Steroid Warning Network

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 13:57:10 06/13/08 Fri
Author: Alice
Subject: Please help understanding steroid effects

I am hoping someone can help me understand what has happened with my body following steroid use. I was placed on 40 mg prednisone at 14 weeks pregnant, was maintained on that dose for 4 weeks (despite really bad side effects) and then a 1 week taper off the prednisone. During this time I developed moon face, buff hump, thyroid dys, diabetes, terrible acne high blood pressure, excessive sweating, severe hearaches (heart beating on my head feeling), gained 23 lbs (105 pre-preg) and I developed dark skin under my armpits. I became very severe flu-like feeling after tapering from 10 mg to nothing. Since coming off (15 weeks ago) the diabetes has continued to worsen, thyroid still off, severe facial swelling, still sweating, still dark pigmentation under arms. Acne has decreased somewhat. It is mainly still on my face but back and chest have cleared. I am currently in the hospital due to a dislocated sacrum into the birth canal and a fractured coccyx. My muscle atrophy is so bad that I am unable to stand for more than two minutes and am now completely non-weight bearing on my left leg and there is nothing that can be done until after the baby is born.

My Dr never gave me any warning of side effects of the steroids and was never concerned with those that I reported. He also insists that the lingering problems could not be related to steroids as "they were out of your system in 4 days" In short, I dont trust his knowledge of this. Due to his perspective, he does not run blood work to check into the problem. It may be misleading anyway though because i am prego. The only thing I know is that my cortisol level yesterday at 4 pm was 25. Dont know if that is high though.

I am wondering if this amount of steroid administered for this length of time (in an already stressed system due to pregnancy) is enough to induce cushings? If so, is there any possibility that the diabetes will eventually resolve? Is it possible that orthopedic and muscular difficulties I am having are a result of the steroids? Are there any other blood tests I should request that would tell me more about whether long term damage has been done? If these things are to resolve, does it take months, years etc?

Any information you could provide would help. I just feel so lost and dont know how to get answers since my dr. clearly appears uninformed.

Thank you

Alice

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: Please help understanding steroid effects -- Ivy (Understanding), 03:33:38 06/14/08 Sat