potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Steroid Warning Network

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Date Posted: 16:51:39 02/20/10 Sat
Author: No name
Subject: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage

I knew very little about corticosteroids prior to April of 2009....I now know more about this drug than I care to know about anything in my lifetime.

I fully acknowledge the fact that this drug can save lives in life and death emergencies and illness, however I am horrified in learning the degree to which it is prescribed otherwise. MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL WHO SUFFER FROM THE ILL EFFECTS OF CORTICOSTEROIDS.

Our nightmare began in April 2006. My husband (53 and in excellent health at the time) was prescribed, by our GP of 30 years, a potent topical corticosteroid for an annoying case of anul itch .....100g tube with instructions "use as needed". He received no physical examination pertaining to the problem, and then no information or warnings about the cream he was being prescribed.

He used the creme regularily over the next 2 years (it would relieve the itch temporarily, then, as we know now, actually re-create it! thus a vicious cycle) For obvious reasons he did not discuss this ongoing poblem with me.

In March of 2008 my husband was prescribed another topical corticosteroid (same dr) .....this one EVEN MORE POTENT with an antifungal in it. Still, I had no knowledge.....

I am overwhelmed just thinking about describing what this has done to him. I can still hardly beleive that FOR 3 YEARS he was using a dangerous, UNAPPROPRIAELY precribed drug UNKNOWINGLY and SO UNNECESSARILY!

My husband....once a very healthy, fit, smart, sucessfull businessman, WONDERFUL father, husband, son and friend to many. By last April he was a TRAIN WRECK physically and mentally....he was then diagnosed with Picks disease. A few days after receiving this devistating diagnosis while looking for some hope of recovery, I stumbled across an article titled "corticosteroid induced dementia...." The word corticosteroid stuck in my mind and I ran (literally ran) to the bathroom to find the tube of creme that went everywhere with us.

As I write this my husband's health and dementia symptoms have improved dramatically since rock bottom last April, however he has a very long way to making a full recovery. We are under the care of an amazing ND and holistic Chiropractor (who 20 yrs ago helped correct my immune system and in turn with my recovery from mod/severe RA.....I have been symptom & drug free now for 22 yrs. I went on to a career teaching dance, running 10K 3X p/wk etc. I will post more info on this in the future)

The journey in reclaiming my husbands health (and mine also from the stress & heartache) we are doing everything from organic, fresh eating to acupunchure to daily exercise, antioxidents, high quality supplements etc etc etc

Needless to say I have lost so much faith in Western Medicine and we do not have a GP at this time. The Neuro rudely shut me down when I called to advise him about the 3 years of potent corticosteroid use on a cell membrane.

My husband's symptoms line up exactly with symptoms of long term corticosteroid use (cushings all the way, memory problems etc) and since last April correlate with CS withdrawl. His physical health has been seriously compromised (borderline diabeties, his liver, adrenal, blood in bad shape) Our ND said (about him using CS in this way) was like "dropping an atomic bomb on a deer"

I know without a doubt that he does not have "Picks" disease and on that end I am soooo happy knowing I won't be watching him deteriorate and put him in a nursing home in a few years. That said, on the other end, the anger and frustraion that this has happened is eating away at me.

Any information/advise that you can pass along (odds of full recovery?) would be greatly appreciated.

Leslie, thank you for starting this website. I would like to read more about your journey to wellness.

This is the first time writing about this and surprising to me, I feel some load off my back. The sun is shining and sky is beautifully blue right now...... I'm heading out for a walk with my loving "coming back to me" husband and our cutie pie, rascal Brittney Spaniel named Kody.

sincerely,
g

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Replies:

Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Leslie (hopeful), 22:01:49 02/21/10 Sun
- Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Ivy (Understanding), 02:49:01 02/22/10 Mon
- Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Gail (thank you), 14:00:20 03/02/10 Tue
  - Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Leslie (Happy), 16:36:46 03/02/10 Tue
  - Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Leslie (Grateful), 11:56:22 03/04/10 Thu
    - Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- Leslie, 23:45:35 03/17/10 Wed
  - Re: potent steroid used unnecessarily caused severe health damage -- No name, 23:43:02 03/17/10 Wed