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Prednisone Reduction and low oxygen
I am new here and just turned 73 yrs old. I was diagnosed with antisyntases and ILD for 5 years following a bout of pneumonia, before that I vaulted tall buildings and constantly on the go, so this hit me broadside. I’m currently taking 300mg OFEV, 3,000 mg mycophenolate and 20mg of prednisone. The Dr wants me to reduce my prednisone, but said if I can’t, I can’t. It was precautionary as it affects your bone density. I’m concerned to see how bad my oxygen is when I started reducing it. I went from 20 to 15 to 10 and my oxygen level plummeted. I am on oxygen 24/7 at this point, 3-4 liters when active and 2 liters when sleeping or at rest. With 10 mg of prednisone my O2 took a dive when I did much of anything. Anyone else go through this? If so does it mellow out, I waited 10 days then went back to 15mg. I don’t have much of a cough or some of the things prednisone can help with but it definitely must help with the inflammation. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
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2 Replies
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While my PF has a different cause (radiation induced) I take prednisone to reduce inflammation and help with the cough. It does have side effects but there are ways to reduce them. I take alendronate for bone loss (there are other meds for this as well) and eat a low carb diet to prevent blood sugar issues. If prednisone is helping your breathing other methods to reduce its side effects might be something to consider.
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Hi Janie. Since you mentioned watch your blood sugar I thought I would throw in a concern of mine. I was diagnosed with PF August 2023 but know I have had it longer because of the symptoms I had. I take 100 mg of OFEV twice daily (with no side effects) and 20 mg of Prednisone. I also have type 2 diabetes which the Prednisone drives my blood sugar extremely high. My readings are mostly 200 and upward and has been as high as 500. I do watch my carbs. I work with my Endocrinologist closely and inject insulin 4 times per day. I am just wondering if anyone else has the same problem and any advice for me. Thank you all for being there for me and prayers for all of you Gina
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