After a recent bout of swine flu my Asthma got really bad, it was under control with my inhaler but not any more.

Upshot was that I was getting out of breath just walking to my local shop ( approx 800 yards ) so I went to my GP.
Have been given a 5 day course of 5mg Prednisolone tablets to take ( 8 a day )
How long can I expect to wait till they kick in and I'm not feeling breathless again ?
Will I recover to my pre swine flu level asthma wise ?
Or am I stuffed for ever riding wise ?

They're a steroid aren't they, I was on them for a while when I had ulcerative colitis (not pleasant!). They brought on acne I seem to remember.

Yes, it is a steroid. I had it for a week after a weeks course of Amoxycyllin did bugger all for my bronchitis. Didn't seem to do bugger all to me really. I have a purple coloured inhaler that I have to take twice, twice a day now. That helps my asthma in conjunction with my blue ventolin as and when I need it.

whats the purple one called?

Son always had a predisolone bottle in cupboard fro emergency use, nasty stuff I seem to remember

Purple inhaler is seretide (longer acting version of ventolin, and inhaled steroid).
Pred tablets should work pretty quickly, within a day at least…

A 5 day course won't really have any long term consequences, so if you put on weight, it's more likely the X-mas puds rather than the medications!

Out of interest – was your swine flu confirmed or suspected?

DrP

Yes, it is a vile drug. I was prescribed it for arthritis. The pain from that was horrendous, but rather that than the side effects i got from prednisolone (night sweats, weight gain, acne).

I've been on it for months at a time in the past with very few side effects basically mood swings and a slight fattening of my face, shorter course caused no side effects at all mine was also for ulcerative colitis. They should kick in in the space of a couple of days.

I was on it for 3 weeks – similar thing to OP, to control alergic reaction which was causing asthma. After the 3 weeks, I went onto a Seretide inhaler which I've been on for a year now. That controls the allergy for the most part.

no side effects at all for me

+1 for DrP,a course of prednisolone at that dose,for 5 days should be settling your chest within 48 hours,and no long term side effects.I'm a nurse in respiratory medicine,it's a standard dose.
Ian

P.S. Diagnosed swine flu? guessed more like.
Ian

Swine Flu … not confirmed but done on Pandemic Helpline thingy…

So I still doubt it was the real deal… but they played safe and gave me Tamiflu …

Ask DrP how you differentiate between swine flu and normal flu,then ask youself if it can be done on the phone.It's basically guesswork.
Ian
P.S. It may have been swine flu,but there's no way of telling.

I've been taking prednisolone daily (in varying quantities) for the last 4 years. I've had no weight gain, no acne, in fact no side effects whatsoever. Suppose it depends how your body reacts to corticosteroids(sp). I'm assuming they gave you a reducing dose as going from 8 a-day to 0 isn't ideal?

No need for a reducing dose with a five day course. Only necessary if on it longer term ie over 2 weeks.
Short sharp course for asthma quick acting and works well. no long term side effects with short course, agreed can be nasty if it on it long term. some people feel a bit hyper on it- high doses stop you sleeping, so take it in the morning.

+1 docrobster,only asthmatics I've seen with problems re steroids haven't been compliant with antibiotics and/or maintenance inhalers.
Ian

Prior to being prescribed long term steroids I was given a reducing 5 day dose for an 'asthma flare up' and told this was the best course of action. Suppose it depends which Dr. you go to?

Anyway they work almost instantaneously and shouldn't give you any problems as already stated above.

They give me bad mood swings and restless nights, when taken in high doses. I do my best to keep the daily intake as low as possible. Been taking the buggers for 30 odd years now to keep the Crohn's disease at bay.

I worked in gastro-enterology for 8 years prior to moving to respiratory medecine,you have my deepest sympathy,I wouldn't wish Crohn's or ulcerative colitis on anyone.
Ian

I have just been on the standard 5 day 40mg a day course for an asthma flare up, second time this year. Use the purple Seretide for maintenance.

Typically I have found that the first dose of Pred pretty much brings my peak flows back to normal. They de-stabilise my mood and make me irritable and agitated – probably not helped by being Bi-polar.

In my previous experiences once the Pred has cleared up the inflammation, the asthma has been well controlled with just using my Seretide. Not this last time though and my Asthma is still unsettled – fine for a few days and then not so great and then OK.

My GP had given me some Singulair to try – but I have not tried it yet waiting to see if it settles down.

I am still exercising but it seems hard for the first hour or so and I feel tight chested at the end – but when I take my peak flows after riding they seem pretty much as normal. Suspect it is down to Anxiety.

Does your local Hospital have an Asthma specialist nurse? It might be worth ringing them for a medication review.
Ian

Ask DrP how you differentiate between swine flu and normal flu,then ask youself if it can be done on the phone.It's basically guesswork.

They've got to get there figures up some how are all this expense they've gone too would look unjustified.

Ask DrP how you differentiate between swine flu and normal flu

You look at the calendar – if it says 2009 on it, you've got piggyflu

That's amazing not a single case of any other flu in the last weeks. 🙄

I have had prednislone a couple of times following bad chest ifections and them aggravating my asthma. I had no ill effect at all but they made me feel fantastic!

Drac – Member
That's amazing not a single case of any other flu in the last weeks (from the about 50 GP practices in the survey and only when patients came in to be swabbed, maybe 50 each week) 🙄

Pass the tinfoil Drac
God, how bloody naive am I ?!
Can't believe I didn't spot the giant flu whitewash
They must be gutted that it's mild too, hey ?

(possible explanation is that it's because the piggy is the mild flu and it's only those pts who are well enough to attend the GP. Mind, all the +ves I can remember seeing at my work were H1N1, though not definitely piggy I admit)

… unless they were lying to us on the PCR reports 😉

That and pig flu can be diagnosed over the phone.

To be honest, regardless on how 'strong' any flu symptoms I were to suffer, I'd just sleep it off until I were better.
Personally I wouldn't take tamiflu unless I had swab confirmed disease (which I wouldn't, as I'd just stay at home riding it out………!).

The trouble is, a lot of people are now thinking "I've had swine flu, I'm immune" which is far from the truth…..

Anyhoo – hope the breathing's better!

DrP

I believe the whole diagnosing swine flu over the phone is dangerous. I know of cases locally to me when patients have phoned up with fever headache etc been presumed to have swine flu and died from an unrelated sepsis. I try not to cut corners professionally (at work not on the bike) and i believe the department of health are taking huge risks with patients lives by employing call centre staff to do a doctors job. They know some people will die as a result of this gamble but have deemed this acceptable.
Personally i see all patients who phone up with suspected swine flu. I don't want to be the doc "who diagnosed my child's meningitis as swine flu over the phone".

5 days of steroids? no problem as previously said should work within 4-6 hrs

DrNick – yeh, risk balance might be acceptable if a pandemic was of a severe illness, but it isn't (now).

Do you know what proportion of your pts call your surgery vs online/chatline ? (I imagine you might fail to cope if they all did, in peak weeks)