OTP Asthma and prednisone in kids
Question:
Hi Gang, Any of you have asthmatic kids? My niece is being treated for possible asthma….or least asthma like symptoms. I have nooo experience with the use of prednisone in conditions other than arthritis. Today she was put on 80mg of pred for 7 days. Isn’t that an awfully large dose? And no tapering? I just want some reassurance that this is normal. She is 13 and 5ft 8……so it’s not like she’s a little thang….but that seems very high to me. Hell I go over 15mgs and I can’t sleep, can’t imagine taking 80mg! ~Krissy Akron, Ohio http://arthritisinsight.com Knowledge is power…support is essential.
Response:
Krissy: When I have serious asthma problems, they will put me up that high on Prednisone and sometimes give it to me IV as well. Is very short term and it is suppose to handle the inflamation with the asthma. They will taper her down fast before anything happens. Not to worry too much. Jeannette
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KJ writes: she was put on 80mg of pred for 7 days. Isn’t that an awfully large dose? And no tapering? I just want some reassurance that this is normal.
Hi Krissy, Three of my 4 kids have asthma. However, only one of them actually needs prednisone a few times a year. He takes the liquid and I don’t know the conversion from teaspoons to milligrams. In case you do know it, he does a 7 day course of prednisone, starting with 2 teaspoons and tapering down 1/4 teaspoon a day after that until he’s at 0. He is 10 years old and weighs about 85lbs. I’m not sure if your neice’s dose is high or not. However, I do know that she needs to taper off the drug slowly, exactly the same as we do with RA. The taper is particularly important in asthmatics. When we rheumatics cut back on prednisone too quickly, we go into a major flare. Our flares cause that nasty old pain and exhaustion. We are very uncomfortable, but, not in a life-threatening position. When asthmatics decrease prednisone too quickly, they also go into a flare. And, believe me, it is a horrible thing to witness. The flare is usually worse than the initial ‘attack’ and can rapidly become life-threatening. I’d make darn sure that the instructions to stop the drug abruptly, particularly at such a high dose are what the doctor ‘really’ meant to say. If the doctor says this is what he meant, I’d suggest getting another opinion ASAP. My son has been in the hospital many times with this nasty disease. And while I am not thrilled with prednisone, particularly for a child, I do know that it has saved his life a couple of times over because it was administered and withdrawn properly. Sorry for being so long-winded. This is just a very, very important, close to the heart subject for me. Please do get your neice’s mom to talk to the doc about the correct way to come off this med. Hope this helped some 
(posted and emailed) Be well, Patty *~A friend is someone who reaches out for your hand, and touches your heart.~* http://www.paincentral.com
Response:
Yeah what Patty said. My kids have asthma & have been on pred off & on for years. Is your niece taking Singular or Accolate to prevent the attacks? Singular has really helped my kids. Yes you do need that high of a dose of pred. But you can start tapering off after the first dose in some cases. My then 45 LB 6year old took 60 mg on his last go around. She is old enough to be told that she may be hyper etc so she will not freakout Belinda – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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Hi all, I have several asthmatic members of my family including me. I only know about the decreasing medrol or decadron dosepaks… Pehaps another consultation will shed more light on this situation. I am a boomer;) 5′7 over 150 and have never had that high a dose of prednisone for anything – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Gang, Any of you have asthmatic kids? My niece is being treated for possible asthma….or least asthma like symptoms. I have nooo experience with the use of prednisone in conditions other than arthritis. Today she was put on 80mg of pred for 7 days. Isn’t that an awfully large dose?
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Hi Krissy My Dad has to do this occasionally, when his asthma gets bad or he has a chest infection. They put him on a high dose for a week, then a fast taper off it. No longer than 2 weeks in total. — JayneB
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Hey Jayne Darlin: I am totally confused. Didn’t you just get diagnosed the other day with FMS with OA in the knees? In an earlier posting I thought you mentioned that you were diagnosed with RA a long time ago. Am I getting things mixed up here? Am I not reading right? Tell me again, what is your diagnosis etc. I don’t want to be talking to you about something that you don’t have when you have something else. I wish I could keep everybody’s diagnoses straight. Sorry. Jeannette
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Jeannette You were sort of right all through there. On Wednesday my RD decided I had OA in my knees, plus Fibromyalgia. I have posted in the past that blood tests have always shown nothing up, but all along he had been treating me as suspected RA – but has now changed his mind to the above. (Confused? You will be – lol!) The asthma posting above, I was referring to my dad, who at times suffers badly from it. Hope this clears things up. How are you today by the way? — JayneB
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Jayne: I am fine today. How are you doing? How is the FMS doing? I still do believe that you have some inflamation type arthritis or the prednisone would not have helped you. I think there is more diagnosing to be done on you. You may not have RA but you may have some other kind arthritis. snipped<
Ok thanks Jeannette – totally worn out as its my 3 days at work on thurs, frid and sat. I am always totally worn out by sunday so just rest then. I enjoy work, but we are so busy in the spring and summer that I wonder why I do it sometimes. This sunday I have to get my eldest boy packed and ready for school camp. He’s never been away before so it will be a wrench (he’s 11). I had to laugh about the "pregnant llook" – just pictured you. I am "rounded" all over – it seems to be evenly dispersed, so I envy people who have thin limbs - mine are just too podgy! Keep well, JayneB
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Monocle Damn Jeannette, didn’t you ever see Charlie Mc Carthy the dummy that has a top hat and sits on Edgar Bergman’s knee. Well look at his eye and you will see a little thing that covers his eye. That is an eye glass that they call a monocle I think that is spelled wrong…. Oh well, it is a eye glass….Boy did that tell my age. Lovely 54 with a birthday coming up in 12 days…..Janers
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Hello Jeanette, I am so happy with my new glasses which I got yesterday. It was driving me crazy not being able to see clearly. They cost way too much though and I went the cheap frame route. They are nice though…..black wire rims and they make my chubby predinisone face look less chubby. That does my heart good. Now what can I do for my 9 mo. pregnancy looking stomach? Sometimes I walk around
what about a monocle for your navel ? Thomas
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Thomas: I don’t know what a monocle is to put in/on/over/through my navel. What is this item you speak of? Jeannette
Response:
Thomas writes: what about a monocle for your navel ?
ROFLMAO! Now there’s a new fashion trend that’s sure to catch on quick as a bolt of lightening. :) Be well, Patty *~A friend is someone who reaches out for your hand, and touches your heart.~* http://www.paincentral.com
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Will somebody please tell what a monocle is since Thomas told me to put it in/on/through…. MY naval? Jeannette
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Ok Janers: Thank you for explaining what a monocle is. Now I know exactly what you are talking about. Now it makes Thomas’ joke so much funnier. LOLOLOL Jeannette
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Or if you are my age did you watch Hogan’s Heroes? Remember the Camp Commandant? Monocle Damn Jeannette, didn’t you ever see Charlie Mc Carthy the dummy that has a top hat and sits on Edgar Bergman’s knee. Well look at his eye and you will see a little thing that covers his eye. That is an eye glass that they call a monocle I think that is spelled wrong…. Oh well, it is a eye glass….Boy did that tell my age. Lovely 54 with a birthday coming up in 12 days…..Janers
– Dan — RAM 2000 – West Coast get together for ASA, June 15-18, Reno, NV http://www.reno.quik.com/detcheto/ram2000.html
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Would that be Colonel Klink?
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Or if you are my age did you watch Hogan’s Heroes? Remember the Camp Commandant? Monocle Damn Jeannette, didn’t you ever see Charlie Mc Carthy the dummy that has a top hat and sits on Edgar Bergman’s knee. Well look at his eye and you will see a little thing that covers his eye. That is an eye glass that they call a monocle I think that is spelled wrong…. Oh well, it is a eye glass….Boy did that tell my age. Lovely 54 with a birthday coming up in 12 days…..Janers — Dan — RAM 2000 – West Coast get together for ASA, June 15-18, Reno, NV http://www.reno.quik.com/detcheto/ram2000.html
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Would that be Colonel Klink?
As Schultz would say, "I know nothing, I see nothing!!!" Dan
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