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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Prednisone Does Not Make People High (Remix)

Over on Queen of Optimism, I read she's been told by ER docs the prednisone she uses to preserve her ability to walk can cause euphoria, which is maybe her problem.

Excuse me.

I need to go beat my head against a wall.

It's more rewarding than dealing with doctors.

Clearly this idea that steroids = mania/euphoria is pervasive in medical training.

My own pulmonologist tried to tell me the reason I kept taking steroids was for the energy boost.

Key point the doc didn't bother to ever investigate? My am cortisol was a 6 and that was with steroids in my bloodstream. Without the external prop up from prednisone it was less than a 6.

Low cortisol = bad.

When prednisone restores the ability to move your body half way decently, you are at such a deficit physiologically that it would be hard for prednisone to make you manic.

In those situations prednisone = normal functionality. Not euophoric mania. Okay?

It is not that damn hard.

Please get a f*cking clue before someone really gets hurt.

Absolutely unacceptable.

4 comments:

  1. They do cause euphoria in some people. Obviously, not you.
    Tracy2

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh hey,spam! Hi spam! How are you?

    Tracy:

    You may be right, but I'm not finding these patients and it's sort of a weird belief that is polluting my medical care and that of others.

    M

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband has known some patients, where it has that effect. So I do believe that it does happen for some. In fact, I had a dear old lady friend, who often took prednisone, and it really did make her feel good. So I believe the doctors aren't nuts, to think that it can have that effect.
    BUT - it certainly doesn't on everyone, or probably even the majority, and assuming so is indeed poor care in my opinion.
    Tracy2

    ReplyDelete

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