Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Hydrocortisone?

Anyone out here on hydrocortisone at this time, or experienced it? If so....has anyone had any side effects? Although it seems to have helped my upper back a wee bit...I have noticed that I have been a bit irritable and inpatient. I found myself getting too angry last night with little patience for my older daughter. I felt just horrible and wicked afterwards and hugged my Gianna afterwards and promised not to act that way again....although she HAD been hiding some of her homework from me...!!

I'm taking 2 tablets of 20mg each....
Any thoughts or experience???


Askickin'buggie

Hey Ladybuggie (love the new handle!),
What's the reason you've been given for taking it? I may be able to help a little, just give me all the info, and I'll see if I can.

Cheers,
    Loz.....

ladybuggie,
Can't help you with that, but I'm curious. Where in your upper back does it hurt and how does it feel? Mine gets bad esp. when I'm very tired and about ready to overdo it
My first rheumy said that usually the spine gets bad from the SI joints up.one vertabrae at a time but thought it was odd that I jumped up to the middle...
It's sort of right behind the lungs...
Sometimes it's hard to take a real deep breath, but I had a lung test and all is well. The inflammation just makes it feel like that I guess......it's kind of a toothache kind of pain, not the bad burning. I just need to lay down when it's bad...........

[[[[healing thoughts]]]]]

linda

marabella

Thanks Lon!
My rheumy put me on the hydrocortisone to try to put the inflammation under control on my upper back. I had an xray done on the t-spine...only showed mild degenerative changes...but it had been getting really bad...it felt like the little bones on my upper spine were being tortured with a screwdriver!! the relafen did NOTHING for my AS, and I have had terrible allergic reactions to most of the meds. He refuses to go to anything stronger since I am severely allergic to aspirin...he said no MTX...

My right elbow is the pits lately too...although the hydrocortisone seemed to help the pain in my upper back! My PCP and my rheumy said its just the inflammation from the AS, and that my upper back is probably starting to fuse...that usually when it hurts THAT bad...AS is rearin' it's ugly head....even if it's not showing the fusion there yet.

Thanks for any help you might be able to provide!



Askickin'buggie

HI!
I have had cortisone injections in my hips. Not quite the same but I would not recomend it, though it works for some poeple but not for me. Sorry not much help, BI for now Hugh

Hi Linda!
My upper back pain is about 4 inches down past my neck....it can be very painful....My family doc said it was the inflammation from the AS causing it. They gave me 2 Toradol shots, and another steroid combo shot..with little relief. These hydrocortisone tablets helped a bit. It is a different pain from the low hot dulling back pain..this one is bad, but not as disabling as when I get the low back flare. Had a flare up yesterday in the lower back...and my right leg was draggin' from the pain shooting down. I think it was due to the weather change!!

My PCP said theres a high probability I may be starting to fuse some more. I too---have trouble with the deep breaths. I feel like I can't catch my breath when I lay down to go to sleep. It can be frightening...but in least I know it's really not a heart attack or anything like that...

Ciao!

Askickin'buggie

Hello, Ladybugie:

Not on hidrocortisone but I was on Prednisone (other cortisone) 3 years. This spring I was on 100-150 Indometacine and 2,5-10 mg Prednisone per day. But my condition was worse and worse. I knew relationship of AS to bowel and other pains... Made some analysis and found I have megacolon and calcium deficiency (osteoporosis). Cortisone is good on short-term, but if you read prospectus you will see his side effects.

This spring (in middle of the flare up) I found here, on Kickas, other perspective on AS (klebsiella, London Diet, many experiences...). 43 old and with a serious osteoporosis, I have to left Prednisone and that has been very hard. My reumy made 3 cortisone infiltrations on my knee, and even his say is not the solution. Nowaday, I'm on No Starch Diet, started whit Azulfidine (following Doctor Ebringer's advices) and still take Indometacine and much vitamines for pains and swellings. My situation is not very good, but I must found alternative to Prednisone and NSAID... if possible.

You are young. Eutsi gogor (hang in!).

Pello Zubiria

Thanks Pello!
Pleasure to meet you!
I know I have heard that it is not good to take the steroids long term. I am almost 90% No Starch Diet I suffer from IBS too so it's the pits. Unfortunately the only that has helped me is the hydrocortisone...and it only helps one joint area...not all of them which can be the real pits sometimes!
I know I'm still young..it's just these bones feel old sometimes...and I could deal with it better if I was older b/c I would expect that with some time on this body...but unfortunately mine has manifested rather quickly. AS sure does take you for the loopity-loop!

Thanks Pello...."yo soy una mujer muy fuerte" (I'm a pretty strong chickie")

Askickin'buggie

Hi again,
The reason I asked for the purpose of the hydrocortisone is that I've never heard of it being used as a systemic (on the inside from pills) steroidal anti-inflammatory . Usually the choice steroid is prednisone for this purpose. As I understand it Cortisone is a naturally occuring steroid we all have in our bodies, adding a little by mouth will tend to be compensated for by the reduction of the body manufacturing it. I guess that's only true up to a point, and maybe if you start taking lots then that compensation means nothing.
Anyhow, prednisone can make you very cranky, so perhaps hydrocortisone can too. Neither are a course of medication to be advised over long periods. You might like to ask your rheumy about 'pulse' steroid treatment.
I doubt this is any help, but I thought I'd better finish off after I asked the question.


Cheers,
    Loz.....

Hey ASKickin'Buggie!

I dont know if youve already done some poking around, but here is a fairly good link to some hydrocortisone information. As you read you will find that the article identifies some of the issues that Loz already mentioned --- like not being on this treatment long term (it can alter what levels of cortisol your own body produces naturally) and that it can indeed lead to irritability (although I'm pretty sure the AS can take care of that on its own too! )

Take care -

Jeanna

PS - does your Gianna pronounce her name the same as me (G-anna)?

http://www.focusonarthritis.com/script/main/forum.asp?articlekey=760

The conclusion is always the same;
Love is the most powerful and still
the most unknown energy of the world.
- Unknown