Does prednisone help bronchitis

TL;DR— Nasacort and Singulair have changed my life for the better. Thanks to this thread for those recommendations!
I just wanted to share here (since this thread has been so helpful to me) that I’ve recently found significant relief in starting two new meds— one being Nasacort, a simple OTC spray, the other being Singulair (Montelukast), a Rx drug that I was hesitant to take for years due to its Black label warning from the FDA, but which has helped me tremendously.
Y’all shared in these threads that these medications had changed your life, and I’m so grateful because that gave me the push I needed to try them. I’ve always had pretty bad seasonal allergies, but after having COVID in 2022, my allergies went completely crazy. April through September were a nightmare. I could barely function, had terrible brain fog, debilitating symptoms, had trouble working, couldn’t go outside, began experiencing allergic asthma… the whole works. Hay fever all day every day. I had sinus infections that led to terrible bronchitis. I was living on multiple Zyrtec a day (which honestly didn’t touch my symptoms), Sudafed during the day, Benadryl at night, Flonase, Ipaproprium Bromide spray and a host of supplements (Quercetin, vitamin c, stinging nettle, et.al) I tried EVERYTHING. (And I mean everything— diet, breath work, acupuncture, Ayurvedic treatments, the lot.) The majority of “alternative” / natural remedies have helped a little, but they’re more an extra support for my symptoms… they really didn’t do a whole lot for me.
Someone on here recommended Nasacort. And while it took a few weeks to kick in, when it did, a TOTAL game changer. I am free of chronic postnasal drip for maybe the first time in years?! I cannot believe it. If you haven’t tried Nasacort yet, I highly recommend it. No negative side effects. Safe for longer term use.
Upon searching these threads for how to deal with allergic asthma, I read more about Singulair. I’d always been nervous to take it because it can have bad psychological side effects, but it was nearly my last resort. My allergist told me that some folks have bad side effects, but the majority of people tolerate it well. I’m thrilled to say it’s working SO well for me. (Full disclosure: I also take Wellbutrin, an antidepressant). Singulair makes you a little sleepy, so it’s recommended you take it at night. It can give you very vivid dreams, and in my case, that’s been true. Other than that, zero side effects. My dreams are weirdly way more fun now, lol. Singulair has eliminated my allergic asthma— I can now exercise outside now during allergy season and not have to spend the next day in bed. Hallelujah!
Anyways, as a lifelong allergy sufferer / long Covid allergy mystery, I just wanted to share that these meds have helped me tremendously and I hope everyone can get what they need this allergy season!
Extra disclosure— I am very early in this journey, so no way to tell yet how much it’s helping, but I’m doing allergy immunotherapy with my allergist. I started with shots, but started reacting with major swelling at a very low dosage of the subcutaneous injection, so he has switched me to SLIT— sublingual drops. They’re European dosing guidelines, so very high quality and a high concentration serum. I’m only one month in, so I can’t say decisively how much they’re helping yet because it’s a 5 year process, but I’m hopeful my full court press against my seasonal allergies does the trick.

I went to bed healthy one night, then woke up with a rash on the back of my neck, and swollen knees, elbows, and hands. Within 48 hours, the rash spread pretty much everywhere but my torso (arms, behind ears, eyes, legs, etc), and the swelling spread everywhere (feet, ankles, knees, hips, wrists, knuckles, lips). My feet were so swollen they were purple and I could barely walk from my bed to the couch. I could not close my fist, any kind of pressure hurt so bad. The rash turned into large hives eventually that were incredibly itchy. I took ibuprofen, Tylenol, and Benadryl but nothing helped.
Luckily, I was put on a 40mg prednisone taper that worked like magic! I am finishing the taper soon and am nervous because the doctors have no clue what caused this so I'm not sure if it will be coming back / how to prevent this.
Does this sudden onset sound familiar to anyone else?
(My ANA came back negative. My rheumatoid factor was normal. I tested negative for all tick-borne illnesses. I have still had some odd aches and pain despite the prednisone that present as a deep throbbing ache in my joints like my hips, knuckles, knees, etc.)

Quick question for the vets (ok not super quick)…I am currently fostering the sweetest, most chill lab mix dog (and in the process of adopting her bc she is so well behaved). She was found on the streets down south after giving birth to a litter of puppies. That was months ago, and she is a healthy 3 year old (ish) pup. She did have heartworms though being a street dog. Shes had two treatments so far, the last one being a week and a half ago. The vet prescribed prednisone for her 2x a day for a week, and then it gradually decreases but she’s on it for weeks. She seems to be reacting fine to the treatment, but the prednisone does not seem good for her. She’s peeing everywhere (which is normal I know but also quite tough to manage when I have to go to work). But bigger concern is it makes her very restless when she’s supposed to be recovering, and she is more agitated and naughty lol. she usually never sheds but her fur is falling out on the prednisone.
I called the vet and spoke to him through a secretary and he basically said keep her on it for another few weeks at a lower dose. But is it really necessary? She’s young and healthy and it seems to be more detrimental than helpful. But the stuff you read online is so scary it has me googling stuff every 5 min thinking something’s wrong. Any advice?

Age: 33 Sex: AFAB Height: 5' 8" Weight: 240lbs Race: Mixed Black African & white Duration of complaint: 1 month Location: London, UK Any existing relevant medical issues: None, except for the recent bronchitis Current medications: Sertraline, birth control Non-smoker, drinks socially
Hello everyone!
So, I had viral bronchitis about a month ago. The infection seems to be mostly cleared up according to the doctors, but I've been left with a lingering cough.
I don't cough often, but when I do, it often results in breathlessness, less often in vomiting (about once a day), and occasionally in fainting (five times in the last week). I went to A&E last weekend and they did a ton of tests; they concluded it's nothing more serious than just coughing too much.
The doctors gave me an inhaler to use on a temporary basis, and it does help - but not with the fainting, because those coughing fits are so sudden and so severe that I literally don't have a chance to use it.
I have a really busy month coming up in June and I can't afford to cancel more of my work and the travel/accommodation I've got booked for it.
So...is there anything I can do? Or do I just deal with it and hope I don't faint or puke in front of a client?

Went to the ER yesterday with an extremely swollen and painful ankle. At first I thought it was a blood clot as I got off an extremely long flight but an ultrasound proved otherwise. The ER doctor looked at my ankle and said she was pretty sure it was gout and that she didn’t recommend the fluid test. She prescribed some indomethicin and prednisone and sent me on my way.
As a 21M I’m a little confused about this whole situation and what to do moving forward. This subreddit has been very helpful in terms of information but I had a few questions.
Should I start limiting my diet fully? (A bummer to a college student who does drink regularly, but will do what I need to do to maintain my health)
Or should I test for foods that trigger for me?
For some reason my ER doc didn’t request a UA test in the bloodwork, so my other question is how long after this flare subsides can I get an accurate UA reading?
Also I know Allo isn’t prescribed til a second flare, so should I wait (hopefully it never comes) for a second flare til I see a rheumatologist and get their help?
Thank you guys for your help, as a pretty young male I’m a little confused and off put by all of this

So, I just wanted to go through my arduous journey of the last few years and get y'all's thoughts/just vent and tell the story of my proverbial diagnosis roulette.
This is going to be a literal wall of text and I am leaving so so so much out, so please bear with me.
Outside of my childhood of being considered "sickly" by my family and friends, I never really felt too far outside of the realm of normalcy. Sure, I had gotten diagnosed with GERD (eosinophilic esophagitis) in high school which seemed to explain all of the stomach issues I always had, it didn't feel too debilitating or difficult. The only odd thing was sometimes sleeping 12+ hours and still being tired but I figured that was normal. However, I distinctly remember being evaluated for Marfan's syndrome as a kid but being told that my brother and I didn't quite meet the criteria and genetic testing was too expensive at the time.
Fast forward past high school, and I graduated undergrad and got my first job. But then I just kept getting sick once a week, over and over, until I finally quit that job. I attributed it to stress or lack of sleep. Figured what I needed was a change of scenery, so I got certified and went overseas to teach English. Frustratingly, that only lasted 3 months. I couldn't seem to do it despite my working 60+ hour weeks trying to make it work.
Came back home to a new job after looking for months. 6 months later, I went on medical short-term disability. I was quite literally dozing off driving to work every morning and said enough was enough. I didn't want to hurt anyone and my mental health was in the tank. Half a year later, it was called obstructive sleep apnea. A year, a CPAP, BiPap, and finally ASV machine later, I am getting treated for what turned out to be central sleep apnea. This was 3 years after and I had returned to school to try and get a masters in public health. I was finally feeling like I was getting back to a healthy normal. My mental health and ability to focus dramatically improved. I even got diagnosed with ADHD, and that was like a lightbulb moment too.
I was finally feeling great. Never felt better, was excelling in my epidemiolgy program and happy that I found my niche. However, life had different plans. It began with a bang, where I severely sprained my right wrist playing with my dog. Despite the intense pain, I was still able to move it decently well so the ortho didn't believe it was too bad. I had to go back twice and they scheduled an MRI. Full thickness tear of 2/3 portions of the scapholunate ligament, and a minor perforation of the TFCC. Lasted two weeks in the small wrist cast they put on, but couldn't deal with the pain. I did occupational therapy and got my first OT saying I could be hypermobile. At some point during that journey, I sprained my left wrist just as bad. That's when they sent me to a rheumatologist.
I started getting incredibly fatigued (back to the levels of pre-treatment of my sleep apnea) and began to experience intense pain in my joints, along with muscle spasms. I sprained my ankles bad enough to need PT for a few weeks. None of my blood work ever showed anything and everything else never panned out so they said it was anxiety and fibromyalgia. I gave up but knew it was wrong. I said screw it, I refuse to let someone tell me this is just anxiety. I know anxiety, I know what it does, and it doesn't cause joint pain and strains all of the time. The celebrex they gave me only worked to an extent. So, I went back to the rheumatologist and said I don't want pain killers, I just need a diagnosis that makes sense. Due to the low back, ankle, hip, shoulder, elbow, and neck pain they said it was non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Then I went on cimzia until I graduated. It seemed to help but never for long. I could barely do school, and was worried I would be disabled and unable to work.
Came home and the rheumatologist here and they took me off of everything because there was no objective proof. My xrays were normal, MRI's didn't show joint degradation, and my blood work didn't show inflammation/any markers for any of the possible autoimmune conditions. I literally had to get lucky before this doctor believed me (after 3 months) and came in with my elbow swollen. He immediately said it was seronegative asymmetric rheumatoid arthritis. It is already somewhat uncommon to be seronegative, but asymmetric on top of that? But I finally had a diagnosis again, so I just accepted it.
I got lucky and found a work-from-home job during this time. My fatigue got a little better. However, nothing ever worked for long, not the methotrexate, prednisone, or Humira they put me on. The Rinvoq I am on now doesn't seem to stop flares either. I kept spraining my wrists, ankles, shoulders, elbows, knees, whatever. I kept asking for help with the pain, asking why my muscles hurt so bad and kept spasming, asking just for anything to help. Neurologist cleared me. Pysch said it wasn't a mental health issue. Doctor after doctor after doctor and nothing seemed to tie everything together. I asked them to check for hypermobility, they said I didn't have it after a half-hearted attempt. I looked into everything, thinking I was going crazy, and constantly being told I was by doctors, friends, and family. It hurt so dang much feeling like I was the only person advocating for me.
Throughout this all, I was in and out of PT. Once for my wrists again and once for my shoulder and neck. The wrist PT said I needed to get looked at for hypermobility but I was just so tired of doctors and had asked both rheumatologists so far. Then months later, the PTs for my neck and shoulders said so as well. I said screw it, and scheduled a dermatologist thinking that was enough. 6 months and right before my appointment I got COVID so I had to cancel. Another few months and I am done with neck and shoulder PT but never felt "healed". They told me to request a special PT from my rheumatologist, one who dealt specifically with hypermobility because they all believed I had hypermobile EDS. I was finally done with questioning whether or not the rheumatologist got it right, with the constant negative test results, no inflammation ever, and continual constant pain. I convinced the rheumatologist to send me to this new PT.
I went in, and this lady immediately starts going on and on about things I can't do. I was confused, and asked "don't we need to do any tests?" She basically said I can already tell you're hypermobile. You held out your arm earlier and your elbows went hypermobile. She double-checked my knees and had me stand, where they both bent too far backwards. My thumbs could touch my forearm. Someone finally knew what to look for and believed me. She said it was definitely hypermobility, likely hypermobile EDS, said she would send her report to my rheumatologist and asked me to get a referral to a doctor with experience in this disease.
So now we are here. I am still struggling with everything, and funnily enough am looking for "high-top" shoes after a recommendation from that PT. I am waiting for my second appointment with them and got referred to the docs I need. I want to cry because it seems like I finally found the missing link. I also want to scream because despite all the years of being called a hypochondriac, my symptoms were anxiety, and all of the random sprains and rolled ankles since childhood, I feel like I am stuck with being in pain. I just feel lost.
Is it crazy to believe that the rheumatologists had it wrong? I remember back to feeling a pop in the same elbow that got me diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis but didn't attribute it to anything because that was normal. I even told the rheumatologist and he said it likely wasn't a sprain because I could move it. I am sure it was now a sprain. Everything makes sense the more I read about this disease. The links to GERD, sleep-apnea, flat feet, constant rolled ankles, bad eyesight, double-jointed in my fingers, and so much more. Is it possible that the blood work was telling the truth? Can there be hope that despite my pain, I won't have to further damage my body and immune system with all of these rheumatologic drugs? I don't know if I can muster the strength anymore to advocate for myself and bring this up with the rheumatologist again. I am afraid of the young 'healthy' male stereotype and am so done with doctors who don't believe me.
Honestly, any advice, stories, resources, or whatever yall have I would love to hear. I just needed to rant and write my thoughts down. If you read this far, thank you. Also, if you have any suggestions for high tops I am open to receiving them!

Hey everyone! I created this group after struggling with DE for over 2 years. In those two years, my condition would fade and come back and was very mild. Until about February 2023, then it really ramped up and never went away. It only seemed to get worse and worse and was spreading very rapidly from the tip of my right ring finger to eventually my right palm and spreading far in attempts to affect other fingers.
During this time, I was doing constant research and looking for any form of relief. I turned myself into a human guinea pig and would go on to try countless things I had read online. Although it is important to note: I never used any topical steroid creams or pill forms such a prednisone, triamcinolone, etc.
When my condition was at its worst, I came across this website . I followed the protocol twice (along with an extremely strict diet). I was unable to get the Itraconazole medication in my country and I also altered the vitamin A dosing after doing my own research on the potentially dangerous affects. After doing the protocol, I saw a lot of improvements but the condition would relapse whenever I ate something "wrong" or sometimes just for an unknown reason it would come back worse. If I stopped taking the Nystatin, it would come back. It was clear to me that this protocol helped me a lot, has worked for several others, but was not fully curing me. It could have been the missing Itraconazole and/or the lower vitamin A dosing but those were two things I personally was not willing to compromise on after doing my own research on both.
I ended up finally deciding to try and find a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor near me. I had done a lot of research on Chinese Medicine and its ability to cure eczema, including DE. I found this website and decided I would commit to giving it a try. I booked an appointment for Oct. 20, 2023. When I went, she was so knowledgable and kind. She gave me extremely easy and practical steps to follow but did inform me that because I had dyshidrosis for 2 years or more, the condition is considered chronic and will take longer to heal.
I decided to give it a try and after just 14 days of taking the herbs she gave me, I had seen significant improvements in my hand. I continued with the herbs in 2 week treatments, I would go in for a follow-up, she would assess the progress and then adjust the herbal blend accordingly. I did this for about 3 months. My hand was improving extremely quickly and I am still experiencing last effects to this day (5/19/2024). As of today, my hand is about 98% healed. I can still tell where the affected areas are because I have seen them for 2 years straight but at first glance, my hand actually looks to be a completely normal, healed hand. I can still experience flares if I expose my hand to chemicals, too much hot water, or if I consume too much spicy food but aside from that, my hand does great! I highly recommend anyone with this condition, normal eczema, or any skin condition to seek out a TCM doctor as soon as possible and get treatment right away. The sooner, the better!
Be sure to scroll through the reddit page as I have posted updates throughout this journey periodically. I was documenting every single day in my personal journal from August 2023 to February 2024 and it is truly amazing what had been accomplished in just a few months between the two protocols that I did.
As always, if you have any questions, please post in the group and ask. I will do my best to help you based on my own experiences and the research I have done on this condition.
Most importantly, please know that this condition is curable!!! I don't care what a "normal" doctor or another reddit group tells you. This condition does in fact have a cure and can in fact be healed!

My 7yo neutered male is having trouble walking. He keeps losing his balance and falling over onto his left side. He was recently hospitalized for a urinary blockage and required epidural, sedation, and catheter for two days. He was sent home on antibiotics and pain medications, those have been finished for 7 days now. His walking problems have been going on since he got home. His regular vet did blood work, X-rays, and prescribed prednisone but he has no idea what’s causing the ataxia. He is still eating and using the litter though he’s not eating nearly as much as he usually does and has required sub-a fluids twice now. Does anyone have any suggestions? We don’t know what to do. Please help.

17F currently on 50mg prednisone every other day, not a drinkesmoker, on low sodium and fat diet
Hello I have nephrotic syndrome and my proteinuria used to be +3 back in January 2024. I was put on 80mg prednisone daily which brought my proteinuria to a TRACE only this April 2024.
I’ve tried my best to stay on track on my diet. I have cheat days every now and then and have become a little more “free” with the food I eat.
Today, I took another urinalysis for my nephrologist checkup tomorrow, and my proteinuria came back as +3.. again!! I’m basically back to square one!!
What does this mean? Is it because I started eating more food? Does it mean my kidneys are not doing better anymore?
The moment I thought I’d finally get a lower dose on pred is the moment I probably will have to go back to 80mg.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you

I’m worried. I fight myself on what I should do and what I can do. I have been looking for any way to make quick money so I can pay my rent for April and May. I’m backed up bad. I’ve called my local resources but they say they’ll get back to me within time, I don’t have time!
I get these outbursts of anger and feel bad when I take it out on my boyfriend, but he understands. He’s been out of a job too since December and tries to pick up jobs his friends offer but it’s only enough to buy groceries for the week. I left my job recently after two years because it was mentally and physically challenging.
I start a new job soon maybe in two weeks, but I only have $200 in my bank account. It’s not possible to pay my rent and live.
My sister and her baby live with me since November. She was collecting unemployment until recently, but I think she has to reapply to get those benefits again so she says she’s out of money. I only ask her for $200 a month and now that she’s not collecting, she refuses to help. I should mention she has a savings account with her tax money in it, it’s a lot. She does Uber eats for now, and I said even $20 can go a long way for me but she says no. We argued about this situation yesterday and she hasn’t slept here since.
My mom doesn’t talk to me for no reason since November, I tried reaching out but she has me blocked. I haven’t bothered again because she suffers from undiagnosed mental health issues and I have trauma from how she treated me my entire life. My dad lives in South America and doesn’t make much money but helped me with $100. I was so thankful, but I know it won’t be enough.
I don’t want to give up. Everything in my apartment, I bought with my own money. I worked so hard to have my own place after being homeless and living in shelters when I was in high school and college. It sucks to see that I might end up on that path again. I’m trying so hard to prevent that. If I get depressed or my anxiety gets out of control, I could lose everything.
I was in the hospital on Sunday for having an asthma attack and found out I had bronchitis. The hospital gave me the week off and I contemplated going back to my shitty job every night. I looked on indeed for new jobs and found one, but now I’m waiting to start. Thinking of how long until I get paid again is just a pain.
I’m trying to stay strong every day and night. I keep my thoughts to myself but I just needed to share this, I don’t care if no one reads it. I can’t give in to the darkness, I won’t but I’m barely holding on

I’m worried. I fight myself on what I should do and what I can do. I have been looking for any way to make quick money so I can pay my rent for April and May. I’m backed up bad. I’ve called my local resources but they say they’ll get back to me within time, I don’t have time!
I get these outbursts of anger and feel bad when I take it out on my boyfriend, but he understands. He’s been out of a job too since December and tries to pick up jobs his friends offer but it’s only enough to buy groceries for the week. I left my job recently after two years because it was mentally and physically challenging.
I start a new job soon maybe in two weeks, but I only have $200 in my bank account. It’s not possible to pay my rent and live.
My sister and her baby live with me since November. She was collecting unemployment until recently, but I think she has to reapply to get those benefits again so she says she’s out of money. I only ask her for $200 a month and now that she’s not collecting, she refuses to help. I should mention she has a savings account with her tax money in it, it’s a lot. She does Uber eats for now, and I said even $20 can go a long way for me but she says no. We argued about this situation yesterday and she hasn’t slept here since.
My mom doesn’t talk to me for no reason since November, I tried reaching out but she has me blocked. I haven’t bothered again because she suffers from undiagnosed mental health issues and I have trauma from how she treated me my entire life. My dad lives in South America and doesn’t make much money but helped me with $100. I was so thankful, but I know it won’t be enough.
I don’t want to give up. Everything in my apartment, I bought with my own money. I worked so hard to have my own place after being homeless and living in shelters when I was in high school and college. It sucks to see that I might end up on that path again. I’m trying so hard to prevent that. If I get depressed or my anxiety gets out of control, I could lose everything.
I was in the hospital on Sunday for having an asthma attack and found out I had bronchitis. The hospital gave me the week off and I contemplated going back to my shitty job every night. I looked on indeed for new jobs and found one, but now I’m waiting to start. Thinking of how long until I get paid again is just a pain.
I’m trying to stay strong every day and night. I keep my thoughts to myself but I just needed to share this, I don’t care if no one reads it. I can’t give in to the darkness, I won’t but I’m barely holding on
Edit: I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place to post this

I went through every stage of mono and recovered in a month. This is the steps I took to do so, and hopefully they can help you too. I am not a doctor and there is a lot of stuff that could be wrong here, and/or not do anything at all. If you are dealing with issues please go get medical assistance.

1. Sore Throat

For throat pain I visited my doctor and was prescribed prednisone and unfortunately I was dealing with an infection so I had to take anti-biotics. If you are diagnosed with mono and your doctor is assuming it is strep or another type of infection communicate with them the uncertainties you have in order to be tested for strep (taking anti-biotics with mono burdens you with a high chance of a rash).
Besides prednisone. I used a humidifier in my room in order for my throat to not dry out in the back. Even if it hurt horribly I attempted to drink at least 4 glasses of water every 4 hours so I wouldn't be dehydrated.
I suggest not taking Ibuprofen during use of Prednisone as it can cause intestinal issues. Use Tylenol.
I stuck to smoothies and chicken noodle soup for food during this time. Salty broth foods help soothe the throat quite a lot and help you get some nutrients.
It was hard to sleep because of my throat pain, I ended purchasing a sitting pillow for my bed. It took a lot of the stress off my lymph nodes during rest.
Finally I made sure to brush my teeth twice a day and use Orajel hydrogen peroxide mouthwash. Oral hygiene is incredibly important during any issues with tonsils in order to keep an infection from happening and washing off pus from throat scars during mono.

2. Sleep

For me sleep was quite difficult and I unfortunately didn't have many ways to deal with it for the first couple of days.
I tried to not take naps throughout the day and rather hold in my sleep for the nights, as your body does better healing when it's in REM. Which is more difficult to have happen if you take brief short naps.
By around my third day I learned that having a humidifier in my room made it so much easier to breathe and feel a bit better.
I took one extra strength Tylenol right before bed, and 10 mg of melatonin. Keep in mind that melatonin only is going to help put you to sleep and you will need to change your diet to be heavier in magnesium in order to have a better time staying asleep. If I woke up due to the pain at the middle of the night i'd take another tylenol and wait it out until I was able to sleep again. Continue to drink water throughout the entire time.

3. Spleen Pains

I dealt with really bad spleen pain for a couple of days and my only solve for it was laying on my back and using a heatpad on the area where my pain was. I tried not to move around very much. If your pain becomes increasingly worse go in to get screened for a risk of rupture.

4. Mental Health

Out of all the things I dealt with, this was one of the worst. I felt defeated for most of my days. I tried to feel better by looking at other peoples experiences and seeing how others have it worse. It also can help to call loved ones and friends and talk with them. I also watched shows and movie continuously in order to distract myself. Eating good helped me a lot, once I started making protein smoothies my mood changed for the better. Also try to stay out of the dark for to long, if you can go into a more open room with sunlight and lay during the day it will make you happier. Try to retain your sleep for just the night, this way you feel like you still are holding to a schedule. It also helps with REM which is incredibly important for mental health and can't be done with naps. Finally, self-care was a breakthrough for me. I tried to shower daily, and clean up my face before bed. It made me feel happier and nicer.

5. The Rash

This rash was one of the worst parts of the whole thing besides my throat. It happened after I had taken my antibiotics for 5 days. It itched so badly. In order to deal with the itch I went to the ER and was prescribed hydroxyzine and another dose of prednisone. For the first day I used calamine lotion, I soon realized it was making me even more itchy as it caused my skin to dry up. I switched over to Eucerin anti-itch lotion and it helped so much. I applied when I woke up and before I went to bed. I applied ice packs to my skin, instead of itching and it works much better at stopping the itch. Also try to sleep with a fan pointed towards you. During the rash stage, it is the most important for you to drink as much fluids as possible.
I hope this can maybe help someone? Idk, i am very thankful for this subreddit as most of these posts helped me recover much faster. Thank you all.

My wife has been on methotrexate and prednisone for about a year and a half and her hair is experiencing breakage, dryness, and frizzyness (Think if you bleach and kill your hair) and she's very insecure about it. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if there's any hair products I can get her to help keep her hair alive and healthy. She takes something for her hair and nails now but it only does so much.

My senior Peke, Twinkie, is around 10 years old now. She's been on phenobarbital for a little over 2 months to control idiopathic epilepsy. Well, I swear, I have a totally different dog now!
For the most part, she seems happier, more active and playful. But it almost seems like the pheno "reactivated" an old spinal injury (7+ years ago) that left her partially paralyzed temporarily - she could walk and potty just fine, but she had no feeling or reaction to stimuli to her rear paws (the vet said her being mobile was involuntary or subconscious, or out of instinct or habit?). She was on crate rest for 6 weeks and on prednisone, rimadyl and dasuquin advanced, and after all that, she was back to normal. And now, she's very wobbly in the rear end, clumsy, and when playing with a toy will throw it around and sort of pivot on her butt to turn to get it, so she's using her whole front of her body, but barely any of her butt or back legs. She walks, runs, jumps and potties just fine, though, so it doesn't seem to be a problem. Her labs and liver levels 3 weeks after starting the pheno were normal. Anyways...
Here's the weird stuff:

1. She has never been a dog to get into trouble or find mischief. She plays with her toys nicely and never breaks or rips them. All of sudden, Twinkie is a naughty pants! Yesterday, she found one of my adult kid's dirty socks, and I caught her chewing on it! She let me take it and put it up without a problem. But today, she found another sock, and did NOT want to give it up. Out of fear of getting bitten, my kid used my grabber tool to try to take it, and Twinkie went after it! What the heck? It's like she was invoking my first Peke, Lily, whose favorite "toys" were my late husband's dirty socks!!! I've never seen another dog do that in the last 15 years! Lily never guarded them in a nasty way, but in a teasing way. She wouldn't even play with toys, JUST the socks! Also, since starting this medication, Twinkie has been copying my kid's Pomsky (who we got October 2022) and shredding Kleenex! I know dogs learn things from other dogs, but for Twinkie, it's JUST the naughty things.. and vice versa, Maple (the Pomsky) has learned to guard things from Twinkie.
2. Twinkie has gotten SUPER whiny, annoyingly so, since beginning phenobarbital. She whines when she's nesting, whines whilst asleep, whines for no apparent reason, but the worst is the whining in the morning! It's like her internal clock is way out of whack. She normally eats breakfast between 10 and 11am (it used to be 9 - 9:30 until these issues started), and dinner at 8:30. Well, now she thinks if the sun is up, and someone got up to use the bathroom, it's time for breakfast, and if it's around 7pm, she demands dinner. The mornings are the worst - the sun starts coming up around 5am, and she'll start whining and yipping LOUDLY anytime between 6am and whenever I feed her. The earliest I'll feed her is 10:30am, the latest 11am. Dinner is the same, except she starts around 7pm, and I feed her earliest at 8:30pm, the latest is 9pm. I'm being strict about the schedule, because she's been so disruptive to me & my adult kids - one who is disabled with ASD + mental health diagnoses, the other who works 2 jobs and also has mental health diagnoses - that we're all exhausted and struggling to perform our daily duties. I've begun putting her on a leash at the first whine of the morning and night, and keeping her close to me, which seems to help, but I still have to get up early to do it... which leaves me needing a nap midday! I'd keep her in my bed overnight, but for a 10 lb dog, she takes up a LOT of space on my bed! She insists on laying the wide way and will push me to the very edge of my bed, which interrupts my sleep. So, for now, the leash is helping the other 2 humans get their necessary sleep at least.
3. She's been "corncobbing" the Pomsky when they're playing. I don't know if corncobbing is the same kind of thing as "pibble nibbles", but Twinkie is doing that when she's NEVER done it before. You know where they just use the front of their teeth and take tiny little bites in a row? My second oldest daughter has a Boxer Pit mix that corncobs, but I've never seen another dog do it aside from her. Twinkie just started the corncobbing and also play biting the Pomsky about 2 weeks ago. She does it on her butt, legs, and neck.
4. She's been just sitting outside in the rain during her potty breaks, and she has always hated rain! Up until a week ago, if it was raining, she'd walk the edge of the house under the eaves to go potty, and come right back in afterwards. Some rainy days she just skips pooping altogether, she hates it that much! Oddly, she likes snow! But that's just weird for her, to just sit on the sidewalk, getting rained on and not wanting to come in, even with treat bribes.
5. She's not more cranky than usual - she's always been a crotchety old hag of a dog - but she's been more bitey than normal, and picks fights with the Pomsky and is always warning the Boxer mix. If she's in a bad mood (which has always been a LOT of the time), if another dog gets within 8 feet of her or her things - her things include everything in the room, including me - she's growling, baring teeth and lunging at them.

I've been calling her my "drunken munchkin", because she's been so weird and not making sense in my mind. Sometimes she's a playful puppy like she's never been since I've had her (around 2 years), and other times she's a vicious rabid beastie! She's always been a quirky little thing, scared of hiccups and gum chewing and dolls, hates being baby talked or having her space invaded (including stranger's hands coming at her for pets) and hates kids, but only if they're moving (walking, running, jumping). She loves kids when they're infants in car seats or rockers, or sleeping toddlers and kids... she'll kiss them and snuggle up with them. She seems to hate certain people or dogs, but then when they rough house together, she wants to defend them? Wacky! She loves people the most of they completely ignore her and pretend she doesn't exist. If a person ignores her like that, she'll climb into their lap and make herself at home, but as soon as they're talking or touching or even making eye contact sometimes, she's growling and/or showing teeth.
Anyways, I've added a video of her and the sock plus pics for funsies. She's such a sweet, innocent looking demon dog! SHE seems to think she's a Rottweiler, and is fearless (for the most part). She's just a little weirdo, and I wish I could understand her. That's my one issue with rescues, is you never truly know what their previous life was like. Clearly she has trauma. She had a broken rib at some point, and it healed sticking out. But I love her so much, and she is the first dog I've had that has been loyal to me... I'm her person. All our previous dogs and rescues bonded to my husband... he was an animal and kid magnet! So that part is nice. I love that she's independent and doesn't NEED to be on or near me all the time, and doesn't whine when I leave (most of the time). She's very sweet with me, and so she's mine and I'm hers.
https://reddit.com/link/1cugw3v/video/bgsgvufo121d1/player
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In mid-Feb, I was hit with sudden, severe allergies. Never had anything like it in my life, so it was quite a shock. Stupidly, I didn't take anything and it morphed into a sinus infection and tjhen bronchitis with a cough that lasted for weeks.
I was given prednisone tablets, but had a terrible reaction after just one 60 mg dose. Two weeks later and still coughing, the doc offered a Kenalog-10 injection. The cough was so bad that I was desperate, but talked her into just a HALF dose b/c my reaction to prednisone was so severe and also b/c I'm ridiculously sensitive to meds and chemicals. I've done okay with it overall and the Kenalog did wipe out the cough. However, I've had a few minor side effects, the most bothersome of which is a very dry throat.
Has anybody else had this as a side effects with a Kenalog injection? My husband used to get these every season as a kid to control his hay fever, so it makes sense that it could potentially be drying. I'm 5 weeks out from having had it and just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Either way, does anyone know about how long this stuff tends to last in the body?
Thanks in advance.

I supposedly have MCAS, but is it mastocytosis? Also PSA for people in Portland, Oregon at bottom. A couple months ago I started allergy shots at a local clinic. They hit me extremely hard, like I had a severe flu and all I could do was lay in bed. The doctor upped my ketotifen and Cromolyn to the max and I discovered that Benedryl Extra Strength is ridiculously effective and I started being able to function again, even though I still felt bad. I made it through the lowest tier of doses and then they started injecting me with the next strongest tier and things got really bad. I started having anaphylactic shock responses to basically everything (never had anaphylaxis before that I know of) and sometimes to nothing at all - heart rate going up to 150, almost passing out, extreme vertigo, profound sense of doom, nausea, difficulty breathing, etc. So I stopped the shots about a month ago but the symptoms just kept coming. I started having seizures whenever I eat anything that isn’t rice cakes with almond butter and cheese, and even that I can only eat so much. So that’s basically all I’ve eaten for weeks now, and all I can do is lay in bed to conserve energy so I don’t have to eat much. The only thing that’s made a difference is a different doctor put me on Prednisone, and that’s the only reason I can even eat the rice cakes. And the allergy doc gave me an inhaler which helps with breathing, but makes my heart beat faster too. My blood tests are coming up with low neutrophils, and a low C Compliment, and I have persistently disregulated blood sugar and anemia. I also had a DEXA scan that showed Osteopenia. I also always test positive for lupus on general screenings but negative for it on lupus testing (which the allergy doc ignored when I told her and is just convinced that I have lupus now). Does any of this sound familiar to those of you with Mastocytosis? Have any of you heard of the KIT D816V blood test and know whether it’s worth doing instead of a bone marrow biopsy? Have any of you had bad reactions to allergy shots like this? Was your health permanently worsened? Did anything help? What type of doctors were able to do anything about it? Has anyone had any side effects like this (paradoxical reactions) to Cromolyn or Ketotifen? Does anyone here have any weird mystery immune issues like this lupus thing I’m talking about? Anyone here have seizures in relationship to histamine/food? What helps? I’d also appreciate any suggestions for the lowest histamine foods that have worked for you, because I’m really trying to find other foods that can work out for me. So far it seems like carrots, and weirdly cheese and nuts, and then rice cakes are all I’ve got. Thanks for reading and for the help, I really, REALLY appreciate it.

PSA Time: if any of you are in Portland, Oregon I highly warn you against the Know Allergy Clinic. I genuinely feel they’ve recklessly put my life in danger in so many ways and times, while also treating me with contempt as though I’m making all this up and wasting their much more valuable time. Like at my last doc appointment, when I said “this can’t be normal” the doc said this “happens all the time”, and to see her again in September, while also not being able to tell me why this is happening or what to do about it, or how not to die of starvation or anaphylaxis in the next few months. I don’t even know if I can use an Epipen because they increase your heart rate (which I only found out through Google, not even the allergy clinic) and mine is already so freakishly fast (possibly hypertensive anaphylaxis though), and she wouldn’t help me with that either, despite the fact that they have mini Epipens there that could be safer for me to try in an emergency. And when I said all I could eat is rice cakes to the nurse who asked why I looked ill, she was like “Well, that’s what I like to eat at breakfast and lunch”. 

I’m a little over 1 week into inflectra… the bleeding still continues (especially since I’m off prednisone now) but I’ve heard many people have relief after the second dose. Does the bleeding just stop immediately or over time?
Background: I got diagnosed Nov 2023 (CalPro at 5,400) and have failed mesalamine, budesonide, and Entyvio. Entyvio brought my CalPro down to 1,600 but symptoms were still horrible after 14 weeks. Just starting Remicade/inflectra to see if that helps get me to remission.

I’m in extreme need of help. Also PSA for people in Portland, Oregon at bottom. A couple months ago I started allergy shots at a local clinic. They hit me extremely hard, like I had a severe flu and all I could do was lay in bed. The doctor upped my ketotifen and Cromolyn to the max and I discovered that Benedryl Extra Strength is ridiculously effective and I started being able to function again, even though I still felt bad. I made it through the lowest tier of doses and then they started injecting me with the next strongest tier and things got really bad. I started having anaphylactic shock responses to basically everything and sometimes nothing at all - heart rate going up to 150, almost passing out, extreme vertigo, profound sense of doom, nausea, difficulty breathing, etc. So I stopped the shots about a month ago but the symptoms just kept coming. I started having seizures whenever I eat anything that isn’t rice cakes with almond butter and cheese, and even that I can only eat so much. So that’s basically all I’ve eaten for weeks now, and all I can do is lay in bed to conserve energy so I don’t have to eat much. The only thing that’s made a difference is a different doctor put me on Prednisone, and that’s the only reason I can even eat the rice cakes. And the allergy doc gave me an inhaler which helps with breathing, but makes my heart beat faster too. My blood tests are coming up with low neutrophils, and a low C Compliment, and I have persistently disregulated blood sugar and anemia. I also always test positive for lupus on general screenings but negative for it on lupus testing (which the allergy doc ignored when I told her and is just convinced that I have lupus now). Have any of you had bad reactions to allergy shots like this? Was your health/MCAS permanently worsened? Did anything help? What type of doctors were able to do anything about it? Has anyone had any side effects like this (paradoxical reactions) to Cromolyn or Ketotifen? Does anyone here have any weird mystery immune issues like this lupus thing I’m talking about? Anyone here have seizures in relationship to histamine/food? What helps? I’d also appreciate any suggestions for the lowest histamine foods that have worked for you, because I’m really trying to find other foods that can work out for me. So far it seems like carrots, and weirdly cheese and nuts, and then rice cakes are all I’ve got. Thanks for reading and for the help, I really, REALLY appreciate it.

PSA Time: if any of you are in Portland, Oregon I highly warn you against the Know Allergy Clinic. I genuinely feel they’ve recklessly put my life in danger in so many ways and times, while also treating me with contempt as though I’m making all this up and wasting their much more valuable time. Like at my last doc appointment, when I said “this can’t be normal” the doc said this “happens all the time”, and to see her again in September, while also not being able to tell me why this is happening or what to do about it, or how not to die of starvation or anaphylaxis in the next few months. I don’t even know if I can use an Epipen because they increase your heart rate (which I only found out through Google, not even the allergy clinic) and mine is already so freakishly fast (possibly hypertensive anaphylaxis though), and she wouldn’t help me with that either, despite the fact that they have mini Epipens there that could be safer for me to try in an emergency. And when I said all I could eat is rice cakes to the nurse who asked why I looked ill, she was like “Well, that’s what I like to eat at breakfast and lunch”. 

I just wanted to jump on here and do a post, this is my first post ever on reddit and the first on social media for over ten years but I was so grateful for the help I received from this medication I just wanted to share it and hoped it might help some others too. I have previously trawled through this reddit page for any help with my asthma but could not find anything that worked, and along with two very unhelpful and expensive specialists, I felt like I would be reduced to live a life of debilitating asthma.
A quick back story, I (28 year old male) recently got a job working as an underground coal miner: yes, I know, not a suitable place for an asthmatic. But I was determined to do it. After my first day I was incapacitated with terrible asthma which couldn’t be alleviated with either prednisone or salbutamol, and wasn’t stopped by my seretide preventer. I have previously been on a combination of breo elipta and breo incruse.
As I was about to email off my resignation, my partner sat me down and, very frustrated, demanded that I first go see my local GP about anxiety. I knew I got anxious sometimes but didn’t think it was an issue, and certainly didn’t think it warranted medication (I come from a household that didn’t believe in sharing emotions freely). I went to see a doctor who immediately prescribed me on a low dose of escitalopram (10mg) based on his assessment of my anxiety, as well as the panic attack I had during the assessment. I have had asthma for roughly 20 of my 28 years of life and after 3 months of working in the most inhospitable working conditions for an asthmatic, I have almost reduced it to nothing. All thanks to a combination of escitalopram and seretide. Yes, I know anxiety and asthma should have been a natural connection but all the doctors I had seen had never even asked me about it. I have previously cancelled holidays, moved houses, quit jobs, spent countless days inside, all because of my asthma.
I just wanted to let people know, sometimes it does get better. Keep trying to find something that works and don’t give up on the things you love.
Breathe easy my wheezy friends.
B

TL;DR: why can’t I kick this cough ever?
Hey all, I’m a 46 year old woman living in South Florida for about 6 years. Prior to that I was in NYC for over a decade. I was diagnosed with asthma about 19 years ago.
When I lived in NYC, I’d get extremely bad bronchitis that would last 3 months and require 2-3 rounds of prednisone and antibiotics to get rid of it. I figured the cold was a trigger. I moved down to Florida for personal reasons, but for the first two or three years, I had no bronchitis that I can recall. Then, prior to Covid, I got so sick with bronchitis that when I went to urgent care, they gave me a shot of prednisone in my butt to get it into my system asap, as well as meds. That was the start of my now-constant battle with bronchitis down here.
In the last 3 or so years, I’ve had prednisone easily about 18 times, as well as antibiotics a couple of times. Most recently, two months ago, I had prednisone, it didn’t kick my cough and I felt a bit “infected” so I got a round of Z-Pack. That helped for a moment before I got influenza type B (the flu). I took tamiflu and it helped a lot.
Buuut I still have a low level dry cough that won’t go away. It’s not as severe as it’s been before, but it’s there. I also feel this weird low level “infection” in my throat and a bit of “weight” on my chest.
Here’s the weird thing - after being diagnosed with asthma many years ago, I went to a new pulmonologist last year who did a spirometer test and said I was NOT showing as asthmatic. Then we did a provocation test and that said the same thing. I’m so confused by that. I’ve had a ct scan of my face, and no sinus issues really. A few years ago I had a chest x-ray. No issues. I know I should get a chest ct scan.
Another thing to note is about a year ago, the area of my lungs on the right side starting hurting a LOT. It was hard to take deep breaths or push a button without pain. It went away after two weeks, came back 6 months later and went away again. I actually googled “collapsed lung” but stupidly I never did go and find out why it was happening.
Note: I’ve had Covid twice but this all started about a year prior to COVID becoming a “thing.”
My current cough is a dry cough. It primarily comes out when I’m trying to speak, especially if I’m laying down, but also other positions. Whenever docs listen to me, I don’t wheeze and my lungs sound clear. I’d also like to get a mold test of my house but my landlady won’t pay for that and it’s $300 so I haven’t prioritized it yet.
I’m so lost and so over being constantly sick. Help?

Age 32
Sex F
Height 5’6”
Weight 165lbs
Race White
Duration of complaint 4 weeks
Location Minnesota, USA
Any existing relevant medical issues Bronchitis; Bipolar I
Current medications Lithium 900mg, Caplyta 42mg, Seroquel 50mg
I posted last week about an ongoing respiratory illness. After multiple urgent care visits, I took prednisone and cough syrup with codeine along with amoxicillin that all finished on Monday.
I’ve had a cough that’s worsening even after medications. I’m woken up every night multiple with bouts where I can’t breath, have mucus, and last for 10-15 minutes. During the day, I’m coughing almost constantly and am fully hoarse. I’m a teacher (and out of PTO) so am using my voice often. Coughing happens whether or not I am speaking for any length of time. I’m constantly dizzy. I have chest pain, a headache, and tonight had a fever of 100.3 and coughed so hard I vomited.
I am seeing my primary care doctor tomorrow morning, but want to be sure I ask appropriate questions so this doesn’t linger. I’m worried my symptoms may indicate whooping cough or pneumonia. Thanks in advance for your help.
ETA: My students are in first grade, so 6-7 years old