Re: Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

[Guest guest]

I am a participant in this study. Every 6 months I complete an online

questionnaire. I urge you all to consider taking part in it.

Sue

On Thursday, March 16, 2006, at 06:43 PM, a Papola wrote:

> Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

> years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases

> study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and every

> 6 months for up to 3.5 years.

[Guest guest]

Hi a;

Could you put a number of the " low-dose " of prednisone?

a Papola <a54@...> wrote:

Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:21 PM GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who

are treated with low-dose prednisone have an increased risk of coming

down with pneumonia, a new study indicates.

However, the findings also show that most other drugs used to treat

arthritis don't have this drawback.

Prednisone, a steroid, tends suppresses the immune system and at high

enough doses this could increase the chances of infection. " If the

results of this study are correct, they may undermine the current

belief that low-dose prednisone is safe, " Dr. Frederick Wolfe, with

the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, and his

colleagues suggest.

Even though prednisone is commonly used to treat arthritis patients,

there have been no studies looking at it's effect on the risk of

pneumonia -- which is one of the major causes of death in patients

with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors point out.

Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases

study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and every

6 months for up to 3.5 years.

The investigators report in the medical journal Arthritis &

Rheumatism that the most common treatments were methotrexate,

prednisone, Remicade, hydroxychloroquine and Enbrel.

During follow-up, there were 749 hospitalizations for pneumonia.

After adjusting for factors such as smoking, age and arthritis

severity, the researcher found that prednisone was associated with a

70 percent increased risk of pneumonia.

There was no significantly increased risk associated with so-called

TNF-blockers -- Remicade, Enbrel or Humira -- or with methotrexate,

hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine.

" Prednisone use is common in rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore a

potentially important health risk, " Wolfe's team concludes. They

point out, however, that their data " do not address the issue of net

benefit, " so discontinuing prednisone " might provoke equally

undesirable adverse effects. "

SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 2006.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

type=healthNews & storyID=2006-03-16T182141Z_01_COL666041_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH

-STEROID-PNEUMONIA-DC.XML & archived=False

[Guest guest]

Its usually 5mg or less of pred per day. My rheummy will not give

pred fr daily dose. He will give a burst and limits that. He said

the caridac and stroke risk from pred is too high among all the other

bad stuff that can happen.

Toni

> Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

> Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:21 PM GMT

>

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who

> are treated with low-dose prednisone have an increased risk of

coming

> down with pneumonia, a new study indicates.

>

> However, the findings also show that most other drugs used to

treat

> arthritis don't have this drawback.

>

> Prednisone, a steroid, tends suppresses the immune system and at

high

> enough doses this could increase the chances of infection. " If the

> results of this study are correct, they may undermine the current

> belief that low-dose prednisone is safe, " Dr. Frederick Wolfe,

with

> the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, and

his

> colleagues suggest.

>

> Even though prednisone is commonly used to treat arthritis

patients,

> there have been no studies looking at it's effect on the risk of

> pneumonia -- which is one of the major causes of death in patients

> with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors point out.

>

> Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

> years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic

Diseases

> study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and

every

> 6 months for up to 3.5 years.

>

> The investigators report in the medical journal Arthritis &

> Rheumatism that the most common treatments were methotrexate,

> prednisone, Remicade, hydroxychloroquine and Enbrel.

>

> During follow-up, there were 749 hospitalizations for pneumonia.

> After adjusting for factors such as smoking, age and arthritis

> severity, the researcher found that prednisone was associated with

a

> 70 percent increased risk of pneumonia.

>

> There was no significantly increased risk associated with so-

called

> TNF-blockers -- Remicade, Enbrel or Humira -- or with

methotrexate,

> hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine.

>

> " Prednisone use is common in rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore

a

> potentially important health risk, " Wolfe's team concludes. They

> point out, however, that their data " do not address the issue of

net

> benefit, " so discontinuing prednisone " might provoke equally

> undesirable adverse effects. "

>

> SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 2006.

>

>

> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

> type=healthNews & storyID=2006-03-

16T182141Z_01_COL666041_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH

> -STEROID-PNEUMONIA-DC.XML & archived=False

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I was on 10mg a day of prednisone and came down with pneumonia and inflamation

of the right lung when I had been on prednisone for 3 months. It started out as

sinusitis and then progressed. Don't know for a fact that it was from the

prednisone, I should have went to the doctor sooner, but ended up in the

hospital. Holly

" C. Y. " <cjmy3454@...> wrote: Hi a;

Could you put a number of the " low-dose " of prednisone?

a Papola <a54@...> wrote:

Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:21 PM GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who

are treated with low-dose prednisone have an increased risk of coming

down with pneumonia, a new study indicates.

However, the findings also show that most other drugs used to treat

arthritis don't have this drawback.

Prednisone, a steroid, tends suppresses the immune system and at high

enough doses this could increase the chances of infection. " If the

results of this study are correct, they may undermine the current

belief that low-dose prednisone is safe, " Dr. Frederick Wolfe, with

the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, and his

colleagues suggest.

Even though prednisone is commonly used to treat arthritis patients,

there have been no studies looking at it's effect on the risk of

pneumonia -- which is one of the major causes of death in patients

with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors point out.

Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases

study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and every

6 months for up to 3.5 years.

The investigators report in the medical journal Arthritis &

Rheumatism that the most common treatments were methotrexate,

prednisone, Remicade, hydroxychloroquine and Enbrel.

During follow-up, there were 749 hospitalizations for pneumonia.

After adjusting for factors such as smoking, age and arthritis

severity, the researcher found that prednisone was associated with a

70 percent increased risk of pneumonia.

There was no significantly increased risk associated with so-called

TNF-blockers -- Remicade, Enbrel or Humira -- or with methotrexate,

hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine.

" Prednisone use is common in rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore a

potentially important health risk, " Wolfe's team concludes. They

point out, however, that their data " do not address the issue of net

benefit, " so discontinuing prednisone " might provoke equally

undesirable adverse effects. "

SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 2006.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

type=healthNews & storyID=2006-03-16T182141Z_01_COL666041_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH

-STEROID-PNEUMONIA-DC.XML & archived=False

[Guest guest]

.... and what it does to your bones is not laughing matter either.

Ms radar <aclavern33@...> wrote:

Its usually 5mg or less of pred per day. My rheummy will not give

pred fr daily dose. He will give a burst and limits that. He said

the caridac and stroke risk from pred is too high among all the other

bad stuff that can happen.

Toni

> Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

> Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:21 PM GMT

>

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who

> are treated with low-dose prednisone have an increased risk of

coming

> down with pneumonia, a new study indicates.

>

> However, the findings also show that most other drugs used to

treat

> arthritis don't have this drawback.

>

> Prednisone, a steroid, tends suppresses the immune system and at

high

> enough doses this could increase the chances of infection. " If the

> results of this study are correct, they may undermine the current

> belief that low-dose prednisone is safe, " Dr. Frederick Wolfe,

with

> the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, and

his

> colleagues suggest.

>

> Even though prednisone is commonly used to treat arthritis

patients,

> there have been no studies looking at it's effect on the risk of

> pneumonia -- which is one of the major causes of death in patients

> with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors point out.

>

> Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

> years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic

Diseases

> study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and

every

> 6 months for up to 3.5 years.

>

> The investigators report in the medical journal Arthritis &

> Rheumatism that the most common treatments were methotrexate,

> prednisone, Remicade, hydroxychloroquine and Enbrel.

>

> During follow-up, there were 749 hospitalizations for pneumonia.

> After adjusting for factors such as smoking, age and arthritis

> severity, the researcher found that prednisone was associated with

a

> 70 percent increased risk of pneumonia.

>

> There was no significantly increased risk associated with so-

called

> TNF-blockers -- Remicade, Enbrel or Humira -- or with

methotrexate,

> hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine.

>

> " Prednisone use is common in rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore

a

> potentially important health risk, " Wolfe's team concludes. They

> point out, however, that their data " do not address the issue of

net

> benefit, " so discontinuing prednisone " might provoke equally

> undesirable adverse effects. "

>

> SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 2006.

>

>

> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

> type=healthNews & storyID=2006-03-

16T182141Z_01_COL666041_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH

> -STEROID-PNEUMONIA-DC.XML & archived=False

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I can currently trying so hard to get off predisone. I was on it for over 8

years. After encouragement from both doctors, I am coming off of it. I

know it helped me but I really wish I had never started on it. But you do

what you have to do. I am down to 1 1/2 mg a day. One real worry for me is

what will take it place. As all other drugs have failed. I have two inches

in height due to the predisone. Just thought I let you know my experience.

Lynn (MeMom)

Re: [ ] Re: Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia

risk

> ... and what it does to your bones is not laughing matter either.

>

>

>

> Ms radar <aclavern33@...> wrote:

> Its usually 5mg or less of pred per day. My rheummy will not give

> pred fr daily dose. He will give a burst and limits that. He said

> the caridac and stroke risk from pred is too high among all the other

> bad stuff that can happen.

>

> Toni

>

>

>> Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia risk

>> Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:21 PM GMT

>>

>>

>>

>> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who

>> are treated with low-dose prednisone have an increased risk of

> coming

>> down with pneumonia, a new study indicates.

>>

>> However, the findings also show that most other drugs used to

> treat

>> arthritis don't have this drawback.

>>

>> Prednisone, a steroid, tends suppresses the immune system and at

> high

>> enough doses this could increase the chances of infection. " If the

>> results of this study are correct, they may undermine the current

>> belief that low-dose prednisone is safe, " Dr. Frederick Wolfe,

> with

>> the Arthritis Research Center Foundation in Wichita, Kansas, and

> his

>> colleagues suggest.

>>

>> Even though prednisone is commonly used to treat arthritis

> patients,

>> there have been no studies looking at it's effect on the risk of

>> pneumonia -- which is one of the major causes of death in patients

>> with rheumatoid arthritis, the authors point out.

>>

>> Wolfe's team followed 16,788 arthritis patients, average age 62

>> years, participating in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic

> Diseases

>> study. The subjects completed questionnaires early in 2001 and

> every

>> 6 months for up to 3.5 years.

>>

>> The investigators report in the medical journal Arthritis &

>> Rheumatism that the most common treatments were methotrexate,

>> prednisone, Remicade, hydroxychloroquine and Enbrel.

>>

>> During follow-up, there were 749 hospitalizations for pneumonia.

>> After adjusting for factors such as smoking, age and arthritis

>> severity, the researcher found that prednisone was associated with

> a

>> 70 percent increased risk of pneumonia.

>>

>> There was no significantly increased risk associated with so-

> called

>> TNF-blockers -- Remicade, Enbrel or Humira -- or with

> methotrexate,

>> hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine.

>>

>> " Prednisone use is common in rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore

> a

>> potentially important health risk, " Wolfe's team concludes. They

>> point out, however, that their data " do not address the issue of

> net

>> benefit, " so discontinuing prednisone " might provoke equally

>> undesirable adverse effects. "

>>

>> SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, February 2006.

>>

>>

>> http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?

>> type=healthNews & storyID=2006-03-

> 16T182141Z_01_COL666041_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH

>> -STEROID-PNEUMONIA-DC.XML & archived=False

>>

>>

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

From what I've read, 10mg can be considered a low dose.

a

On Mar 16, 2006, at 10:12 PM, C. Y. wrote:

> Hi a;

>

> Could you put a number of the " low-dose " of prednisone?

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks.

a Papola <a54@...> wrote:

From what I've read, 10mg can be considered a low dose.

a

On Mar 16, 2006, at 10:12 PM, C. Y. wrote:

> Hi a;

>

> Could you put a number of the " low-dose " of prednisone?

>

>

[Guest guest]

I hope you are able to get completely off Prednisone and don't have the same

experience I did. I've been taking 10 mg per day, sometimes a little more,

for the last 16 years. When I went back to my old Rheumy, I felt better

because of the meds he put me back on, so I decided to drop my Prednisone. I

did fairly well until I got down to 6 mg per day. Then, things went south.

The worst symptom I had was serious inflammation of my lower back that

pinched my sciatic nerve. I could only sit or stand leaning forward and to

the left, had to carry items with my right hand holding it behind me, and

sleep only on my right side. As soon as I started back up on my Prednisone,

things got better and now I'm back to my 'normal'. I'm back to 10 mg and

feel good so far. That's my experience.

Dennis

Re: [ ] Re: Steroid treatment for arthritis ups pneumonia

risk

>I can currently trying so hard to get off predisone. I was on it for over

>8

> years. After encouragement from both doctors, I am coming off of it. I

> know it helped me but I really wish I had never started on it. But you do

> what you have to do. I am down to 1 1/2 mg a day. One real worry for me

> is

> what will take it place. As all other drugs have failed. I have two

> inches

> in height due to the predisone. Just thought I let you know my

> experience.

> Lynn (MeMom)

[Guest guest]

i take 5-10 mgs a day, but last January i ended up with pneumonia and the

had me take 40 mgs a day for 2 days and wean down from there. i went back to 5

where i have been for a couple years. now i've been off mtx injections for 6

weeks and some days i have been taking 10 mgs. i will tell my rheumi this on

tues. they sent me a script for arava. but i took that back in 97 or 98 and

stopped it because i was so dizzy i had to hang on the walls at work. so that

is where i am at. i can feel my body changing already and i don't like it. so

i know i need to get back on something. just not looking forward to new side

effects again. i have been running well for so long.

Kathy in IL