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Are steroids harmful?

Messages
41
Location
Australia
My son has blocked sinuses from Staph infection for many years. He complained of petrol odor from his nose along with post nasal drip. ENT doctor (not knowledgeable on CFS) gave a prescription for 5 days of 25mg prednisolone and nasal wash which he finds too smarting.

Wonder how damaging are steroids to pwcfs?
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I'd dump the steroids and take high dose proteolytic enzymes instead. I works for me, and clears my sinuses very effectively.
 

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
My son has blocked sinuses from Staph infection for many years. He complained of petrol odor from his nose along with post nasal drip. ENT doctor (not knowledgeable on CFS) gave a prescription for 5 days of 25mg prednisolone and nasal wash which he finds too smarting.

Wonder how damaging are steroids to pwcfs?
High dose steroids long term are not a good idea for anyone but certainly not for those with ME/CFS.

Does he have a MARCONS staph infection?

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs017/1101873817670/archive/1103239169895.html

If so, an antibacterial nasal spray would be a much better option for actually eradicating the infection. Otherwise, I would try an oral antibiotic geared for sinus infections like Augmentin.

Ema
 
Messages
41
Location
Australia
Adreno- Proteolytic enzymes contain bromelain which comes from pineapple, a fruit he is intolerant to, unfortunately.
Is there a bromelain-free proteolytic enzymes? He's taking papaya enzymes.

Ema- My son doesn't have MARCONS staph, just moderate level of Staphlococcus. Had a course of Amoxycillin which doesn't seem to work, hence doc suggests high dose steroids.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Adreno- Proteolytic enzymes contain bromelain which comes from pineapple, a fruit he is intolerant to, unfortunately.
Is there a bromelain-free proteolytic enzymes? He's taking papaya enzymes.
Yes, I would recommend either MucoStop from Enzymedica or Biofilm Defense from Kirkman.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
I just woke up and read the title as 'are asteroids harmful'...only if they hit us.

Staph can be difficult to get rid of as I understand. Adrenals recommendation might well be worth a go.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
my recommendations for sinus staph infections i think are to use low dose hydrocortisone 5mg twice a day and doxycycline 100mg twice a day for several weeks. taper off the hydrocort and when completed then look at stopping antibiotics. Also regular sinus sprays to help flush the goo out.
 

Living Dead

Senior Member
Messages
199
25 mg of prednisolone is likely to be harmful in the long run, but 5 days is such a short time it should be ok.
 
Messages
24
I disagree. 25 mg of prednisolone can be extremely dangerous if the underlying cause of your cfs is a persistent infection with Lyme disease or Chlamydia pneumonia. Be careful.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
I've not had crashes in health from short term steroids for sinus infections. Just found that it didn't work for me with the infection.

It may be that he needs a much longer course of AB's or a different one. Doxycycline is the one that I used. Also a Hydromed pulsing pump machine to wash out the goo and infection. In the water I put tea tree and sea salt.

Other things that may help are a neti pot (with tea tree / salt) and steam inhalation with tea tree.

Hope he feels better soon. The sinus infections can be very draining and they make me miserable.
 
Messages
41
Location
Australia
I put in sea salt and a drop of tea tree oil for the nasal wash, but he experienced excruciating, burning pain from the nose all the way to the brain. The next time he tried just tepid water and the pain was there.

Does anyone know how to prepare a soothing wash to flush out the goo? His ENT doctor will most likely show him to the door when he knows that he'd not been taking the high dose steroid after all. He's now on grape seed extract nasal spray which is less painful.
 

ukxmrv

Senior Member
Messages
4,413
Location
London
So sorry to hear that Caremom! Glad to hear that he has a nasal spray that is less painful. Hope others have some better ideas
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Think the best nasal wash is really with just plain sea salt, the nasal passages are very delicate and oils like tea tree even highly diluted can be too severe for this area. If anything smarts its not a good idea, salt water isn't nice but it doesn't.
I find the steam inhaltion with a vapour like Vick works for me, takes my breath away at first but really clears the sinuses, its such a pain to do though.
Long term you have to find out what's causing it - and therein is the problem. For me dairy was a biggie so looking at diet may be a good thing.
On a personal level I would never take steroids unless they were absolutely necessary - but its a individual decesion, hormone imbalance is a big problem in MEers.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
i have been off doxycycline now for a couple of weeks after being on it for over 12 months for sinusitis. I think i was able to stop doxy after being on immunovir for a few months?? I also used saline rinses too as well as sacchromyce bouldarri or nystatin to prevent candida from antibiotics etc
 
Messages
41
Location
Australia
Shoesies- Do you mean Braggs apple cider vinegar inhalation?
heapsreal- Wow! Can't imagine going on antibiotics for more than a year. Thought antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Shoesies- Do you mean Braggs apple cider vinegar inhalation?
heapsreal- Wow! Can't imagine going on antibiotics for more than a year. Thought antibiotics destroy both good and bad bacteria.
took precautions but doxy is commonly used long term for many different types of infections like sinusitis.
 

Shoesies

Senior Member
i have been off doxycycline now for a couple of weeks after being on it for over 12 months for sinusitis. I think i was able to stop doxy after being on immunovir for a few months?? I also used saline rinses too as well as sacchromyce bouldarri or nystatin to prevent candida from antibiotics etc

Hey, heaps...how did you do on doxy? Did you have trouble getting it? My Dr will be placing me on doxy, six weeks on then one week on flagyl then back on doxy for the remander of a year. Lyme and mycoplasma. Wondered if you had side effects? I am waiting until mid-april as the grand's dedication at church is between no and then and I do not wish to be face planting during that time. So it sounds to me as if the tx plan for Lyme and mycoplasma may also help my recurring sinus issues? Yes, one good thing! Thanks in advance.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
i have been on and off doxy for years for different things. i initially tried it as one of my first cfs treatments after reading up on it. I did get bad die offs etc but persisted and it did help me get out of a bad hole i was in at the time. I dont know what infection i may have add but it helped and it was a treat ment trial. I think many of us have lots of sifferent infections that are never picked up, only way to know is to try doxy and see what happens, but die off is common. I use to day days off here and there until i could tolerate it. doxy isnt really an antibiotic that u can get a reistance to like others by stopping and starting, so i believe.