How do Rx steroids affect us?

[November Girl]

I saw new doc for a pretty bad upper respiratory infection last Tuesday. She gave me a steroids shot and oral antibiotics. The shot seemed like a godsend a few hours later because I had so much relief. Unfortunately it wrecked my sleep, and my sinuses now feel as bad as ever.

It didn't even occur to me to question the shot. I had a 7 day course of oral steroids once for a sinus infection with no bad effects.

 

[jann1033]

I saw new doc for a pretty bad upper respiratory infection last Tuesday. She gave me a steroids shot and oral antibiotics. The shot seemed like a godsend a few hours later because I had so much relief. Unfortunately it wrecked my sleep, and my sinuses now feel as bad as ever.

It didn't even occur to me to question the shot. I had a 7 day course of oral steroids once for a sinus infection with no bad effects.

I get a steroid injection for arthritis every 3 months. The next day i feel wonderful for a few hrs. I also get hives , a Dr. gave me steroids for a week, felt like pre CFS! So no ill effects for me. Except it raises my blood sugar to 200+!

However just found out I also have autoimmune thyroid so I think they give Cortisone for that. Maybe that is why I felt so much better on it rather than it helping CFS

 

[Ema]

Super high doses of steroids are almost always bad for everyone long term including those of us with ME/CFS. The benefits of such treatment always have to be carefully weighed against the risks.

Physiological, low dosing of steroids to treat low cortisol states common in ME/CFS is totally different and carries no more risks than to the average person producing their own cortisol daily.

Autoimmune thyroid disease is treated with thyroid hormone, not steroids. Unless one also has autoimmune adrenal disease (i.e. Addison's) in which case one would need both.

 

[jann1033]

Super high doses of steroids are almost always bad for everyone long term including those of us with ME/CFS. The benefits of such treatment always have to be carefully weighed against the risks.

Physiological, low dosing of steroids to treat low cortisol states common in ME/CFS is totally different and carries no more risks than to the average person producing their own cortisol daily.

Autoimmune thyroid disease is treated with thyroid hormone, not steroids. Unless one also has autoimmune adrenal disease (i.e. Addison's) in which case one would need both.

I just read an article about this(will link if I find it). His premise was autoimmune thyroid is not the thyroid's problem as much as hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal dysfunction.. IIR correctly he felt cortisone was instrumental in treating successfully. I particularly remembered this due to my personal experience with steroids cause it is such a dramatic albeit shortlived improvement

 

[Ema]

I just read an article about this(will link if I find it). His premise was autoimmune thyroid is not the thyroid's problem as much as hypothalamus/pituitary/adrenal dysfunction.. IIR correctly he felt cortisone was instrumental in treating successfully. I particularly remembered this due to my personal experience with steroids cause it is such a dramatic albeit shortlived improvement

I'd like to see that article because that makes no sense.

The only way to turn off a thyroid antibody attack is to stop the body from making thyroid hormone. Steroids won't do that - and might actually make the problem worse.

 

[jann1033]

His claim was many Drs don't treat auto immune thyroid cause tsh levels may appear normal (mine are and the Cleveland clinic rhumatologist who ordered the microsomal test said they dont treat it so he's at least correct in that much)where in reality its not the thyroid causing the problem, its the h/p/a dysfunction causing the thyroid to malfunction. It was a week or so ago but I'll see if its still in my history or if I bookmarked it.

 

[jann1033]

He said just giving normal thyroid meds is getting at the symptom but not the root cause in his opinion.

 

[Ema]

His claim was many Drs don't treat auto immune thyroid cause tsh levels may appear normal (mine are and the Cleveland clinic rhumatologist who ordered the microsomal test said they dont treat it so he's at least correct in that much)where in reality its not the thyroid causing the problem, its the h/p/a dysfunction causing the thyroid to malfunction. It was a week or so ago but I'll see if its still in my history or if I bookmarked it.

Well, it's true that most doctors won't treat autoimmune thyroid disease while the TSH is normal (which is also a mistake in my opinion and that of the literature).

He's also right that it's not the thyroid ultimately causing the problem...but it's the immune system creating autoantibodies against thyroid hormone, not the HPA axis.

The adrenals do play a role in immunity, of course, but I think his reasoning falls apart there. Love to see the article if you can find it.