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Upcoming surgery prevents prednisone use
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Feb 28 9:45am | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
Well I’m confused about the “inflammation promotes healing” theory. It is part of the healing process but not necessarily a productive part. As a matter of fact, I’m having jaw surgery in the near future and the dental surgeon wanted me off Prednisone “because it suppresses the body’s ability to fight infection …. we will give you decadron to control swelling”. Proving only that this surgeon knows nothing about steroids. Decadron was also given routinely when I was in the OR during surgeries like Harrington Rod implants. To control swelling that increases pain.
Here’s some data from Science Direct for your reference. I would maybe have your Rheumy ask your surgeon what they plan to use to control swelling and whether that could be prednisone.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15332917#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20in%20experimental%20models%20of,predisposes%20tissue%20to%20cancer%20development.Replies to "Well I’m confused about the “inflammation promotes healing” theory. It is part of the healing process..."
Wow, that is an amazing article on wound healing and I am so glad there are not enough lizards at this time of the year to collect their dung. I am memorizing some of the larger words so I will sound like I know what I am talking about when I argue for at least a small dose - such at 4mg. during my healing.
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I agree—it’s a really broad, generalization. Inflammation does promote healing in the right amount, but excessive inflammation causes problems! And prednisone doesn’t quash all inflammation; otherwise no one on it would ever heal from the common cold or a paper cut (not to minimize surgery).
It’s all about weighing the pros and cons, and sometimes it seems non-rheumatologists are very hesitant about prednisone use and at such high and long-term doses because in other specialties you’d want to avoid it… But with PMR, the steroid use is warranted and a PMR flare isn’t exactly a minimal risk. While my dad was in the hospital, I was so stressed out because he had his stroke over a holiday weekend so everything was taking longer: Finding a rheumatologist to consult on his case, getting someone to write an order for IV steroids because he couldn’t take oral meds, getting a pharmacist to do a conversion of his dose into the IV steroids. He was off it for almost two days and has a huge flare anyway!