Directions for prednisone dosepak

Hi y'all. I'm pretty much at my wits end.
I have a dermatologist appointment today but thought I'd ask around here anyway.
Backstory: I had eczema when I was really really young, honestly so young that the only thing I remembered of it was having a patch of it on my butt and my mom applying cream to it and then never really dealing with it ever again. She thought I had eczema on my face though it appeared as white patches and I vaguely remember this but for at least a decade or more I did not have eczema. My skin was perfect, genuinely so clear I didn't have to use much product on it.
Fast forward to November of 2019; I started taking hormonal birth control and noticed within a few months that I started getting eczema patches (also was having facial rashes but I thought this was due to trying out a new skincare) I went to the dermatologist who prescribed me Triamcinolone 0.1% ointment for my body rashes. I don't ever EVER remember using steroids much. I'd use it one to two days, and would stop when it starts to fade. Anyway my eczema was pretty lowkey in general and in 2021, we adopted a cat. I did notice my eczema worsening slightly ever since getting my cat but was managing with Triamcinolone (I think at this point my dermatologist prescribed me a tub of it I think December of 2021)
Again, I don't use steroid much and when I do I think it's really just for emergencies (my eczema was genuinely such a secondary aspect of my life I don't even remember much of how I managed it other than letting it ride and maybe applying steroid when needed). I remember the tub expired and I hadn't used even half of the ointment. I was also prescribed Mometasone and Fluoccionide? But I never used either of them as I didn't feel comfortable to.
In September of 2022, I caught COVID while overseas and it caused a pretty gnarly flare on the inner side of my elbows. Since I was overseas I just managed with moisturizing but I remember applying steroid when I came home. We adopted a second cat later this year.
Since then I think my eczema HAVE gotten worse, but there was a period of at least 6 months where I wasn't using steroid creams at all because I was either just dealing with it or it was barely there.
Fast forward to 2023.
I noticed a rash on the top of my right hand that I was initially managing with just moisturizing. But I remember having such intense itch on this rash that I kept itching, and at one point I itched with my shirt and it caused it to be infected. It was so gnarly, bright red, oozing, literally would not stop oozing, painful. I went back to my dermatologist 5 days later when I realized that oh this might be worse than just a regular eczema. She gave me Mupirocin and another tube of Triamcinolone (since my previous one expired) as well as a course of Doxycycline. I used the Mupirocin as directed for I think 10 days, and was not yet using Triamcinolone as I was worried about using it when it looked like there were still open wounds on it. I didn't finish my Doxy course because it was giving me horrible stomach pains. I came back to the dermatologist January 3rd and she told me it was OK to use Triamcinolone twice daily up to two weeks.
At this point I was already having eczema rash on my arms as well and some on my back but I don't think I was using Triamcinolone much on them (I'm pretty sporadic with using the steroid, I never really committed to the full 2 weeks)
Now, this is where things became a doozy.
January 5th: Caught strep, had difficulty breathing and had to go to urgent care. I was prescribed antibiotics, Prednisone (20mg, twice daily for 5 days), and Albuterol. I had asthma when I was younger and it's almost like it came back when I caught strep. My eczema was calm during this time and I thought it was because it rained a lot this week but now I realized it may be the Prednisone. Could not remember if I was using Triamcinolone as well on my hand during this time.
Sometime in early February: Went for a run and literally rolled my ankle so bad. Unrelated to everything else but my body sustained injury and looking back at old pictures I was starting to get patches of eczema on my legs.
Then I caught what felt like the flu in mid February and this is the first time my eczema flared to my face. My left eye was half swollen but at this time I thought it was from my sinus being blocked as it went away in a few days (though the rash stayed).
Early March: Got admitted to the hospital from Appendicitis. I spent 3 nights at the hospital and my eczema was literally non existent. No itchiness, just intense dryness but nothing else. I remember my friend noting my face was super dry but my rashes were slowly drying out. To be fair I was in so much pain the first day I was knocked out most the time from the pain medication they gave me and I was on a couple antibiotics due to the infection.
I came home from the hospital and this is when things start to really get insane. I got home, laid in bed, and immediately could not stop itching my neck and body. My face became swollen the next day but I was unable to take allergy meds because I was on antibiotics and had to wait for that course to be done. That eventually settled out.
I figured maybe I was having an allergic reaction to the cats (and thought maybe my mattress too, we had vacuumed it a few times and I suspected it disturbed the dust mites inside). I slept outside and on an air mattress for I think a few days, if not up to a week. The cats were still sleeping with me at this time and I was somewhat itchy but it wasn't the worst. Then I decided I was going to sleep in the bedroom again and this caused the worst flare I had ever ever EVER gone through. My face became so swollen, my left eye swollen again and it was oozing (this had NEVER happened to me before other than my infected hand) I don't know why this oozed since I never scratched my face, and my inner elbows, wrists and top of right hand got so red and puffy. At this point too my eczema on my right hand was starting to spread towards my palm. These areas also got pretty dry especially on my face. I called Teladoc Dermatology and they prescribed me Mupirocin for the oozing, Tacrolimus for the inflammation on my face and Triamcinolone for the body. He told me to apply Mupirocin first until the oozing calms, then stop and apply the other ointments.
At this point I had become SO SO SO terrified of TSW. It was all over my Tik Tok, my algorithm, I couldn't stop thinking and worrying about it and fearing that this flare is because I'm going through it. He told me to use Triamcinolone for twice daily for two weeks, then once daily for two weeks, then every other day for two weeks to help prevent rebound. I only used Triamcinolone twice daily for 5 days, then I did once daily for a few more days and by the time I saw my current dermatologist, I was using it every other day (I essentially tried to taper within the two weeks).
My current derma prescribed me Clobetasol and told me to mix 2oz of Clobetasol with 7.5oz of Vanicream or Cerave and smear myself in it once a day at night for one week, then once a day at night every other day for the second week. It was a very controlled instruction.
BUT I was SO afraid of TSW that I did not do this.
Instead, I took a one week break and I did 3 weeks of Triamcinolone, and even then I did it sporadically. I did about 10 days of once daily and then the second half I did twice daily. When I started doing twice daily was when I finally saw some improvements.
The problem is it has been a week since I last used any steroids and I have rebounded. Although my eczema rash genuinely looks so weird and I am having the dermatologist look at it properly today. My arms are constantly dry, my right hand (the problem spot since December) now have what looks like blisters on them and I never have eczema that look like this even though it's apparently common. The frustrating thing is that it feels like my eczema just keeps spreading. They are full body and it's freaking me out because it looks as if I have TSW even though I don't think I ever used steroids for that long at all, and I was only prescribed it back in 2020.
To be fair I thought I should've committed to the Clobetasol treatment because then we can see if the strongest steroid worked or not but I felt like I was going to flare again anyway and didn't want to use something really strong only for it to not work.
I had an allergy test done and I am allergic to both species of dust mites, dogs, cats, along with some other environmental things. I just don't understand why I am only now flaring uncontrollably like this. I am 95% covered in eczema. Either spots or just straight up long red rash. I am taking antihistamines daily and have been taking Probiotic pills pretty consistently (partly because I was on so many antibiotics back to back). I've been using Hyphocolorus Acid Spray as well.
On Sunday night, I tried to sleep over at my friend's place who did not have cats to test and see if my cats are my main trigger and I kept waking up itching myself, both my arms and legs and my chin and neck started oozing again. Which was INSANE as I did not itch either of them. The oozing on both have mostly stopped (I've only used Mupirocin and Vaseline to help control the infection and moisturize) but I just don't understand.
I'm scared, I have never had eczema become so severe so fast and I'm genuinely so scared. Something feels wrong but I don't know what it is. The way my eczema looks look like a combination of an allergic reaction and just a rash but I don't understand how I can have such an intense allergic reaction towards things I've been around all the time. We've lived in the same place since June of last year and the only thing I can think of is that we had the heater on almost daily in the winter and we found out end of April that our heater is incredibly dusty.
I'm getting my IUD removed next week as well as I'm confident birth control has something to do with my eczema coming back, and I plan to get allergy shots.
I'm just tired, it's consumed my life and it's causing me a lot of health anxiety. I look so genuinely terrible I can't even understand it.

My 13 month old has had a rash on his hip and back of his knee for about 3 weeks now. Week 2 we went to his pediatrician and he said he couldn't be sure what it was but prescribed a cream that had dual purpose so would take care of whatever is was. This was clotrimazole betamethasone. After reading the package insert it heavily advised against use anybody under 17 years old, and in the diaper area, or any area that would be covered with tight clothing. The worst part of the rash is directly under the diaper strap. This made me nervous so I left the ped a message asking for something more mild to try first, but never heard back. In the meantime I tried a little bit of cortizone cream but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Some days it seemed it was getting better but worse again the next. Now it seems to be spreading/connecting on his leg between the two original places. We are visiting family out of state so I took him to urgent care and they said it looked like contact dermatitis and prescribed prednisolone (3.2 ml every 12 hours for 5 days) and triamcinolone acetate and zyrtec. I had such an awful experience taking prednisone myself I'm nervous about giving it to him now. Now I'm wondering if I should have just used the original cream in the first place??

My 13 month old has had a rash on his hip and back of his knee for about 3 weeks now. Week 2 we went to his pediatrician and he said he couldn't be sure what it was but prescribed a cream that had dual purpose so would take care of whatever is was. This was clotrimazole betamethasone. After reading the package insert it heavily advised against use anybody under 17 years old, and in the diaper area, or any area that would be covered with tight clothing. The worst part of the rash is directly under the diaper strap. This made me nervous so I left the ped a message asking for something more mild to try first, but never heard back. In the meantime I tried a little bit of cortizone cream but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Some days it seemed it was getting better but worse again the next. Now it seems to be spreading/connecting on his leg between the two original places. We are visiting family out of state so I took him to urgent care and they said it looked like contact dermatitis and prescribed prednisolone (3.2 ml every 12 hours for 5 days) and triamcinolone acetate and zyrtec. I had such an awful experience taking prednisone myself I'm nervous about giving it to him now. Now I'm wondering if I should have just used the original cream in the first place??

Hi all, still working on officially getting diagnosed. I had an appointment with a new neurologist (waiting to get in with a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic) and got blood tests yesterday.
Leaving the hospital, I was t-boned directly on my door by someone going about 50mph. The side airbags went off, and I have some minor burns and bruises but I got checked at the ER and they did CTs and didn’t find any acute issues.
I know that car accidents can worsen Chiari (and I’ve already been having horrendous symptoms before the accident). I guess I’m just posting to see if anyone has had a similar experience, and/or what kind of things to look for as a warning sign?
I saw my PCP today and I’m on prednisone along with flexeril and gabapentin, plus imitrex for the migraines.
Thank you all in advance!

I wanted to share my experience with all of you; Following a traumatic event I experienced motility issues and severe constipation; I jumped through many hoops trying to get to the root of the issue to no avail;
I went into an urgent care sometimee before my gastro had scheduled for a colonoscopy procedure; the urgent care prescribed me azithroymycin and prednisone; I believe the azithryomocyin may have cured my condition because I started having regular bowel movements; with that I also experienced panic attacks and severe depression from what I believe was a lack of gut microbiota, from what I’ve researched; rebuilding the gut is a painstaking process and many people are faced with uncertainty and bouts of depression; I still get panic attacks and feel out of breath but I changed the way I eat; I gave up drinking alcohol completely which also presented with its own set of anxiety because the gut was extremely sensitive to not having the alcohol present; that paired with the sudden change in my diet has put my body into shock; I’m slowly regaining my strength and found out I am deficient in so many vitamins; a life time of partying and over indulging has brought me to another turning point for me; I just want to tell everyone that your body is resilient and you will recover; my tests came back negative for h pylori and c diff fter the procedure; the doctor found no polyps but he said there was inflammation; I have been prescribed histamine blockers and I take them occasionally; I’ve really had to learn to listen to my body to know how to talk myself out of panic attacks and understand how to reduce inflammation; I am slowly getting stronger but still have sudden bouts of paranoia and existential dread; these feelings come back and I’ve read that there is a direct link between this and the stomach. Just know you should think happy thoughts and make sure you have air conditioning any sort of amenity you can afford. The hospital is the worst place to go but it can provide comfort in knowing you will be surrounded by medical professionals if the worst were to happen. I’m posting this because most people don’t get to hear the good news because most people heal completely and disappear from Reddit so I felt I owed everyone some words of encouragement

6/yo spayed 60lb mixed breed female dog. We are currently living in the UK
Hello,
My dog has been licking her genitals very intensely daily for several months. She will get very worked up and spin in circles and whine for upwards of five minutes, sometimes longer. It is very often after she uses the bathroom but not always, as she will sometimes start up from nowhere. We have been working with our local vet and so far have tried:
Antibiotics (UTI test was negative), no change in behavior
Anal gland expression, also no change
This most recent attempt she had an ultrasound on her kidneys and bladder to check for crystals or stones (negative), and they took a sample directly from her bladder for testing which also showed nothing. She is currently on prednisone to rule out inflammation but no change either after about a week.
The vet told us the other options she could think of were skin issues, yeast infection, or behavioral. I doubt it’s behavioral because she will whine/clearly be in distress for several minutes until it passes.
She has had skin reactions in the past to certain shampoos, but has no hair loss and does not itch anywhere else on her body on a regular basis except for the feet on occasion (if I notice she is focusing on one foot for too long I will put a sock on it and she immediately loses interest). When she gets groomed I don’t have the groomer do a sanitary clip as this seems to exacerbate the issue. She isn’t a big drinker but we add water to her food to get hydration and she pees regularly throughout the day. I don’t know what could be causing localized itchiness to the vulva, it’s not her bum that’s giving her problems and she isn’t scooting at all. It’s not swollen or red either, and no discharge.

can you still flare on 60mg of prednisone? my rheum seems to think it’s impossible. i have pretty active SLE and class III crescentic lupus nephritis. about a month ago i had induction therapy with iv pulse solumedrol. i’m currently taking 400mg plaquenil, 2000mg cellcept, and 60mg prednisone. i’ve had some residual joint pain but overall feel a lot better. however, my period came on a couple days ago (after not having it for awhile) and i’ve started getting some of the mild early symptoms i had- red, hot, flushed cheeks and a low temp of 99. it doesn’t seem to be linked to light exposure. this is the second time i’ve told my doc that i don’t feel 110% on prednisone but because my biomarkers are moving in the right direction he doesn’t wanna hear it. basically my complements are normal so it’s not a flare is the message i’m getting from him. so, are these just “normal” residual symptoms? am i flaring? is it my period? am i losing my mind? i am changing rheums to a lupus specialty center thank god but i don’t see the new one until june so until then im not sure what to do

i'm 27f and was hospitalized for 4 days about two weeks ago after a ct scan showed two PEs in my left lung. they are small and i'm on blood thinners now, but i'm honestly miserable.
i had the worst flare of my life during the summer of 23 and started prednisone for several months. once the inflammation came down, i started entyvio. i had literally 0 issues until i started the infusions and now suddenly i have blood clots.
we still don't know the direct cause of the PEs but my GI said that unmanaged UC can cause them. I haven't had a flare in months and didn't have anything like this during my flare.
i'm honestly worried the entyvio caused this. i haven't gotten or scheduled another infusion and i don't know if i will. i'm incredibly scared and might, MIGHT try to manage this with my diet and see what happens. i have so much going on and the idea of an infusion kind of scares me now. even worse than it did before.

You’ve all likely taken a pain medication at some point, so I thought I might offer a little more info about some of the different types.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is great for pain and fever, but it is not an anti-inflammatory medicine. Acetaminophen is known to cause liver damage when taken in large quantities, and this medication is included in many different OTC formulations such as cough and cold medicines. Patients should always check ingredients to ensure they are not double dosing unintentionally, and limit use when possible.
The term Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) encompasses a wide range of medications that help with pain, fever, gout, blood clots, and inflammation. Because these medications work differently from acetaminophen, it is generally safe to use both if your primary issue is pain and/or fever; however, you should never use two types of NSAIDs together due to their adverse drug effect (ADE) risks.
All NSAIDs are known to cause kidney damage, but liver damage is possible in high doses. In addition, some NSAIDs can increase the risk of bleeding, cause heartburn and stomach ulcers, increase blood pressure, cause heart problems or stroke, and may cause allergic reactions. Frequent/long term use is not recommended without oversight by a physician. NSAIDs are best taken with food and possibly a H2RA/PPI (see previous reflux post for more info on these meds) to help prevent GI bleeding.
Some common NSAIDs include: Aspirin (Bufferin, Ecotrin-low dose used often for blood clot prevention) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) Naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn-12h dosing) Diclofenac (Voltaren-topical options available; higher risk for liver and heart ADEs) Indomethacin (Indocin) Meloxicam (Mobic-24h dosing) Ketorolac (Toradol-high risk for ADEs; use should be limited to 40mg max daily and 5 days use) Celecoxib (Celebrex-less risk of GI ulcers but increases risk of heart problems)
Also note that children with viral infections should NOT take aspirin due to the risk of Reye’s Syndrome
Corticosteroids (different from anabolic steroids) are synthetic versions of cortisol that are also used for inflammation by affecting the body’s immune response. They are commonly used for allergies, asthma, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases, yet they can have a wider variety of ADEs especially when used systemically, such as weight gain/water retention, mood changes, increased body hair growth, increased risk of infection/difficulty fighting infections, easy bruising, GI bleed risk, increased blood pressure and sugar, etc. Some examples are cortisone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, prednisone, triamcinolone, betamethasone, dexamethasone, and fludricortisone. (NSAIDs and steroids should not be taken together.)
Lidocaine and/or menthol is also a great option for pain that is available in many different dosage forms. Some antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and some anticonvulsants can be used for certain chronic pain conditions. Muscle relaxers are useful for muscle tension and spasms.
When necessary opioid pain medications may be prescribed. These should only be used as directed because they carry high risks for ADEs, such as respiratory depression and dependence. Opioids cause intestinal movement to slow resulting in constipation so it’s important to also take senna, which directly stimulates the intestines to move, otherwise you get “all mush, no push” if you only use other constipation meds! 🤪
P.S. Physical therapy and dry needling can also be a great way to relieve pain!! I get needling regularly for my myofascial pain syndrome so I can attest that it helps tremendously!🤩
This website has some great additional info if you want to check it out!

I am changing States and need new Doctor(s). Trying to understand, what types of Doctors should I schedule an appointment with and is there anything I am missing? I have a lot of random issues for someone who has a healthy lifestyle.
I am currently having a difficult time with diverticulitis and general anxiety from stress of work and medical issues. I have a stressful engineering job. I now have a form of periodic brain fog, physical weakness, tiredness, and difficulty concentrating. This was something I had years ago when I had a stress filled job running a manufacturing production facility. The issues were thought to be stress induced or lack of B12. B12 back then was in the double digits or low 100’s. The issue resolved itself when I changed to an easy engineering job. The current issues have bled over into work life and social interaction. The issues have slowly gotten worse in the past year. I often get sick and seem to have inflammation issues with my gut and joints. I am looking to understand what I might be missing because it’s become debilitating. My wife and I purchased another house in Ohio, while we try to sell our house in Florida. We are doing this to be close to my father who has early onset dementia. My wife and I are both keeping our jobs now while they give us remote positions. I keep a positive mindset and I am just looking for an answer or solution to these medial concerns.
Patient Description:
Male
5’11
168 lbs.
37 Years Old
White
No Smoking / No Alcohol use
Engineer – semi active
Current Medications:
Valacyclovir 500mg, Cold sore
Minocycline 100mg, acne
Testosterone cypionate 200mg, Low-T
Medications in the past six months:
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and Flagyl, diverticulitis
Testosterone cypionate 200mg, Low-T
Minocycline and doxycycline, acne
Azithromycin, pneumonia
Imiquimod 5%, cream HPV
Valacyclovir, Cold sore
Prednisone, pneumonia
Albuterol inhaler, pneumonia
Current Symptoms:
I have pain at and around the cecum and ascending colon. This stems from diverticulitis and is a daily issue. Pain is mild but often accompanied by food intake or physical activity that involves the core. One bout of diverticulitis on 12/15/23 that required IV paint mediation and antibiotics for two days within the hospital. Two other flair ups in the past 3 months required rest and medication for seven days. Daily MiraLAX is taken along with 10 or more glasses of water each day. A colonoscopy was performed and found diverticulitis in the descending colon and inflammation with inconclusive results in the ascending colon to the cecum due to material left from cleanout. Another colonoscopy will be needed. Lost 35 lbs. in the past 6 months because of eating less, no sugars, and no red meat. The weight loss has reduced fat but also, overall muscle mass.
Light joint pain and muscle pain is still resulting from the lower testosterone, but the overall pain is didactically better with the weekly injections of testosterone.
Acne around the scalp, face, arm pits, and back are aggressive. The face and the head being the worst. The twice daily antibiotics have helped reduce scalp acne, but the face and neck still have small outbreaks. Without the antibiotics, acne covers all the head and 10 nodes per square inch. The acne in the chest and groin are larger in diameter and have no head, they last for weeks at a time.
Flare ups of cold sores on the lips have been seen in the six months but no current outbreaks. The outbreaks are directly correlated to stressful events in life.
Genital warts have been occurring for the last ten years with no resolution. Constant cryo treatment is applied, freezing 1-2 each month. They are small, ranging from 0.5-2mm in size. Medication was given for topical but has an adverse reaction and caused an infection the last treatment. No HPV vaccine.
Panic attacks have increased with stress of work, moving, and health conditions. Panic attacks are new, happening once a month. Generalized anxiety is a daily occurrence with some OCD tendencies. OCD tendencies involve chronic worry. Symptoms are new and have worsened with increased stress and anxiety. ADHD was diagnosed but no treatment plan was established. In 2021-2023, there was very limited anxiety, some OCD tendencies, and ADHD was present.
Constantly getting sick with common colds, stomach bugs, or flu like symptoms. four occurrences within the last 6 months. 2021-2023 had very few illnesses.
Just diagnosed with severe sleep apnea in 2024. The CPAP has just started to be used but there have been no positive effects noticed yet.

Past blood test:
Blood Test8/4/20249/19/20241/26/20244/19/2024 CHOLESTEROL, TOTAL 180 144 HDL CHOLESTEROL 35 34 TRIGLYCERIDES 167 81 LDL-CHOLESTEROL 117 93 CHOL/HDLC RATIO 5.1 4.2 NON HDL CHOLESTEROL 145 110 WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT 7 6.57.6 RED BLOOD CELL COUNT 5.63 6.095.86 HEMOGLOBIN 15.4 16.416.4 HEMATOCRIT 45.1 5150.2 MCV 81.9 83.785.7 MCH 27.4 26.928 MCHC 33.4 83.732.7 RDW 12.9 12.913.4 PLATELET COUNT 237 241228 MPV 11.3 12.112.2 ABSOLUTE NEUTROPHILS 3878 4628 ABSOLUTE LYMPHOCYTES 2310 1976 ABSOLUTE MONOCYTES 441 456 ABSOLUTE EOSINOPHILS 308 479 ABSOLUTE BASOPHILS 63 61 NEUTROPHILS 55.4 60.9 LYMPHOCYTES 33 26 MONOCYTES 6.3 6 EOSINOPHILS 4.4 6.3 BASOPHILS 0.9 0.8 HEPATITIS A AB, TOTAL Non Reactive HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIBODY QL Reactive HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN Non Reactive HEPATITIS B CORE AB TOTAL Non Reactive HEPATITIS C ANTIBODY Non Reactive HSV1 52.7 HSV2 <.9 GLUCOSE 86 8980 UREA NITROGEN (BUN) 15 1113 CREATININE 1.12 1.061.09 EGFR88 9390 BUN/CREATININE RATIO Within Range Within RangeWithin Range SODIUM 139 141140 POTASSIUM 4.4 4.34.3 CHLORIDE 105 105105 CARBON DIOXIDE 25 2726 CALCIUM 9.3 9.79.4 PROTEIN, TOTAL 7.1 7.17 ALBUMIN 4.4 4.54.5 GLOBULIN 2.7 2.62.5 ALBUMIN/GLOBULIN RATIO 1.6 1.71.8 BILIRUBIN, TOTAL 0.8 0.60.6 ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 51 5954 AST 22 1719 ALT 37 2624 Hemoglobin A1C5.2 5.1 VITAMIN D, 25-OH, TOTAL35 46 VITAMIN D, 25-OH, D2 <4 VITAMIN D, 25-OH, D3 46 CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS RNA, TMA, UROGENITAL NOT DETECTED NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE RNA, TMA, UROGENITAL NOT DETECTED TSH W/REFLEX TO FT41.73 1.75 VITAMIN B12 335 431 FOLATE, SERUM8.2 8.7 HIV AG/AB, 4TH GEN NON-REACTIVE RPR (DX) W/REFL TITER AND CONFIRMATORY TESTING NON-REACTIVE TESTOSTERONE, TOTAL, MS 119247445 TESTOSTERONE, FREE 22.948.495.6 TESTOSTERONE,BIOAVAILABLE 47 200.8 SEX HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN 171217 ALBUMIN 4.5 4.6 IGF 1, LC/MS 215 Z SCORE (MALE) 0.9 IRON, TOTAL 91 IRON BINDING CAPACITY 272 % SATURATION 33 FERRITIN 145 PROLACTIN 11.7 ESTRADIOL 27 FSH 3.1 LH 2.9 TSH 2.48 T4, FREE 1.6

Hi Redditors! :)
I see a lot of posts on this subreddit asking about the individual experiences people have with taking Accutane (Isotretinoin), so I thought I would just share my experience while on this medication several years ago.
First of all, I was on a 20 mg daily dose for 4 weeks, and then I was bumped up to 40 mg daily for a total period of 6 months. If you are new to Accutane, most dermatologists will prescribe a lower dose initially to get your body used to the medication and to help reduce a potentially severe flare-up. Please be aware that your dermatologist or GP can prescribe medications such as Prednisone when first commencing Accutane treatment to also assist in reducing the physical symptoms of an initial flare-up. Most times, the flare-up is due to the effects of Accutane working within your body. However, it is also common simply due to the fact that other medications are discontinued prior to starting Accutane, causing a treatment gap between the time the previous medications were discontinued and the time the Accutane begins to start working.
While on Accutane, a simple and hydrating routine should be all that you need! Typically, this includes a gentle cleanser, moisturiser, and most importantly, a good sunscreen - you MUST wear sunscreen!!! Furthermore, a good lip balm is also necessary - your lips will dry out, and as this is practically a 100% guaranteed effect of the medication: dermatologists use it as an indication your medication is being absorbed properly. Isotretinoin is also best taken with food, since it is highly lipophilic and the absorption within the body is greatly enhanced when taken with a meal.
Personally, I had dry skin, hair and lips, in addition to a bit of facial redness, nothing too over the top. Remember, the dryness is not a typical side-effect in the classical sense - it is expected that you will be quite dry, this is how Accutane works. After my course finished, the dryness and redness disappeared over the course of a month or two.
Do not expect your treatment to be linear and do not fall into the trap of thinking the medication is not working because you have used it for a few months and things don't seem to be improving. My skin took a dramatic change for the best through month 5 - yes, it can really take this long, but when it happens, it happens rather quickly! The medication continues to work for up to 2 months after your course has finished, so you can expect to see further improvements after finishing your course.
On this note, a lot of people tend to classify 'acne' as quite literally everything they are trying to treat: the actual pimples, but also the scarring, post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) and/or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Accutane does not directly treat the last three issues. However, as your skin begins to clear and your breakouts stop, the increased cellular turnover will help to fade the PIE and PIH left on the skin. If the skin is not constantly in a state of breaking out, which Accutane will address, your skin has the time to repair and heal itself, which ultimately leads to the disappearance of any PIE/PIH, given enough time. After your course, and if there is still any PIE/PIH or scarring left that bothers you, other treatments to fix these issues can be considered.
Finally, if you are on Accutane and are struggling to get through it all, I hear you, and I understand you. I was in the same position as you, but my gosh, if the medication does work for you, which there is a very high chance it will, the results are life-changing. Just remember to be patient, as hard as it is - I know it is emotionally and physically draining, but things will get better. Gone will be the days of hiding from the camera and the lights, making excuses for not hanging out with your family and friends, and wishing just for one day that you can get up in the morning and not have to worry about this burden of a skin condition.
If anybody is struggling and needs somebody to talk to, I am always happy to answer some questions about my experience. You got this! <3

My husband is not diagnosed with anything yet but has been having worsening chronic pain for several years. Due to past medical neglect and abuse he has not been able to see anyone about it until he moved in with me a year ago. At this point, despite initiating an investigation into his symptoms, he is now in so much pain he is bedbound and suicidal and breaking down constantly. He hasn’t slept more than 4 hours at a time in weeks and can sometimes barely think. We are doing testing with his PCP and no matter how many times we’ve mentioned how bad the pain is the only thing we’ve managed to get is a rheum referral we had to ask for directly and we’re still waiting for a call. Urgent care prescribed nothing, did X-rays and all they showed was very mild scoliosis which is obviously not the issue. Labs so far are showing something wrong but all we have so far is a largely nonspecific collection of results like a positive ANA, newly borderline high A1C, and high CRP. Is there anything we can/should do for his pain in the meantime? Should his PCP/urgent care be suggesting more? He has a history of this pain responding to a 3 day course of prednisone he got for some sinusitis a while back, but his PCP won’t even do another short course just to help him not want to kill himself from the pain (we are afraid of mentioning this in a medical setting outside of his psychiatrist for obvious reasons) and we don’t want to ask for narcotics because he has a past history of bad withdrawal from them. We are at the end of our rope on trying to get through to people how much he needs help so I’m reaching out here for any suggestions on what to do.

(TW for some mild suicide discussion)
My husband is not diagnosed with anything yet but has been having worsening chronic pain for several years. Due to past medical neglect and abuse he has not been able to see anyone about it until he moved in with me a year ago. At this point, despite initiating an investigation into his symptoms, he is now in so much pain he is bedbound and suicidal and breaking down constantly. He hasn’t slept more than 4 hours at a time in weeks and can sometimes barely think. We are doing testing with his PCP and no matter how many times we’ve mentioned how bad the pain is the only thing we’ve managed to get is a rheum referral we had to ask for directly and we’re still waiting for a call. Urgent care prescribed nothing, did X-rays and all they showed was very mild scoliosis which is obviously not the issue. Labs so far are showing something wrong but all we have so far is a largely nonspecific collection of results like a positive ANA, newly borderline high A1C, and high CRP. Is there anything we can/should do for his pain in the meantime? Should his PCP/urgent care be suggesting more? He has a history of this pain responding to a 3 day course of prednisone he got for some sinusitis a while back, but his PCP won’t even do another short course just to help him not want to kill himself from the pain (we are afraid of mentioning this in a medical setting outside of his psychiatrist for obvious reasons) and we don’t want to ask for narcotics because he has a past history of bad withdrawal from them. We are at the end of our rope on trying to get through to people how much he needs help so I’m reaching out here for any suggestions on what to do.

31F, Height: 5’3”, Weight: 105lbs, Race: White Location: CNY
About 3 months ago I noticed my abdomen felt VERY hard and painful to touch. I went to my GP, who was concerned enough to send me to get an x-ray and ultrasound that very same day, which led to me finding out I have a MASSIVE (6”X6”) cystic structure in my lower abdomen. The thing is so big and irregular they couldn’t even tell where it had originated from, so my GP said I needed to get one last test done (MRI scan) before I could get the surgery to remove it, but she assured me that the issue would be dealt with swiftly. This was a very important concern of mine, as it's actually causing me a great deal of pain (especially when I get my period) and mentally I've just been totally overwhelmed and unable to find comfort or relief. Needless to say, the whole situation is having a significant impact on my life, so I desperately just want to get the procedure done and over with. GP said she’d arrange for the MRU ASAP and get back to me.
That was about 3 months ago. I have called her office several times to find out what the deal is, but every time I do, the nurse tells me she’s not available to talk. So every time I have to just leave a message, without getting to opportunity to really get across to her how bad this situation is spiraling for me. I’ve had 3 extremely painful periods since the initial diagnosis, and at this point it hurts and bothers me all the time, non-stop, 24/7. I am sick of having to keep putting this off, as I don’t want to spend my whole summer in pain and in significant emotional distress. Only once did they give me a little bit of helpful information, which was that they had to resubmit everything to the insurance company again because something (I have no idea what) got screwed up the first time, but its been radio silence ever since.
My question is this— how can I expedite this whole process, and do I need to go see some kind of specialist who can get the ball rolling faster than my GP is? I thought this all would have been dealt with by now, yet here I am months later still suffering and getting more and more depressed and desperate as the weeks go by. I’m not scared at all to have surgery; in fact, I’m actually looking forward to it. The only other medical issue I have is pretty severe asthma, but I’ve got that under control right now with a combination of drugs and therapies (singulair, Trilogy, Nucalla, albuterol, prednisone, etc). I am really hoping someone here is able to point me in the right direction, because I don’t know how much longer I can stand to be this way, so thank you in advance to anyone who’s got some solid info/advice on this matter.

Can I tell you his story? What happened to our beloved boy and caused us to find this community? You don't have to agree with how we handled it, but before criticizing ,please try to understand our love for him. And how hard we (and he) tried to get thru the spinal cord injury. He fought. And that was our rallying cry "IF HE FIGHTS, WE FIGHT." Right now, I need to "talk" with someone, and this community is the only world that truly understands. I can't answer the phone. I can't email. I can't say his name. It's like if I say it, he will be lost to me.
Today we helped our sweet, sweet boy pass over the Rainbow Bridge. Rescued 12 years ago from a deserted canyon road in Hawaii, he will always hold our hearts. It was devastasting. My husband has rarely cried over the past 35 years. When his mom died. When my dad died. Now. Almost five months to the day since our boy suffered a terrible injury at the boarding kennel when his life irreparably changed.
His hind foot caught in the kennel grate overnight sometime between 8 pm and 6 am. He was like that for hours based on the swelling and injury to his foot according to our vet. In trying to free himself, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury from which he never fully recovered.
We picked him up from the emergency vet soon the next day (earliest flight back), and he was paralyzed on all four legs by that time. His crying will forever haunt us. His fear at not being able to move, his pain that riddled his back and neck...it was unbearable. The crying wouldn't stop.
We swiftly moved into action. My husband tended to our injured boy while I worked the phones literally all night calling everywhere in a 200 mile radius fron the DC metro area to find a neurologist and MRI available the next day. Each time I got turned down, I asked "who else can I call?" Word spread overnight in the veterinary community. Just as the sun was coming up and day clinics were getting ready to open, a vet office called our home and said "We heard your story. Can you be here at 10?" Thank God.
The MRI confirmed the injury to the spinal cord. It was bad, especially for a 15 year old dog. But the neurologist and our vet (who specializes in PT), gave us hope. There's a 50/50 chance he can recover, but surgery is not recommended because of his age.
So began the whirlwind of the past months. Diazapam, Prednisone, Gapabentin, so many other meds, I can't remember them all and these changed depending on how he responded. CBD, Senelife, Selegeline (for his terror at being in the dark now) and other joint and healing supplements. Laser therapy, accupuncture, deep tissue massage, exercises, supplements, twice weekly VET/PT appointments, B12 injections, PEMF mat sessions. You name it, we did it. Correction: HE did it.
He made progress. We kept a journal to stay encouraged. Even the vet was cautiiously optimistic but warned he had a long road. And then he started losing ground. He got more tired, less able to stand to eat, needed help again to go to the bathroom. Barely could walk. The vet said his injury was going the wrong direction. He no longer wanted to fight. He was so tired. We made the hard call. The one that hurt us more than anything. We let him go in peace without more suffering.
The sweetest, most grateful dog we have ever known. Run free, little one.

I have had severe neck pain for 2.5 years now. to the point where my head is completely stuck and extremely painful to move in any direction. For the longest time i blamed it on weightlifting thinking i was somehow hurting myself.
my doctors kind of brushed me off for 2 years even though my MRI’s were strange having joint effusion in my atlantoaxial joint and c1-c2 joint as well as edema.
I got to a point where i could not be active anymore and had to stop lifting all together. i couldn’t sleep, i couldn’t work, i couldn’t take care of my home due to the pain.
it’s been 6 months since i stopped lifting and if i stop prednisone and ibuprofen the pain and sickness feeling become unbearable. the pain is worse in the morning and at night. as the day goes on i feel weaker and like i am coming down with something.
i got a second opinion with a different rheum and she speculated AS. i told my primary rheum i also have pain in my SI joints so he immediately ordered an MRI. here are my MRI findings:
Irregularity involving the entire right SI joint and the inferior two thirds of the SI joint on the left. There is reactive edema about the bilateral SI joints as well as small erosions along the iliac aspects of the bilateral SI joints. Otherwise, the SI joints are intact.
impression: findings consistent with bilateral sacroilitis
Will i finally have a diagnosis and is this definitively AS or non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis? I am waiting for my doctor to review the results.

My husband 39 yr old Male, 5'11" 220 lbs..average build had a weird rash pop up on his feet and ankles a week ago. Fast forward to now, it has spread slightly up with a few spots up to his thighs. No regular meds/supplements he takes. Did take Tadalafil once after the rash already appeared so, we don't believe it's related. Otherwise healthy, active..work has slowed down a bit but not doing anything unusual. Visited UC today. Blood pressure a bit elevated at 143/93. Pluse 63. Resp 16. I haven't seen the full blood work yet but doc stated the blood test was mostly normal and reassuring, only thing a bit high was the liver enzymes (I believe is what he said) no biopsy done.. Had no idea what it is and said it could be so many things and he ruled out the most terrible with bloodwork. The only things we can remember happening directly before the rash popped up are...Weedwhacking a large field for at least 7 hours. Felt slightly tired and worn out a couple days prior to the rash..our children both came down with random fevers for a few days. Thursday to Sunday, each had them about 36 hours. I had a sore throat. But overall, we've all been mostly well. No stomach pain, joint pain, swelling. He did say the rash feels slightly itchy, with a little bit of pain. More so with standing. The one thing I will say has changed is stress levels for him..none of the bumps have broken open, no bleeding or pus. Were stumped and waiting for the referral to dermatology. Just looking for insite on what it could be, and what other steps to take next!
Edit/Update: Husband finished prednisone 2 days ago, the rash was looking better, lighter and seemed to be going away. But, no looking closer today...they look like they might be coming back. 😕 We see primary on Wednesday. 🤞 I hope it isn't as serious as some of the things I have been researching. I also wanted to add, it seems my youngest had Fiths disease. Upon more research regarding adults and Fiths, it can cause an unusual presentation of a rash like this and also cause evaluated liver enzymes. Now, I'm not a doctor so I have no idea how accurate that is..but I was reading case studies, and that's about the only link I have made this far. Lol...Guess we'll find out soon.

After getting sick, and taking a heavy dose of prednisone, I think my body erupted with candida (which I am suspecting was there before to a low degree, but the prednisone really just broke the entire system wide open)
Excessive burping all day, even on an empty stomach. Just over and over for some times half an hour or more, while my stomach just feels so bloated and full of air. Sometimes the burps get trapped and it hurts until I can get it out!
My appetite has been so low also. Almost non existent (and when I do eat of course I crave sugar)
The worst though is the night time. I can't sleep, because I get horrible shortness of breath all night and feel like I can't get a deep breath in. Like someone is sitting on my chest. And every time I get just to the edge of falling asleep, my body erupts in a panic attack. I jerk awake, struggle to breath, I get super hot and confused amd it is so scary. It feels like I'm dying. I went a full 48 hours with absolutely 0 sleep due to it. Insomnia every night until 3-5 am when my body finally shuts down and then I'm awake at 6 or 7 am again. So if I am able to fall asleep, it's only an hour or a couple hours of sleep.
My bed room for no logical reason suddenly felt claustrophobic and "wrong" so I moved downstairs to my couch where I try to sleep propped up on pillows with a fan blowing directly on my face so I can breath a tiny bit better. So many irrational mental ticks and anxieties now. My entire house feels wrong now and being there makes me feel like I'm crawling out of my skin. Like some weird PTSD from the scene of where my body broke with the candida.
My anxiety is through the roof and I now fear the night since it's at its worse then, and I cannot be alone. I literally packed up myself and my 3 animals and went to my mama's in a neighboring state. And mind you I am a heavily introverted person who normally LOVES my alone time and solitude in my cozy house. Like truly loves being alone. There have been times where I feel manic and just pace until I calm down. I've always been a pretty evenly keeled person mentally so this part is scary too because I know it's not me.
I'll get shortness of breath during the day too but it is so up and down from day to day. One day I feel like I can breathe almost completely normally again, and then the next day I'm struggling to breathe all day. I never escape the breathing problems at night tho. I know candida can be worse at night and that couldn't be more accurate for me.
I getting fleeting moments of feeling normal/okay some days and I get excited thinking I've finally gotten over this mess, only for all the symptoms to come crashing back to remind me I'm not.
I'm taking all the supplements and oils and diet, and am hopeful I will feel normal again soon. Sometimes I despair and think this is my life forever now, that I'll never feel normal again, and I wouldn't wish this hell on anyone. And it's impossible to talk to anyone in my life about it because they haven't experienced it and don't know how horrible it can be.
Currently 1am and I'm unable to sleep as per mentioned above and need some support from those who understand 😭😭

Hello all. I (23 year old, male) got very sick in November with flu like symptoms. I was sick for about a week and had typical muffled hearing associated with my head congestion. As my head pressure came down, my hearing got very loud. Unbearably loud. I couldn’t drive, have the central air running in my house, turn the TV up to normal levels ect. I can only compare this to ear popping and loud hearing you have after landing in an airplane. Typically that loud hearing only lasts for a few minutes at most. After my head pressure relieved this lasted about 19 days. I saw my primary, who prescribed amoxicillin for my infection and prednisone to relieve swelling in my Eustachian tubes. After a few days, no change, I went to see an urgent care. They prescribed more prednisone. By this time my flu like symptoms had pretty much disappeared but I was still having this incredibly bad heating issue. I was advised to see an ENT. I made the earliest appointment I could. I saw the ENT 21 days after symptoms started. They conducted a hearing test and I explained to them that loud noises bothered me a bit but I couldn’t depict wether that was because I had stayed away from loud noises for so long or because it truly bothered me. They conducted a hearing test and my right ear came back flawless and actually a tad above average for my age. My left ear showed that I could hear sounds fine when they were a couple feet away but when sounds were placed directly in my ear and my right was isolated, I couldn’t hear most frequencies until about 35-42db. They said my issue was that the bones in my middle ear had seized up and had most likely been that way for a long time. After years of my body dealing with that, my brain had turned the volume up. I find that odd, but heard what they said. I had noticed at school at a young age that I had to turn my music up a couple notches when listening to music with an earbud only in my left ear. My loud hearing never returned but I have noticed a slight intolerance of loud sounds from time to time.
Now, as of Monday (about 6 months later) I became very ill again with similar symptoms. Thursday, as my head pressure relieved and I started to feel better, the loudness returned but ONLY in my left ear. When I woke up Friday I had worsened. I went to my primary again on Friday to seek help for my symptoms but wasn’t really seeking much help for my ear since all doctors had told me “I don’t know” last time. They gave me 3 days of zpak. I am feeling better today (the day after, 2 doses in) but my hearing is still loud in my left ear. I find this incredibly odd. I’ve researched all over the internet and found nothing. Any advice is appreciated as this is unbearable.
Meds taken during both ilnesses: Sudafed Dayquill/nyquill
First illness: Amoxicillin Prednisone
Second illness: Zpak
EDIT: I have tried a warm compress on my ears and every other trick in the book to relieve Eustachian tube pressure. I do not have tonsils or adenoids. I used to have asthma and terrible allergies as a kid but have since been pretty good with them. I’ll get under the weather from them for a couple days every springs but after that it’s usually kicked for the season. At the beginning of this most recent illness I suspected allergies.

So, I’m in generally good health, aside from being considered obese and I do have hypothyroidism. I am not sedentary. I work in outpatient surgery and I am a full time working mother of an almost 2 year old toddler so I am definitely keeping busy. My son does not go to daycare, he stays with my mother who was recently diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy/immunotherapy Q3/weeks so I need to just not be sick because this upcoming week is when she’s getting her chemo.
Anyway, here’s what I have going on..
I’ve been sick what only God knows what since Tuesday and have gotten progressively worse. To name my symptoms: - painful cough - congestion (head and chest) - runny/stuffy nose - sore throat - pain radiation to my back when coughing - swollen lymph nodes - neck pain - chest pain (not cardiac, only cough induced) - fatigue - body aches - sweat/chills - very mild fever the first few days
Went to urgent care and was told my throat was red but lungs were clear then sent me on my way. No prescriptions or recommendations for anything. Then, called my PCP, they got me in with their acute care provider, who was lovely, but just prescribed a single 50mg tablet of Prednisone and said to use anesthetic lozenges for the sore throat. I’ve lost my voice starting from Wednesday and it’s gotten worse. It was completely gone Thursday and Friday and seemed to get better yesterday but this persistent cough is making it much more worse. Talking is painful and swallowing is painful. I’ve been doing robitussin every 4 hours as per the directions. Avoiding Sudafed per the recommendation of the acute care provider. Using the lozenges she recommended and I even got a throat numbing spray which helps for such a short period of time. Nothing seems to be helping. My cough has not improved and my sore throat has just gotten worse.
What do I do?!😭😭😭