The Dangers Of Cortisone Treatments
Holistic Health
Steroids: are there safe &
effective alternatives?
"Doctors tell you that steroids
(cortisone, prednisone)
only cause side effects after many years. But new research shows
that permanent damage is immediate and devastating. Studies show
that steroids cause permanent, debilitating effects after a single
dosage. 'Steroids are probably the most sleazy of modern day
medications,' says John Mills, former professor of medicine at the
University of California, San Francisco and chief of infectious
diseases at San Francisco General Hospital."
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"...the treatment of a
patient with prednisone at 60 mg per day for about three months can
actually cause AIDS. This treatment and doses often given to
patients suffering from lung fibrosis, thrombocytopenia, or other
chemically induced chronic illnesses." "...AIDS is caused by the
heavy use of corticosteroids and/or cytotoxic drugs to treat many
health problems. Fauci described in detail the effects of
corticosteroids on the immune system. These effects resemble the
immune abnormalities that are found in patients suffering from AIDS
or Idiopathic CD4 T cells lymphocytopnea (ICL) which are also
described by Fauci et al"
Dr. Mercola
"Dr. Al-Bayati, discovered that the steroid treatments, Prednisone and Azathioprine had completely destroyed my immune system and were the culprits that were not allowing my bodily systems to repair themselves. In essence my HMO gave me the appearance of medication induced "Aids." Larry J. Boyd, Suisun City, California
Side effects of steroids ----
Coping With Prednisone and Other Cortisone-Related
Medicines
Alternatives to steroids ----
Heartbreaking testimonial of an animal on steroids
Steroids The sleaziest of drugs
Steroids are fast catching up with antibiotics as the most abused class of drugs in your doctor's black bag. There's no doubt that the discovery of steroids a half century ago was a major advance in medicine-a life-saver for those like the late President John F Kennedy, who suffered from Addison's disease, a disease of the adrenal glands causing insufficient hormone production. Steroids mimic the action of the adrenal glands, the body's most powerful regulator of general metabolism. John Stirling, director of the vitamin company Biocare, credits a very short course (three injections) of steroids with jump-starting his failing adrenal system after anaphylactic shock and saving his life. The problem is, like antibiotics, steroids appear to be a miracle 'cure'. Patients with crippling arthritis or asthma seem to be instantly better on steroids.The wheeze, the swelling, the pain go away. So doctors turn to steroids as the first, rather than last, line of attack for their anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects.
As with antibiotics, what was once reserved for the extreme emergency is now being used on the most trivial of conditions. Steroids are now handed out as readily as antibiotics, even to babies, at the first sign of inflammation of any sort. The latest drug set to replace gripe water for babies with croup is a steroid (budesonide); hydrocortisone is included in the latest over-the-counter medication for piles. Steroids make up many OTC skin drugs, and are considered the drug of choice for asthma, eczema, arthritis, back problems, bowel problems like ulcerative colitis-indeed, for any and all inflammations or allergic reactions-and new uses are still being invented. The sole exceptionis Addison's Disease, where steroids act as a replacement therapy of cortisone, much as insulin is given to diabetics.
Far from being a wonder drug 'cure all', steroids cannot cure one single condition. All they do is suppress your body's ability to express a normal response. In a few instances, this type of suppression will give the body a chance to heal itself. But more often, the effect is immediate, devastating and permanent damage. And we are only now realizing just how quickly damage can occur. Despite what doctors say, that steroids only have side effects after many years of use, there is no such thing as a safe dose.
Studies show that steroids cause permanent, debilitating effects after a single dosage. 'Steroids are probably the most sleazy of modern day medications,' says John Mills, former professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and chief of infectious diseases at San Francisco General Hospital.
Long-term damage: quick and dirty
Steroids don't take years to damage your system, as doctors maintain. Permanent, crippling damage can occur weeks after you've begun treatment.
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Osteoporosis can occur within a matter of months. Steroids cause 8 per cent reduction in bone mass after four months (Ann Int Med, November 15, 1993), the equivalent of the effect on your bones of having your ovaries removed. Even low doses of inhaled steroids (400 micrograms per day) reduce bone formation (The Lancet, July 6, 1991).
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Low doses (10-15 mg prednisone) for a year can cause cataracts (Surv Ophthalmol, 1986; 31: 260-2).
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Topical steroids may begin to cause eye damage or raise pressure after two weeks. Extensive visual loss can be caused by a 1 per cent hydrocortisone ointment, which is available OTC (BMJ, August 20-27, 1994).
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Rub-on steroids have caused Cushing's syndrome in children as soon as a month after treatment has begun (Arch Dis Child, 1982; 57: 204-7).
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Inhaled steroids slowth growth in children after six weeks (Acta Ped, 1993; 82: 636-40. See also, The Lancet, December 14, 1991).
Sudden death on steroids
Steroids, even in low doses, can kill or maim. The common thread in the following cases was that the drugs weren't used for long periods but had a swift and devastating effect. Steroids gave James Hart osteoporosis in three months and killed him inside of one year. In July 1994, James Hart was diagnosed as having fibrosing alveolitis, a lung disease. A body-dye scan at the time showed that he was otherwise healthy, with every other organ besides the lung in good shape. Up until that spring, he'd been a keen golfer, playing a full round twice a week. He was given oxygen therapy at home, plus 12 tablets of 5 mg of prednisolone per day. The drug was intended to give his body a boost, to help him gain weight. Within a month, however, James's weight increased dramatically, bloating out of all proportion. His skin became very thin and his arms and hands were discoloured purple, bruising at the slightest touch. Although the steroids weren't alleviating the lung problem to any degree, and the dosage was halved within a month, James suffered terrible mood swings, and soon developed a misshapen neck and back, usually termed buffalo hump, a well-known side effect of steroids.
Five months after he'd started on steroids,James was crippled and incapacitated, with pain to his back and ribs; eventually, his family discovered he had a broken vertebrae and damaged rib-cage due to osteoporosis. He was no longer able to go to the toilet on his own, and a month later, he'd contracted diabetes and developed a liver problem.
By early June 1995 he could no longer eat due to mouth and gum ulcers, which were slow to heal. A month later-exactly a year after he'd started on steroids-James died of liver, pancreatic and kidney failure. When he was dying, his family could not even hold his hands, because it would damage his skin and cause blood vessels to leak. On his death certificate, the lung disease was not considered the major cause of his death.
Steroids killed nine-year-old Lexie McConnell after only five and a half weeks. In August 1993, Lexie was diagnosed as having toxoplasmosis. The consultant put her on 80 mg per day of prednisolone. Immediately, she suffered severe side effects-huge weight gain, terrible pains, holes in her tongue and black stools. After nearly a month, at her parents' pleading, the doctors quickly lowered the dosage to 60 mg, 40 mg, 20 mg. In excruciating pain, Lexie was taken to a hospital, where it was discovered she'd contracted chickenpox. Four days later, she died. A few years later, another eye specialist declared that a simple course of antibiotics could have cleared up her infection (see Viewpoint). (The above excerpt copied from Ursula Kelly's site)
Alternative to steroids: "I was on steroids for 9 years to suppress a lifelong eczema condition. The side effects were devastating and nearly killed me. With holistic alternatives, I recovered my health and my sanity. For the past 20 years I have been free from prescription and over the counter drugs of any kind and I am now a perfect picture of health and vitality."Read my testimonial. Shirley (author of this website)
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 Coping With
Prednisone and Other Cortisone-Related Medicines: It May Work
Miracles, but How Do You Handle the Side Effects? by Eugenia
Zukerman, Julie R., MD Ingelfinger
"When flutist Eugenia Zukerman developed a rare lung disease and began taking the powerful drug prednisone as part of her treatment, she was subjected--with little choice and less preparation--to a barrage of side effects: intense mood swings, bloating, changes in her hair and skin, gastrointestinal problems, and more." Amazon.com Editorial Reviews "You take your dog to the vet with a skin infection. Your vet gives your dog a steroid injection. The skin infection clears up. Later, you discover your dog has kidney disease. Is there a clear connection between the steroid injection and your dog's diseased kidneys? You don't know. But we do know that steroids are known to damage kidneys. We also know, from the drug manufacturers' own data sheets, that steroids can cause liver damage, brittle bones, diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, an inability to deal with stress, and damage to the immune system." Catherine O'Driscoll Sick Animal on Steroids: a testimonial Subject: Re: Steroids Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 In a message dated 8/28/2001, sandraabowman@webtv.net writes: I would like some info on the Holistic alternative to steroids. I have a very sick male 10 year old cat who has been on Prednisone for most of his life due to a "bad immune system" after a toxic dose of antibiotics when he was about a year old after having an infected nail. He supposedly also developed asthma somewhere about 6 years old and was then given Aminophilline in addition to the Pred. The dosage has been decrease and increased on a regular basis as the symptoms warranted. He was given two of his four shots last month and was due to have the other ones, but has suddenly become very ill. He is showing a high glucose count in blood tests (256) a lot of sugar in his urine and a high protein (globulin) of 9.7. First signs of illness was inability to walk good, kind of with a limp about 9 days ago. I took him to the vet and he said he was constipated and gave him and enema and did the blood work and urinalysis. This was last Friday. I have tried to encourage him to eat and drink, but I am not having much success. He does eat if I hand feed and take the water to him. He will not stand and eat or drink. He will walk and will get into his litter box and does urinate and has had bowel movements, however, they are round about the size of an acorn. He cries when picked up most of the time and will walk from one place to another to sleep under the bed or behind the couch. He still wants to sleep with my husband and I at night as has always been his practice. He has walked up the steps (slowly) every day since the sudden onset of this illness. We also have a 2 year old female cat who has had all of her shots and seems to be doing fine, altho after having four shots about 2-3 months ago became toxic and feverish. She went on antibiotics and it cleared up. The costs are mounting considerably for two people on "fixed incomes" but we want to do as much as possible for our male hoping something will help bring him out of this. I have decreased his Pred as the Vet said he may have developed Diabetes. He is sneezing and clearly is congested in his nasal area. His gums are very pink and healthy and his lungs were clear as of last Friday at the visit to the Vet. I am going to try and collect another urine specimen today and have it tested. I am just concerned about the vaccinations not given and if there is a natural way of treating some of these symptoms. I fear the side effects of Pred have contributed to his current illness. Thank you for taking your time to read this. Eileen's response: (Eileen is the author/webmaster of Feline Companion. She specializes in the rescue & hospice care of FeLV & FIV pos. cats & cats with disabilities. This is a link to a site that explains what blood test results mean: http://www.amarillomed.com/howto.htm You should be able to bring the page up, it's ust text. Web-tv seems to have a problem with frames. If you can't read it, let me know and I'll copy/paste it into an e-mail for you. Albumin and Globulin measure the amount and type of protein in your blood. They are a general index of overall health and nutrition. Globulin is the "antibody" protein important for fighting disease. The A/G Ratio is the mathematical relationship between the above. Elevated levels can indicate liver disease. Aminophilline is a broncho-dilator used by asthma and emphysema patients. Steroid therapy should be only reserved for short term use to alleviate certain symptoms. Long term use is reserved for situations when nothing else works. Streroids are very potent anti-inflammatory drugs. I can't understand why your vet would put your cat on long term steroids for a "bad immune system" because steroids cause the immune system to become weakened. They only mask symptoms and have devastating side effects. I can attest to that, as I've been on prednisone for about 18 years for my arthritis, Lupus and Fibromyalgia. My dose has been as high as 35mg a day and is now at 25mg a day. I can't walk without it. I've had cataract surgery on both eyes and have developed osteoporosis in my hip, knees and spine from the pred. Unfortunately, I can't take NSAIDs, being allergic to aspirin, so pred was the only med that worked. I was well aware of the dangers of the drug when I started taking it but, under the circumstances, I had no other choice. One other drug worked for me and the FDA took it off the market when it killed around 65 people out of the 2 1/2 million that took it, all over 60 years old and all from liver disease, all of which had a liver problem before taking it. That was Oraflex. I'm now 54 years old and still manage to get around pretty well. Without the pred, I would have been a cripple all these years. Cats can't take aspirin since their bodies metabolize compounds differently and in a cats system, aspirin converts to cyanide. So, cats can't take NSAIDs. The side effects and diseases steroids can cause in cats is the same as those that they can cause in humans. One of the diseases steroids can cause in a cat is diabetes. It can also affect their liver. Symptomatically, what you describe is diabetes, and probably some liver disease. If it hurts when you pick him up, it sounds like he's in pain from disease or enlargement of one or more of his internal organs, or possibly internal bleeding caused by the steroids. As the pred has masked the symptoms, it's very hard to tell just what the cause is and which organs are involved. After all these years, he's become steroid dependant. His body isn't producing cortisone because the steroids have been replacing it for so long. Any reduction in the dose can be fatal and can cause adrenal gland failure. If the dose is reduced, it must be very gradually over a long period of time so his system will begin to produce cortisone on its own. It sounds like you don't have the luxury of time in his case. You will need to address the high blood glucose. It's symptomatic of diabetes and for that, he will need some form of insulin. A cats normal blood glucose should be between 75 and 150. Although 256 isn't alarmingly high, it demonstrates that his body isn't processing the sugars in his diet. Inactivity can cause the BG to elevate further. You may need to put him on insulin and adjust his diet. As for the constipation, pred can cause that. If he's really impacted, he may need the enema. It will be stressful on him, but hopefully, for the last time. You can get Laxatone and Felovite II w/Taurine and Pet-Tinic in just about any pet supply store and Colace is OTC in pharmacies. The Laxatone should take care of his constipation and giving him colace (a stool softener) will help keep the bowel soft. Felovite II is a very good vitamin/mineral suppliment, and he sounds like he can use one. Pet-Tinic is also a vitamin, and is used to treat anemia in cats because it's a very good iron suppliment. Linatone is good, too, mostly for healthy skin and coat. You squirt that on the food. Elevated stress can cause some factors in his blood work to be off, but depending on what they're looking for, it may not be significant. Steress can raise his creatinine level, as it does in multiple-cat households like ours. I'm concerned that he's not getting enough liquids in his system, which can contribute to the constipation. Try giving him some chicken broth to drink (I use College Inn Low Salt Chicken Broth and dilute it 1:1 with water.) in addition to leaving water out for him. I also roast turkey wings and make a stock from them. You wrote to Shirley: when Mag was 2 yrs. old and had a nail infection he was given an antibiotic. that this "stripped" his intestines thus causing a serious anemia problem. This was when they put him on pred. They said he had symptoms of FIV or leukemia, but the blood did not show it, so in order to keep him from being anemic that was the method of treatment. Since that time if he had bouts of anemia they would increase the dosage of the Pred than decrease when the symtoms would subside. The asthma did not appear until age 7, thus the additional medication. I have gone from one whole Pred (1/2 twice daily) this time last week to 1/4 per day as of yesterday. I hope that was not too soon. I've never heard of treating anemia with pred. It's anti-inflammatory and sometimes used for a few days as an appetite stimulant. Your vet may have used it thinking of reducing inflammation in his bowel. I would never have kept a cat that young on pred for so many years. He's treating the symptoms, not the disease. What are you feeding him? Commercial cat foods, that is, anything you can buy off a supermarket shelf, contain a lot of things that can actually cause illness in cats. If his BS is so high, he may be becoming diabetic and there are things he shouldn't eat. I do feed some commercial food, but our cats get fresh, raw, red meat (London Broil, sirloin and round cut in tiny, bite size pieces) every day, plus raw chicken and turkey. It seems to be working, they're a healthy bunch and you can't tell the FeLV+ cats from the FeLV neg. cats. Our FIV+ blind cat will be 10 years old in January. FIV+ cats are supposed to live for 5 years. Bringing him down from 5mg pred a day, I would give 1/2 pill at night and 1/4 pill in the morning for 7 days, then go to 1/4 pill twice a day for 7 days. Then, see how he is. A cats metabolism is nocturnal and single doses or the larger of a split dose of a med should be given at night. You may have to bring the dose up again. I think I mentioned in a previous e-mail that I think he may be pred-dependant. Cortisone is produced in the adrenal glands and sometimes, they don't kick back in when the pred is lowered or stopped and he could go into adrenal gland failure. Globulin is directly connected with his immune response. Ask your vet about Interferon. It's a colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid that you squirt into his mouth and is used as an immune system booster. Human AIDS patients take it, also sick FIV+ and FeLV+ cats, but a cat doesn't have to have FeLV or FIV to use it. It's used for 7 to 10 days on, then off, then on again, then off, and so on. If it's used every day. it stops working. It usually takes about a month for the effects to take hold. The dose is usually 1mL a day. I accidentally overdosed a cat with 3mL and the next day, she was a whole lot better. As far as I've been able to find out, there's no bad effect from an overdose. But, I wouldn't do it all the time. I have no doubt that the pred has caused his present illness, in aprt or in whole, but taking him off it at this point may not be the answer. I think you can do more good with the suppliments I mentioned and feeding him a natural diet to get his strength up again. Also, I think I mentioned insulin for diabetes. I looked through Shirley's site. She doesn't prescribe therapy for particular situations. That would be practicing without a license, and that's illegal. This is the only reference I found for an alternative to cortisone: "1. Why Destroy the Pets/Animals Immune System with Cortisone shots when a six dollar bottle of Herbal Licorice root or Yucca Extract does the job well - balances the adrenal safely! " Your cat was placed on cortisone to alleviate symptoms of a drug reaction, not for adrenal gland malfunction. Shirley does have a list of Holistic Vets on her site. Some do telephone consults, but they all charge for it. See if you can bring this URL up, it's a list of holistic vets by state: http://www.altvetmed.com/ahvmadir.html There are several in Kentucky. Holistic veterinary medicine is a science. Herbal renedies can have side effets, just as conventional medicines do. You have to know what you're doing before using them. What works for one may not work for another. So, before you try anything, I would suggest that you consult a holistic vet about it. At this point, you may not be able to take him off the steroids. Also, I would think about taking him to another vet for a second opinion and re-evaluation of his condition. Hope something here has helped. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Take care, Eileen
FelineCompanion@aol.com
"A growing number of vets are stating that processed pet food is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food suppresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. This research, initially conducted by Dr Tom Lonsdale, was researched further by the Australian Veterinary Association and proven to be correct." Learn more how you can improve your animal's immune system and overall health and avoid dangerous medication Side Effects of Steroids: The following is an excerpt
from: Mike Richards, DVM : "Corticosteroids occur naturally in both dogs and cats. They are produced by the adrenal gland. They have effects on most of the body's systems. For this reason, using them therapeutically tends to produce a lot of side effects. Cats are more resistant than dogs to the effects (and side-effects) of corticosteroids. The most common side effects associated with the use of corticosteroids are increased drinking, urinating and appetite. These effects are less noticeable in cats than dogs but weight gain does seem to accompany the use of corticosteorids in cats pretty frequently. Prednisone and other corticosteroids may cause other side effects, as well. Hairloss, dullness or thinning of the haircoat is occasionally seen in cats. Thinning of the skin and increased susceptibility to skin infections may occur. Panting is commonly seen in dogs as a side effect of corticosteroid use and is seen less frequently in cats, as well. We have had a couple of feline patients who developed diarrhea as a side effect of prednisone usage. Ulcers are reported to occur sometimes after corticosteroid usage but I don't recall seeing this problem in any of our patients. Generalized immune suppression can occur, particularly at higher corticosteroid doses or with frequent administration of corticosteroids. This is the side effect that we worry the most about in cats, as there is some evidence that corticosteroids can make it possible for dormant feline leukemia virus or herpes virus infections to reappear. It is a good idea to watch carefully for signs of illness when it is necessary to use corticosteroids in a cat and to report any signs of illness to your vet as soon as possible. Corticosteroid may lead to an increased incidence of pancreatitis in dogs but I am not sure if this problem occurs in cats. Use of cortisones makes it harder to control insulin dosages in diabetic pets and they may even help to induce diabetes in susceptible pets. In people, corticosteroid induced pyschoses are reported. I honestly think that this occasionally occurs in pets but have no real scientific data to support that belief. Still, if your cat starts hiding out all day, is more aggressive, or exhibits any recognizable behavioral changes it would be worthwhile to report them to your vet. There are probably other side effects that I haven't thought of. Sometimes when I look at the lists of things that corticosteroids do that aren't good for the patient it is hard to understand why we use them. But it is important to remember that they also have beneficial effects, as you have seen. As long as the beneficial effects are important and are providing an increased quality of life it seems reasonable to use corticosteroids. You just have to be careful to watch out for the pitfalls and adjust treatment plans accordingly." Mike Richards, DVM
"When flutist Eugenia Zukerman developed a rare lung disease and began taking the powerful drug prednisone as part of her treatment, she was subjected--with little choice and less preparation--to a barrage of side effects: intense mood swings, bloating, changes in her hair and skin, gastrointestinal problems, and more." Amazon.com Editorial Reviews |
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