Please Advise:Steroids and Cough Suppressant for Bronchitis

Hello all

I have had bronchitis for 4 weeks now which on top of the withdrawal is God awful. I need to know if steroids for this would be safe and also the cough suppressant DM or dextrometorphan (the long name).  I truly do not want to make the w/d worse. Would really appreciate any and all advise. I am getting really depressed about feeling so bad for so long. I started having really bad w/d during the taper and figured out by looking at my journal I have been going through this for 104 days. UUGH. A few windows but not enough to make a difference. Thank you all for being here!

Mary

I have a friend who gets bronchitis quite often so I can empathize with your distress.  I'm not aware of anything in the "DM" cough syrups that would cause a problem in wd.  A few members have thought that their steriod use (eg, cream or prednisone tablet) caused a rev up of symptoms but I never had a problem with either.  I do remember feeling really "energetic" whenever I've had to be on the tablets, which is always followed by a crash but that's just the steroid effect.  Before and after benzos, they still affect me the same and the effect is temporary.  (I've had asthma for nearly 60 years so have been on predisone a lot over the years.  It really helps with the inflammation.)

 

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Beeper

Thanks for the feedback, I am going to get with my doctor after I get some more feedback and discuss with him. He wasn't on board at all about the w/d then I left a message for him to check out our website and he called me at home at 10pm a few weeks ago and apologized! Crazy I always knew he was an awesome doctor he really came through for me. I did forget to ask the question about  emergency inhalers. I did do those a few years back when i was diagnosed with allergy induced asthma but since have used fish oil and a change in diet and so haven't need one for along time. I do remember them making my heart race when I used it so I am thinking maybe not? I used a daily inhaler as well(advair) so should I mention those to my dr. or not?  Thanks for any and all feedback!

Definitely mention the Advair.  I'm pretty sure there's a steroid component to it.  I sometimes had to use my rescue inhaler (albuterol) while in wd and knowing that the increased heart rate was a normal reaction to the inhaler kept me from interpretting it as another wd symptom.  You know, if you can't breathe, nothing else -including wd -matters. 

I had bronchitis while on Klonopin and was given Prednisone.  The Prednisone cleared it up in about 2 days.  I had no issues with it.

 

I was also on Advair at the time and that caused no problems.  Just wanted to relate my experience. 

 

(By the way, Advair does contain an inhaled corticosteroid.  Sometimes a person can have a slight heart rate increase after taking a puff, but it never really bothered me.  I was on it for about 7 years).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

Beeper and Fishing Guy,

Thanks so much for the helpful info. Beeper you are right when you cant breathe you are pretty much screwed. I had one of the worst nights of my life last night. I felt like I was breathing through a straw. Then the panic attacks hit. I wouldn't wish this madness on my worst enemy. I put a call into my doctor and so hopefully I will hear from him soon. the air quality is so bad I am scared to go outside. I was only out for a few minutes yesterday and that's what really screwed up the breathing, bad! I absolutely don't think I could have made it this far without the website. No one else either knows or cares what I am going through so its totally impossible to get good solid advise or a sympathetic ear.  This place is probably one of the main reasons I am hanging in there no matter how bad it gets. My deepest appreciation to everyone!

Mary,

 

The air quality has been terrible where I live as well, so I am staying indoors.  The ozone (and other particulates in the air) could have been what precipitated your attack. 

 

By the way, do you use a rescue inhaler?  My doctor told me to always carry two rescue inhalers with me (in case one fails).  I use ProAir (albuterol sulfate), by the way.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

Fishing Guy

Hey thanks for the input. I actually had one 6 years ago was diagnosed with seasonal asthma  in 98. I haven't used one since 2007. So I did get one from my doctor yesterday and have that to use till I go in Monday and have him check me out to find out exactly what is going on. He didn't want to give me anything else til he see me. He just wants to rule out pneumonia etc. So hopefully I will find out and go from there. I really didn't need this with the w/d, I am sure you can relate. Man we sure are in a pickle aren't we? Oh well I am sure it will work out eventually for us. Thanks for being a friend:)

Hope your doctor visit goes well, Mary.  I know what it is to feel like you can't breathe.  Like I heard someone else say, "When you can't breathe, nothing else matters".

 

Sincerely,

 

fg