Steroid induced hunger

rwinnie2

I started a course of steroids today for chronic bronchitis, and already I have that nasty metallic taste and am starving hungry. I'm on a really high oral dose, iv had these before as this is a recurring condition I usually end up falling on the wagon by day two.

So please any and all suggestions on what I should eat to maintain the full feeling for longer.

I will try to keep my hands a busy as possible knitting, nail painting, sewing but all helpful suggestions would be really great.

VMarkV

Are you taking steroids just to treat an exacerbation? It would be best to prevent exacerbations alltogether to avoid having to take multiple courses of steroids every so often. Proper inhaler technique and compliance with whatever your maintenance inhaler is would be best. If you are fearful of taking inhaled steroid, I can assure you they don't get systemically absorbed so they don't induce appetite like oral or IV steroids.

Your IV or oral steroid dose should be tapered after day two, if they plan on having you take it for 10+ days

We actually just covered this in class just the other day (<

---

pharmacy student)

rwinnie2

Unfortunately not an asthmatic, so I get no treatment. I have a condition called croup which presents as asthma type symptoms but only causes problems when I get a cold. Me and my daughter have it we get colds easily, despite vitamin supplements, when we do get a cold we sound like we have whooping caught (daughter has bee rushed to hospital twice suspected and same went for me as a kid) cold pretty much always turn into chest infections or bronchitis (I'm tending to just get bronchitis last few times) me and my daughter also have had pneumonia and pleurisy. From what I can gather its a sensitivity of the lung lining probably exassibated in my case to heavily smoking parents who would constantly smoke round me even when sick.

I don't smoke and never have and no one is allowed to smoke anywhere near me or my kids ( it can set me coughing till I'm sick) during the warmer months can go ages without treatment but the doctor won't routinely provide antibiotics just in case of infection, I try to maintain my health but with school age kids colds and infections are just part of the joys of being a parent.

VMarkV

I'm not going to lie but as far as antibiotic use, the situation is that there is a movement away from overusing the same antibiotics just due to resistance. There are only so many recommended/studied lines of antibiotics that you can go through for infections exacerbated by your lung condition. Yes, it does suck

Again knowing and avoiding your triggers is best. If I was in your situation, for hunger, I would just try downing high volume, low calorie foods (but still get balanced daily nutrition) like big salads, saurkraut, broccoli, etc.

rwinnie2

Pretty much had the same conversation about overuse with my doctor which I have no problem with.

Thanks for the advice about food though, and good luck with your studies :-)

VMarkV

Be sure you supplement with Vitamin D and Calcium (weight bearing exercises too) if you are going to have to use oral or IV steroids repeatedly...they can cause loss in bone mineral density.