I'm a mess right now...

MommyToAshley wrote: A few weeks ago, I had an allergic reaction to something. I had a rash that the doc said was contact dermetitis. So, they gave me a steroid shot and pills to follow up with. Then, some of you may remember me telling you about my episode on the way back from Kentucky... where I stopped at the E.R. on the way home. We stopped because I felt so bad... light headed, numbness, extremely dry mouth, and like I was going to pass out. The docs in the E.R. ran some tests and they deremined it was a virus. A few days later I followed up with my family doc who then said I had an ear and sinus infection as well and prescribed an antibiotic and allegra for my allergies. My menstrual cycle was very long and heavy and I got thrush from the steroids/antibiotics. I was given Nystatin followed by dyflucan for the thrush. Now, only a few weeks later, I am spotting again. I went back to see my doc who thinks that my cycle is all out of wack because of the steroids and the antibiotics. However, they are running some test just to be sure it is not blood in the urine and stool (sorry tmi). I think I make the condition worse because I lay in bed at night thinking the worst thoughts. I literally shake in bed. DH does a pretty good job of calming me down, but he has to sleep sometime. I haven't been getting much sleep and I have lost about 10 lbs in two weeks. At my last doc appointment, he was also concerned about my blood pressure. I have never had problems with my blood pressure, so I am sure it is all the stress I have put on myself worrying about all this. The doc suggested that I buy a home kit to monitor my blood pressure. So, now I am worried about my blood pressure as well. So... that's where I've been. Thanks for being here and listening. And, just curious, has anyone had steriods or antibiotics mess with their cycle like this?

Mommy2Isabella replied:

Stress can make your body do crazy things. Try to relax and I am sure you will get back to normal quicker than you can say .... Carrot Stick ...

PrairieMom replied: steroids are horrible on the body. I don't remember if they ever messed with my cycle, but I do know that they made me feel really weird, and hyper, like I just couldn't sit still, and made my bones and joints ache really bad.
Also when you start taking multiple medications strange things can happen. Maybe something you took reacted with something else and now you are trying to get back to normal again? stress is also really bad for you. I hope you get some answers soon.

DansMom replied: Oh Dee Dee! I'm sorry you've been struggling with these issues.

Yes, steroids can really do a number on your health. They are hormones---they can certainly affect your menstrual cycle. Also, a little-known fact is that they can cause diabetes, and hypertension. My cat was made diabetic by a cortizone shot, believe it or not. Steroids can "unmask" a predisposition to these diseases. The good news is that the body can go back to normal if you remove the steroid, especially in younger, basically healthy people.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200...o-rsh071703.php

Sometimes traditional meds can be like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito. Perhaps you can talk to your doc about gentler ways to treat allergies, if steroids are causing these other problems. Many hugs

gr33n3y3z replied: steriods nor antibiotics never did that to me but not saying it couldnt to you
I think its stress try to relax

Now I know in my early 30's my cycle went crazy and very heavy and they did a DNC and its been fine since well until I had surgry in March

I hope they get to the bottom of this try to be calm

MommyToAshley replied:
I had actually gone to an Urgent Care because it was on the weekend and the rash was driving me nuts. I also wanted to make sure it wasn't something that Ashley or anyone else could catch. If this happens again, I will be sure to tell them no to the steroids!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Oh my Dee Dee, I'm so sorry! You poor thing. I don't have any advice, but hang in there okay. I'll be thinking about you and praying for a speedy recovery!

redchief replied:
Steroids are the typical treatment for onset of most general allergies. It's also true that they can mess up your system, causing chemical imbalances and such. There is some evidence that elevated corticosteroid levels may be a trigger for onset of type 2 diabetes, but the medical community is pretty solid that steroids don't CAUSE diabetes. At any rate, it seems to me you're doing all of the right things. If the doctor recommends a home blood pressure monitor, please get one. It could be that your blood pressure is up due to stress, but stress induced hypertension is nearly always a temporary condition that goes away. If your blood pressure is staying up, then there's most likely another cause. I'm borderline hypertensive with a family history of high blood pressure, so I have to watch mine as well.

Dee Dee, I understand your worry, but you're doing everything you should be doing. It could take a while for you to start feeling truly like yourself again, especially with the new medications and all, so try to give yourself a little bit of adjustment time.

jcc64 replied: Oh Dee Dee, I'm sorry you haven't been well. I know how it is to let your thoughts run away from you at night when it's quiet, and believe me, that can become a problem in and of itself if it goes on for too long (but that's a subject for another thread).
The simple fact is that you took alot of different meds in a short period of time, and your body got overwhelmed. It's not weird- your immune system is working overtime to deal with all the external and internal stimulus. One thing I like to keep in mind- drs prescribe drugs- those are the tools of their trade, and some are more heavy handed than others. I think they often feel some sort of unspoken obligation to "do something", when very often, time and your own body's natural defenses would have been good enough- probably better than the drugs in many cases. When they start prescribing drugs to counteract the side effects of the other drugs, it's time to take a little stock. It's well established that anti-biotics cause yeast infections, and it was prudent for your dr to prescribe nystatin for your thrush, but maybe the impulse to prescribe the antibiotics in the first place was well, impulsive. Antibiotics are very powerful meds- we take them for granted b/c they're so common now, but they can wreak havoc with an otherwise healthy immune system like your own. Most ear infections will clear up on their own but are never given the chance to do so b/c they are routinely treated with antibiotics. And what alot of drs call "sinus infections" are more often than not- viral. Did your dr actually do labwork that indicated the presence of bacteria? Most do not- in the interest of time and expense- but that is the only bona fide way of knowing whether or not you actually would benefit from the meds.
The point of all of this rambling is that I think there is alot of misinformation out there about common infections and allergies, and as laypeople, we are not always equipped to disseminate medical information. But the drs should know better, and I think a healthy dose of caution when presribing ANYTHING is prudent. My dh and ds both have pretty significant allergies too. Steroids are not the front line treatment and shouldn't be- they're very powerful medications that can mess up multiple body systems, as you have experienced. My dh said they also made him feel like he was, for lack of a better way to desribe it, tripping on LSD. The fact that your af is messed up as a result of steroids isn't weird, Dee Dee. It's a wacky med, I'm telling you. I think they could and should have let the allergy meds work for awhile before resorting to the prednisone so quickly.
About the bp, I have 'white coat hypertension'- mine goes up in dr's offices, and when my anxiety is getting the better of me. The only way to know for sure is to get a home bp kit- and take it once a day, same time every day, and chart it for a few weeks. That's how I discovered that mine is normally- normal. It's probably just stress, Dee Dee. But I'd get a home kit just for your own piece of mind- they run @ $35 and are really easy to use.
Big I hope it didn't come off like a lecture. I just feel badly for you- b/c you're doing all the right things- and you're trusting your drs, but unfortunately, sometimes you have to approach their "solutions" with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: Wow -- sounds like you've been through alot. I hope you are feeling better soon.

A&A'smommy replied: Oh honey thats not fun at all, I'm saying prayers for you that things get back to normal soon!!!

mom21kid2dogs replied: We were gone for awhile but I wondered how you've been~then I spotted your post. UGH! Hope you feel better soon!!

momofone replied: I know alot of cold medicines can raise blood pressure.
Hope you feel better soon.

ediep replied: so sorry DeeDee, I know how it feels when you don't know where your illness ends and your anxiety begins.

Hope you feel better soon.