Dexamethasone

[Masha]

As a side note to this drug they are using to treat covid-19 patients, I must add my late brother in law was on this in the late 60’s early 70’s. His was Decadron. It was to treat his RA. He was a young man, if he were alive he would be in his 90’s. He was 18 years older than my husband. This was before I was in the picture and my husband can’t recall the dosage. We figure it was high, because he developed an ulcer that perforated and ended his life.
I don’t know what other medication he was on, but we all know that the side effects of these steroids are bad. I am again trying to work my prednisone down, without causing other problems. When I was at 15 mg prednisone my sugar was at 9. Now that my prednisone is at 9 1/2 my sugar fell to 6.
My poor husband worries about me being on a steroid, and with good reason. We are anxiously awaiting Avacopan.

[andrew]

Way to go on the Pred reduction :hug3:

Just been reading about Avacopan. Looks positive!

[drz]

My GPA doctor said they would use this drug (Dexamethasone) for treatment if I got Covid-19.

He also doubled one of my GERD meds (famotidine) since a recent study suggested it might help prevent Covid-19 or reduce risk of death in people taking it. I was taking it once a day for GERD but now will take twice a day.

It is cheap and has very few side effects so is consider a very safe drug today to take. But then lot of other similar drugs end up getting puled when they learn something new about it. I was taken off Ranitidine recently after having it prescribed last year as a safer alternative.

DrZ