Prednisone withdraw

[Donna Earnest]

I have a client that is trying to wean off of Prednisone, currently 10mg and has never gone beyond that dose. The problem is that it has been a good 25 years since they started with this drug, and yes the dose has been daily. This was inititally prescribed for an outbreak of mouth ulcerations at a very young age.
I am currently working with them but what I would like to know if anyone has worked with someone who has been on a drug such as this for this amount of time. Do you believe that if given, low doses of cortisone, could help with the stimulation of the adrenals or would you assume that the adrenals have reached a point of irreversible atrophy?
Thank you
Donna

[Dale Moss]

Twenty-five years! For mouth ulcers?? This is beyond belief. Who kept refilling that prescription? Yeah, I'd worry about the shape of the adrenals, too (not to mention the bones).
Peace,
Dale

[Donna Earnest]

Hi Dale,
Yeah I had to refrain from my response. I had to rephrase the question as well just to make sure I was being understood that is was continual for 25 years.
Thanks.........
Donna

[Luise Kunkle]

Hi Donna,
Are you sure there was no reason for keeping it up?

This would be a very relevant question.

It is not always the doctors - sometimes the patients tell us things
that vastly distort reality. She may wish to get off the prednison
herself in spite of the fact that, for whatever reason, the doctor
thinks she should still take it.

Regards

Luise
--
One thought to all who, free of doubt,
So definitely know what's true:
2 and 2 is 22 -
and 2 times 2 is 2:-)
==========> ICQ yinyang 96391801 <==========

[d_rona2000]

Hello Donna,

I've had some experience with long term Prednisone cases (frequent
use up to 16 years; constant up to 6 years) - but never 25 years!
Yikes. In my limited experience, the individuals fell into two
general categories :

1. those who have some underlying fear that drives them to the
doctor for every little thing (earache, ingrown toenail, rash,
cough, etc.) and won't leave until they have a prescription in
hand. Even when those wanted to come off Prednisone, they always
turned to their MD (or emergency room) for the next little thing -
and wound up with (demanded) more prescriptions. They were the ones
that wanted a pill a day (or more) and were ultimately unhappy with
the 'one dose and wait' approach of homeopathy.
2. those who were determined to go on another track (usually after
seeing someone close die from complications of the drug). Those did
very well. For them we found the standard support (bowel first,
then liver, then . . . you know the drill), followed by nutrition,
supplements and herbs (only after the elimination systems were all
working), then at that point the picture became clear enough to work
on chronic remedy. As long as there was no physical damage (i.e.
surgery), the cases I worked with were all able to bring the
adrenals back to functioning (although I would doubt the organs were
as healthy again as they could have been without that poison).

Good luck - it will be interesting to hear more - keep us posted.

Donna

D C Rona, PhD,ND,DHM
--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, dmearnest@... wrote:
currently 10mg and has never gone beyond that dose. The problem is
that it has been a good 25 years since they started with this drug,
and yes the dose has been daily. This was inititally prescribed for
an outbreak of mouth ulcerations at a very young age.
anyone has worked with someone who has been on a drug such as this
for this amount of time. Do you believe that if given, low doses of
cortisone, could help with the stimulation of the adrenals or would
you assume that the adrenals have reached a point of irreversible
atrophy?

[Donna Earnest]

Hello Donna,
Thanks for your post. I will most definitely keep you posted. I may also contact you with a few questions depending on the individuals decision after our next meeting.
Thanks again
Donna

[Shannon Nelson]

Hi Donna,
This isn't an approach I'm familiar with--was this thru naturapathic
training?
Tell me the rest of the "drill." Bowel, liver, then what?

Why use supplements and herbs *before* looking for the chronic picture?
Can you say more about just how you're using the supplements, and what
sorts of herbs, toward what goal--is it just rectifying obvious dietary
deficiencies and short-term drainage herbs, or ??

Thanks!
Shannon

[d_rona2000]

Hello Shannon,

Yes, it comes from naturopathic approach - but it's really common
sense. Make sure every organ of elimination is working FIRST.
Bowels, skin, lungs, kidneys - the liver being the chemical
treatment plant is considered in this list. (Simplistic example -
I've seen so many people get sick taking vitamins when they were
constipated. It simply dumps toxins into the system where they are
reabsorbed over and over again.) The supplements and/or herbs as
necessary support and begin the process of replacing the basic
materials that were depleted by the drugs (not to mention any
dietary issues). There is a wonderful resource (sorry don't have
the exact title offhand) giving some of the known nutritional
depletions caused by specific drugs. The nutritional depletion
alone will cause specific symptoms. If you can get those under
control - or at least headed in the right direction, the chronic
picture is much clearer. Otherwise, you might be putting something
such as tingling in hand, abnormal gait, labored breathing, memory
loss, etc. in the chronic picture when it was simply a B12
deficiency - known to be caused by a specific drug.

The list of specific supplements/herbs to work with in these
situations fills many books/courses. Overall the first goal is to
allow the body to do its job of healing. Just as you can't rebuild
a damaged house without deliveries of bricks, boards, pipes and
wires when needed, the nutritional elements must be provided for the
basic biochemistry. The second goal is to support the development of
a healthy lifestyle (good diet, good digestion, energy for
excercise, etc.).

Donna
--- In minutus@yahoogroups.com, Robert & Shannon Nelson
wrote:
nutrition,
all
work
naturapathic
picture?
what
dietary