Posted by Fran on April 13, 2000, at 14:12:42
In reply to Re: Decongestant drug interaction?, posted by saint james on April 13, 2000, at 10:53:13
> > I am on Serzone and doing reasonably well with it. I got bronchitis. The doctor (regular doctor, doesn't know me, I told him I'm on Serzone) put me on Ceftin (antibiotic) and Claritin-D (decongestant).
>
> James here....
>
> It was the D in Claritin-D that made you feel funny. Yes this is a side effect, decongestants do have this effect on some people.
>
> jamesDecongestants are not the only thing to watch out for. I did a lot of research on prednisone when my daughter sustained an injury that caused her to have Bell's Palsy before Christmas. The doctor told us the prednisone could either cause her a high or a real low. My oldest son had taken it for Cystic Fibrosis and hated the way it made him feel and the come down after. I ran searches on Medline and found that taking prednisone (steroid) can induce depression. After reconciling the fact that the doctor had said that it might not do the Bell's any good anyway and the fact that my daughter had been free of depression almost two years, we decieded not to take the risk. I had reminded him she had had depression before and he dismissed the connection and was willing for her to take the risk. We were not.
As an informed client we did not take the prednisone, researched Bell's Palsy, got feedback from folks on a depression med board and made what was ultimately a good decision. Typically, Bell's Palsy resolves itself if not a symptom of some other condition, it did for her and she is fine now.
I think that with the resources available via the net we can be more aware of the concepts of meds and principles of "disease" if not the complex chemical processes we are made of. Seeking out med books/journals slowed me down before. Being an informed and involved patient is touted as the ideal these days but in fact is not always welcomed. I believe in the concept, find the information helpful and will continue to learn about "what ailes me"!This site is great, by the way, and a good place to start.
Fran
poster:Fran
thread:29829
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/29862.html