A Prednisone Problem: Lost Bone Density

I have to take prednisone everyday for an auto immune disease. I became completely depleted of vitamin D. I now take a supplement and a calcium w/magnesium supplement everyday and I'm not losing the bone density that I had lost.

Sorry, but you need to know your facts and not say simple phrases that make no sense.
I was on Depo Provera as a teen for several years when it first came out. After 3 years, I was told to start taking calcium supplements to "be safe". Years and years later, I'm told that my first pregnancy probably ended with a miscarriage over a year after discontinuing use of DP because of the 8+ years I was on it with no warnings from anyone about it. AND, after giving birth to my first daughter, the dr put me on it even with many questions by me and a lot of reassurance by them, only to find out from a different doctor that I face a very high risk of osteoporosis later in life. I quickly discontinued the use of the birth control of any kind. Ovarian cancer does not run in my family but breast cancer definitely does and any form of birth control increases my risk. Knowing all this, all doctors I ever had still pushed birth control on me, even with my many many questions. I was reassured a lot and told a lot of misinformation.
So, tell me, why would I "just trust my doctor"?

Why in the world would you just "trust your doctor"? That makes no sense. Do you understand how Big Pharma gets their medication out?
Your information is stored in the pharmacy for up to a year. The pharmacies sell this information to "data mining" companies, who analyze the information and sell it to Big Pharma. Big Pharma decides which meds in which area for which demographic need more "pushing" and target the appropriate doctors with their Drug sales reps. The FDA is seriously underfunded and has limited resources & power (http://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalproces... "It is the responsibility of the company seeking to market a drug to test it and submit evidence that it is safe and effective") Here is a link on how recalls work: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/uc... Read carefully, you'll learn a lot!
Pay attention to the Vermont vs Data miners case. Vermont tried protecting it's citizens saying it infringed on their rights to privacy but the data miners won saying WITHHOLDING their private information from the data miners was a violation of the DATA MINERS rights.
Of course, stories like this are not the priority for news media.
Also, many doctors choose to go to conferences to learn about new procedures & drugs which are HOSTED and PAID for by Big Pharma. Come on, why would any multi Trillion dollar business do something for free ONLY for our benefit? There's always something in it for them. I mean, this is Capitalism.

I have to say Silvina there is a reason to take this with caution...My sister who has passed away had COPD which she took prednisone for for years. She ended up having a passive break in her hip just walking out of a store. The hip was shattered and cracked 8" down her thigh. They had to do surgery and couldn't replace her hip then because everything was so shattered. She had to undergo a 2nd surgery to replace the hip. So yes this medication is dangerous and should only be taken with caution....

Sorry, Silvina, but patients have to be educated consumers, too. As someone who is on prednisone long-term for an auto-immune disease (as well as other potentially harmful drugs), I ALWAYS ask about possible side-effects and how to counter-act them. Unfortunately, sometimes that requires another pill. I take calcium +D supplements and Boniva.

I Don't see the point on this article. It's a medicine that sometimes you have to take and then deal with the side effects. It's pointless making people worry or fear about this medication that is so common today, even with kids. Besides, that's not the only side effect. Add gain weight, hair grow, irritability, insomnia, etc. People just trust your Dr!

I took blood thinners for 8 mos which also cause bone density loss. I wish the doctors had been more up front with me about the side effects of the medication. I had a choice, but some people don't - if you need the medication you need it, you only hope the side effects don't make it worse.

The central issue when taking any medication is ..... Do the benefits of taking the drug outweigh the risks. Asthma can be life threatening so the benefit of avoiding continued respiratory distress outweigh the short term risks associated with steroids. In the case of some auto-immune diseases such as RA and inflammatory bowel disease, steroids are generally taken for longer. You really have to walk the fence on this with your doc.

My doctor saves it for when I am really in distress from my arthritis or asthma. I feel so much better when I'm on it but she is concerned about side effects.

It is the lesser of two evils. When my child is having an asthma attack and I watch her gasp for breath? The prednisone is then a miracle drug and we don't think about the side effects at that moment.

I have to take prednisone about twice a year because of my asthma, anywhere from 5 days to 7 weeks, depending on my lungs. I like breathing, so I'll keep taking it. The side effects just make having asthma pretty crappy at times.

A friend took prednisone for years, for an auto-immune condition. In his case, the drug was essential to his ability to function. At one point his doctor prescribed Fosomax along with the prednisone, because they were really worried about his bone density. He's finally off it now, but he still takes calcium every day, and he runs every other day - rain or shine - to help his bone strength.

I have to take prednisone if I have major asthma attacks but I avoid it as much as I can and don't take it long term. There is a doctor in my town that gives an antibiotic and prednisone for everything! Over the phone, even if you say you have a cold or flu!

You take a good supplement of vitamin d and a good supplement of calcium with magnesium. Just ask your doctor.

If the side effects are worse than what the drug is trying to help, stop taking the drug.