Cortisone

Question

Hello dear ladies and gentlemen,
as the effect of a normal antibiotic i.v. therapy in spite of early great successes unfortunately does not last very long anymore (CRP increases and increases...) and furthermore my kidney values are getting always very bad during an i.v. therapy, I would like to try cortisone for a few months, in order to be able to build up again a few resources. Oral long-term antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), aztreonam and colistin for inhalation does not really help me anymore, either. As I am with my back to the wall due to my bad kidney values, the question arises if I should not simply try it once with cortisone.
What is your opinion on this? Does one take a risk that is too high? My center, unfortunately, does not have any ideas respectively proposals, however just consents to many of my things. Like this we agreed on starting cortisone today with 5 mg.
I am looking forward to an answer!
Yours sincerely,

Answer

Hello,
you describe your health status in your question and experiences with the so far done therapeutical attempts. You want to know, if a systemic cortisone therapy (here with tablets) could contribute to an improvement of your health status.
Please be sympathetic about the fact, that the expert team cannot make diagnoses nor can make therapeutic recommendations. In order to provide a remedy, we would like to recommend to talk to your physician in charge at your center about a consiliary presentation at another CF-center, if applicable, the physician can interchange with another CF-physician on your case. Also, you could yourself make an appointment at another CF-center in order to get a so-called second opinion.
Please take into account, that a cortisone therapy can have a good effect, however also many side-effects and therefore should always have a medical reason and the cortisone dosage has to be adapted to the indication.
Yours sincerely,
Yours Dr. Christina Smaczny

20.01.2014