Posted by Jack Boyd on August 07, 1998 at 07:25:37:
In Reply to: Re: Question about Prednisone Side Effect posted by howard levine on August 06, 1998 at 22:13:54:
I have been episodic for 28 years and my treatment of choice is verapamil ( calcium channel blocker ) and oxygen. All treatments are not equal and I wholeheartedly agree that some of these treatments ( particularly prednisone ) are worse than the disease. I work with an individual who has rheumatoid arthritis and as a result has been taking prednisone for years. The side effects are devastating ( diabetes, kidney malfunction, bone loss, etc. etc. )
In an otherwise healthy individual there are no long term side effects in taking calcium channel blockers. People who have congestive heart failure ( in other words folks who are very sick ) have a slightly increased risk of heart failure.
Most doctors are reluctant to prescribe some of these drugs for very good reasons and I beleive that we should be even more conservative than the doctors.