“Steroids?”
My husband has lung cancer and takes a steroid the day before, the day of, and the day after chemo. Last week Thursday he was diagnosed with pneumonia and is on a packet of prednisone. Should he take the prednisone and the steroid for the chemo? hH has chemo on Monday.
Male | 67 years old
Conditions: Lung cancer/pnuemonia
3 Answers
This is a very practical question and your oncologist should be only one to decide what to do with the chemo on Monday given the pneumonia. It is not safe to give chemo if that pneumonia is not treated adequately. He of course should not take the prednisone give with pneumonia treatment and the Decadron given with chemo .. but this scenario should not even happen because he should not get the chemo until he completed the pneumonia treatment.
Hold personal steroids and chemo till resolution of pnemonia
Hello.
Your concerns about the ingestion of steroids are very reasonable. However, this is a question that must be asked to the physician who is caring for your husband and who is prescribing the chemotherapy. I am not sure which chemotherapy is being prescribed, but it is very possible that the regimen contains a platinum compound. Combinations (more than one drug) often contain a platinum drug to treat this illness.
Most chemotherapies have side effects associated with them. Nausea and vomiting are among the most common side effects. It is necessary to give anti nausea medicine to allow the chemotherapy to be safely tolerated. Steroids, including prednisone, are among the most effective anti-nausea medications.
Steroids also have beneficial effects on lung function. I suspect that the prednisone, about which you are concerned, is being prescribed as part of the anti nausea medications being given with the chemotherapy.
My suggestion is that this question be asked to the prescribing physician. Until then, it is best to take the medication as prescribed.
Your concerns about the ingestion of steroids are very reasonable. However, this is a question that must be asked to the physician who is caring for your husband and who is prescribing the chemotherapy. I am not sure which chemotherapy is being prescribed, but it is very possible that the regimen contains a platinum compound. Combinations (more than one drug) often contain a platinum drug to treat this illness.
Most chemotherapies have side effects associated with them. Nausea and vomiting are among the most common side effects. It is necessary to give anti nausea medicine to allow the chemotherapy to be safely tolerated. Steroids, including prednisone, are among the most effective anti-nausea medications.
Steroids also have beneficial effects on lung function. I suspect that the prednisone, about which you are concerned, is being prescribed as part of the anti nausea medications being given with the chemotherapy.
My suggestion is that this question be asked to the prescribing physician. Until then, it is best to take the medication as prescribed.
