Customer Reviews

Coping With Prednisone and Other Cortisone-Related Medicines : It May Work Miracles, but How Do You Handle the Side Effects?

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A small, yet ever so comprehensive book which provides detailed medication information, as well as a much needed description of the patient's experience/perspective while on long-term prednisone therapy. From diet guidelines,mood swings, possible side-effects (both short and long-term), resources, and effects of withdrawal, the authors have provided concrete information interlaced or interwoven with the patient's experience. In this case, the patient, Ms.Zukerman, has, I feel, captured the essence of the experience, which may either validate other patient's experiences, or, minimally, provide support for what can be a very isolating situation. Each patient, of course, will react/respond to prednisone in their own specific or particular manner, which is dependent on many variables. (The disease itself, personality characteristics, amount and duration of the medication.) For some, seeking only concrete information, the book provides that in a clear, succinct manner. For others, who experience mood swings, difficulty with coordination, cognitive functioning, and physical side effects caused by the medication, it is Ms.Zukerman's ability to convey the experience which makes this book outstanding.

The book should be read by patients before they embark on long term prednisone therapy, and by family members, as well. Any physician who places patients on prednisone should, I believe, read Ms.Zukerman's account. Thanks to the authors for this much needed book !

I have been on Prednisone for almost 2 yrs. and I wish my Doctor had handed me this book 2 yrs. ago! It covers the side effects of this drug better than any other souce I have found. It also helped me understand that as I come off of using Prednisone that one is not instantly back to normal. I can certainly recommend this book.

I have a rare, autoimmune disease called Pemphigus Vulgaris. When I was diagnosed I was placed on a high dose of prednisone in 1998 and I am still on prednisone to help keep my disease under control.

I knew nothing about my rare disease or about prednisone and found this book "Coping with Prednisone" which became my lifeline as to exactly what prednisone was, its side-effects and what I could do to help prevent many devastating side-effects of a drug that was to become my friend and my foe.

I still use it as my bible of information on prednisone and refer to it often, as new questions or problems arise. Although it isn't specifically written for my disease, I found it to be convenient to read and easy to refer to.

Actually, when I found the book was available on Amazon.com, I read a review here by someone else who had pemphigus and I contacted him via his email. I ordered my book and have never looked back.

I have come a long way since I bought this book back in 1998 and have become very knowlegeable about my disease and prednisone, including writing my own online newsletter about pemphigus.

So, I would highly recommend buying this book if you want to learn a lot about prednisone...no matter the disease or medical condition you may have that calls for you taking prednisone....especially if you have to take prednisone for more than a few months.

I cannot believe it has taken me so long to find this book. I am a long term prednisone user and am always looking for information about this drug, it's side effects and ways to cope with all those "things" prednosone does. The authors have compiled a wealth of information, including personal experiences, in a very concise easy to read book. (This in itself is signifacant to those of us with problems concentrating!) This book contains very accurate discriptions of the effects of long term prednisone use along with very practical advice on how to cope with the changes that occur. I could identify with many situations presented and found some very helpful advice. The advice is given by a prednosine user as well as a physician.

I would (and do) recommend this book to anyone beginning their treatment with prednosone, those who have been on prednisone and most of all to the family members and care givers of those on this "miracle" drug.

Coping with Prednisone offers the only indepth study and desciption of this medication, which is widely used and prescribed. Patients and doctors a like with find this book informative and helpful. Anyone taking prednisone or any doctor who prescribes it should read Coping With Prednisone to help them understand the many side effects that this medication produces

This book has helped me so very much in my quest to gather info. about this medication. My young son has been on Prednisone for more than two years. It's hard for me to understand what he feels. This collaborative work has been a great help for me. This book is just what I've been looking for. Written for the patient in very understandable term. Thank you Dr. Inglefinger and Ms.Zuckerman.. Great Job!!!

For more than a year, I have been on moderate
to high dose prednisone for pemphigus, an
auto-immune disorder. While my doctors warned
me of the side effects of the prednisone, this
book spells out all that's needed to be known
in an understandable and easy-to-read format.
Doctors should "prescribe" this book when they
prescibe this drug.

As a woman with asthma and COPD - I spend a lot of time coping with prednisone. I suffer from Steroid Psychosis and a thousand other side effects from this drug that enables me to breathe but distorts my reality. When I started reading this book, I felt that at last, at long last - here was some validation for what I had been going through for a good many years. I will buy a copy of this book for each of my grown children so that they will be able to understand some of what I go through - I think they will understand me better. I, for one, am thankful to have stumbled upon this book. I highly recommend this to anyone taking prednisone or living with someone who does. It will help.

"Coping With Prednisone" is the saga of Eugenia, a concert flutist who is diagnosed with a potentially fatal illness. The only treatment is ...........(gasp!) Prednisone therapy for six months. Yes, Prednisone (cortisone) IS a wonder drug, but it has many side effects that can be devastating. Eugenia, a very talented and intelligent woman, has seen the ravaging effects of Prednisone therapy on a close acquaintance. She is determined that she will not fall victim to the dreaded side effects. As an illustration of the seriousness of these side effects, on page 11, we are treated to the observation that the doctor who invented cortisone, "was honored for discovering this wonder drug, but when his patients started getting all the nasty side effects, he committed suicide." Eugenia, lucky lady, has a sister who is a physician, who helps to plan a frontal attack.This book details some of those side effects. It begins with a tunnel-vision focus on the bloating aspect of Prednisone therapy. This, evidently, is what is what terrified the patient/author more than anything. However, after a few months into the therapy, she found that other side effects, such as mood swings, proved less manageable and more devastating than the bloating. The mood swings she describes involve anxiety and depression. In order to make unbiased judgment of Prednisone¹s role in Eugenia's mood swings, the reader would be advised to remember that the diagnosis of her illness was almost concurrent with the beginning of Prednisone therapy. In all probability, some of the anxiety/depression would have been evident even without the drug therapy. This type of anxiety/depression is normally present when facing a very serious illness, especially one from which recovery may not be possible. In this case, the author never did quite believe she would recover. This is NOT to say that Prednisone does not cause mood swings, but rather to show that other factors often affect the severity of the problem.The ex! planation, in almost lay terms, of what Prednisone is and what it does is one most people never get. It seems that those who understand what to expect are likely to be less frightened by the he drug. The book does explain many of the potential side effects, and therefore, leaves the reader alert for their occurrence. After reading this book, it seems that one vital point is not stressed. That point is that the effects of Prednisone will be different for each individual. Not everyone will have a problem with the mood swings.The focus of "Coping With Prednisone" is not short-term-Prednisone therapy. But it also is not the longer-term therapy of those patients who must be on moderately high doses of the drug for the remainder of their lives. I feel the book would have done well to point out that some of the side effects which are not so much a problem when the drug is taken for six months, could be severe when taken for two years or more. Most people have no idea that diet is a consideration when on Prednisone. It was high time that someone told them. This book does it well and simply. Sodium, carbohydrate, fat and even potassium in the diet all require careful attention. Some of the recipes are so simple that they rate high approval from people with limited energy. The Basic Yam recipe on page 132 is a perfect example.My review of this book has included perceptions from two different points of view, that of a nurse who has seen many patients on Prednisone, and that of a patient who is now on long term therapy. I could say that I would suggest this book for anyone who will be undergoing Prednisone therapy, and I do. But, after seeing the struggle of many physicians to understand the true effects on their patients, I would go a step further, and also suggest it as required reading for physicians who prescribe the drug. It gives a face to the patient who is "coping with Prednisone".

If you or a loved one has been on (or will be going on) Prednisone, this is a must read. I am currently 30 years old, and have been on and off Prednisone my entire life due to a lung problem. This has done EXTREME damage to my body that will last forever. It is nice to know that there are people out there that can relate.