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86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A necessary resource, June 30, 2000
Considering my own love/hate relationship with Prednisone, I was very interested in this book, which was a delight to read. I still can't believe the huge lack of information available on steroids, considering its widespread use, and the personal nature of this story is very engaging. The two authors are sisters, Julie a doctor and Eugenia a professional flutist who develops a rare lung disease that requires steroid treatment. There is an excellent question and answer formatted chapter between the two sisters and an excellent chapter on the psychological effects of the medication, with Eugenia describing how she felt on the medication and Julie describing physically why she felt that way. Since Eugenia works in television as a cultural commentator she was especially concerned about changes the medicine might affect in her appearance, and her sister gave her excellent nutritional and exercise advice that is repeated in the book. I do need to point out, however, that Eugenia could 1) afford the more expensive food items, 2) had the time/energy to prepare them, and 3) could physically exercise. For others, including myself, who take Prednisone during a massive physical crisis, bedrest and debilitating pain/lack of energy necessitates us eating what is on hand or someone else buys (usually prepared foods) and exercise can be an impossibility, hence the typical Prednisone weight gain. This book is still a must-have for anyone personally dealing with this medication or with a loved one taking steroids.
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must reading for anyone on long term prednisone theraphy!, June 18, 1999
A heartfelt thank you to Eugenia Zukerman and Dr. Julie R. Ingelfinger. I read a review of your book "Coping with Prednisone" in the Sunday Parade magazine. Immediately ordered same from Amazon.Com. Ms. Zukerman is the FIRST person I have discovered who suffers from the same disease that I do: Eosinophilic pneumonia, (aka Pulmonary Infiltration with Eosinophilia, or P.I.E.) I was diagnosed in 1987 and in reading Ms. Zukermans account, it could have been me writing the story, almost line for line. I also suffered with the battle of understanding what the Prednisone was doing to me, physically and emotionally, while it was doing it's wonder job of making me better. I thought at times I was crazy, until I begged one of my doctors to get me some help.... "information about side effects of Prednisone". He copied several pages of information from the hospital library, (for doctors only), but at least I had something to compare to, even though it was written in medical terms. I have felt for years that if a patient is on long term Prednisone therapy, detailed explanations should be furnished to the patient, as the side effects of the drug are so varied and at times most devistating. I have been on Prednisone for 12 years. I have learned to live with the side effects, but at times it is extremely difficult. For me, it has become a "trade-off". The prednisone is keeping me alive, so I must accept what else it is doing to me as payment. I have been an M.S. patient for 28 years and in 1991 was diagnosed with S.L.E. (Lupus). However, the Eosinophilic pneumonia has been the most difficult and devistating disease of the three. Unfortunately in my case, the eosinophilic infiltrates only stay at bay when the dose is 5mg. or higher. 60mg. needed to control a major flair of the eosinophilia. I would appreciate very much if Amazon.Com would forward this letter to Ms. Zukerman's publishers and request that they send it along to her. It is very comforting to know that one other person has this rare malady and has experienced many of the same things that I have. I wish I had had this book to read in 1987. It would have made coping with prednisone so much easier!
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42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mixed Feelings, May 4, 2005
Seeing as I've been on prednisone for almost a year now, I thought it'd be a blessing to find this book. Well it was and it wasn't.
I certainly enjoyed the chatty tone this book takes when describing the changes Eugenia was going through, especially since they echoed my own claims of the changes the prednisone was giving me. I knew that these 15 extra lbs. weren't just slips in a healthful eating regime nor were natural the farewell I bid to a once delicate waist or an angulated face or the spacey feeling that assaults me each afternoon. Just the fact that someone acknowledged these symptoms made me feel less alone in my suffering. It made me understand a great deal.
However, the book is severely lacking long(er)-term solutions. The authors claim that "while on prednisone therapy, you should/shouldn't...", "avoid (whatever) while on prednisone". All this when making observations to avoid sugars, salt, and some other stuff. Well, I'm quite glad for the author that she ONLY had to take this medicine for a measly 10 months (even if she was sort of whiny about it at times), but there's so many of us looking at a lifetime treatment here and well, I, for example, teach several baking courses so avoding all sorts of sugar for the rest of my life is definitely not an option. The author says she got through by thinking "this is only temporary", well guess what? Sometimes it's not. There is no "while I'm on prednisone" for so many of us and that's a big mistake to make as well as a separate point the book lacks to address. An important one too, if you ask me.
I've been blessed enough to have my disease under control for a while now and my hopes for a really small dose of prednisone remain high as do a reduction of symptoms. This book helped me make sense of the things that are happening to me, knowing what to blame on the meds and what not to. However, there is no way I can use this book as a guide, not even to "cope with prednisone", as the title suggests. I enjoyed the book (read it cover to cover the day I received it) but I think the authors lacked a little more sensibility to think about people who are cursed with this remedy for more than mere months at a time and address these more serious concerns.
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