I ended up in the hospital this week...

[SeaBreeze2]

I'm on prednisone 40mg for a flare.  Waiting for Cellcept to kick in...
Recently I've been having shortness of breath.
I had an episode last week carrying groceries..  It took me a long time to catch my breath..
I had a few more bad episodes so I called my internist, who told me to go to ER.

I see the rheumy and internist on Monday and want to have a better understanding of this.

A little background....
In the ER, they gave me 40mg IV solu medrol, Albuterol treatments and oxygen.
My first white blood cell count was 15,000.
2 hours later it was 19,000. They cultured everything....
Started me IV antibiotics and admitted me.  
After a day of testing.. CT of lungs, chemical stress echo, pulmonary function tests, and cultures.. all were ok.
They decided it was the flare at its worst ...  because AI markers were still elevated..

I had 3 more white counts, they just got higher... last one before discharge was almost 30,000.

So... here is my question... The docs (pulm, cardio and covering internist) all seem to
agree the high white cell count was caused by the prednisone and solu medrol.
Than sent me home 60mg.

I asked them, if I take more prednisone won't the white blood count just keep getting higher ?? they said it will just have to be watched..  Nice...........

Am I missing something ?  I trust my rheumy will explain it Monday, or change it...
Any thoughts ?

[ynevar]

I have no idea... and I hope your Rheumy can figure things out for you.  Sometimes things they do just don't seem to make sense. 

I have had a rough time with getting rid of a my lung issues (sinus infection turned to bronchitis)...

I am still hacking away and having a flare (I think I live in a flare state some just worse than others).  I hope you are feeling better, sounds like you had a rough time.  I didn't want to make this about me, but wanted to write on your post since I know I wait for someone to reply when I post one! 

-Y

[Patze]

Oh my SeaBreeze, how are you doing?

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the rheumy can figure out what your body is doing.

Hopefully a more knowledgeable member will stop by soon with an answer or two.

Take care of yourself and sending you a giant hug -


Patze

[irish]

seabreeze, My goodness, that is really a strange thing that you have going. Hopefully they doc will try and figure things out for you. It sure is suspicious to have an elevated WBC and be told you don't have an infection.

So sorry you are having such a flare. I don't know what state you are in, but I have to tell you that I swear the weather this summer and now has been conducive to causing flares. I had greatly increased weakness and figured it was my Myasthenia gravis. It had gotten quite bad last Thursday and by MonTuesday I called the doc because I was scared I could have a myasthenic crisis at the rate I was going.

The nuerology nurse got back to me on Wed and I was to start on prednisone every day. The nurse called me back the next day and I had to tell her that I was so much improved and the only thing I could figure was that on that Thursday the low pressure front with humidity and high dew points had moved in and then the weather just got horrible and ended up being the bad rain storm. Anyway, it turned out that I had gotten bad and then got worse symptoms and when the weather improved on Thursday I had improved greatly. Hard to believe, but the weather sure plays a big part in my weakness, etc. Hope that you can get to feeling better. Might take a frost to get lots of people in more stable condition. Irish

[SeaBreeze2]

Thanks everyone...  I feel better just telling my story here.......
I'm a little nervous... but they set up a good plan before I left the hospital.
I have an order for more blood work before the appts on Monday.

Wish me luck !

[LizPetillo]

I'm on prednisone 40mg for a flare.

God bless whoever invented prednisone. 
It's gotta be the best thing next to antibiotics!
Seriously.  I don't know how humanity got along without it. 

[kwolfsheimer]

I don't know-- I just got off a dose of prednisone and it didn't do much for my inflammation.  It is weird that it was elevating your white blood cell counts SeaBreeze, because I thought that it was supposed to reduce them.  Maybe not.

I do hope that you are feeling better soon.

[chucksusanb]

Hi Seabreeze -

I just said a prayer for you.  I do hope you get some definitive answers on Monday. That sounds very frustrating.  Feel better soon.

Hugs,
Sue

[grandma7]

Will say a prayer for you and your strength to get thru this.  Flares are horrible and those without this disease sometimes just don't get it.
keep us posted.  Hopefully you will get answers today..........

[Shani]

I just wanted to let you know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
I hope you will start to feel better soon, you deserve to smile!
*Gentle hugs*

[bloodless]

wow what a lousy weekend!

[Scottietottie]

Hi Seabreeze 

I'm glad you're feeling better than you were.

Take care - Scottie 

[ynevar]

SeaBreeze2,

I am so glad you are feeling better and getting some answers, and that they are digging deeper to the other things you don't have answers to yet!

-Y