Hi all I have another question, would it be worth taking a course of Prednisolone or some other inflammation suppressing med to dampen down any inflammation to see if it relieves the symptoms of neuropathy? Even if the docs haven't found any autoimmune cause for the neuropathy... It would of course have to be done under a doctors supervision... Just a thought

Mark:

Are you saying Prednisone or Prednisolone??

Prednisolone but I think they both sort of do the same thing..... I think ..... Not 100% sure though, prednisolone is used for MS as well but I guess any of those type of meds if they would maybe help. Would it worth a shot in the dark?

Well, Prednisone helps mine, but that is not to say it would help everyone's...

Cathie

--that is secondary to inflammatory vasculitic disease or mechanical pressures, by reducing nerve swelling and/or other compressive forces pressures on the nerve. And by modulating the immune response, it could well help neuropathies that act through autoimmune mechanisms, which are often highly inflammatory.

Steroids are actually fairly standard treatment for conditions that can affect nerves. I have a friend with neuropathy secondary to the swelling of polyarteritis nodosa, and her steroid regimen certainly reduces her neuropathy symptoms, though it doesn't completely eliminate them. And I know that many people with radiculopathy (nerve root swelling/irritation/compression) have tried steroid regimens, with varied degrees of success.

But again, this all depends on what's causing the neuropathy--it seems less likely to work for neuropathies that are predominantly smaller fiber, or for those for which inflammation is not a major component (such as toxic neuropathies that disintergrate the axon).

My own opinion [not a medical professional, but one who's read widely about it] seem to indicate that it's useful for short, not prolonged periods of time. By short, I mean, less than 6 or so months? IF it's gonna get to an inflammation and get it down and keep it down it should do it in that time.
Benefits: puts down any infection or inflammation to enable one to function.
Detriments: weight gain, attitude changes, long term calcium and bone and/or joint changes, such as premature or sudden osteoporosis.

I can't speak for others here, I think you can get a sense if you use the 'Search' feature on the top blue bar...click it on and in the blank type in prednisone and see what folks with all sorts of neuro issues have to say about it...pro and con. That in turn, will probably give you a whole bunch of new 'key words' to web up and find all about!

Learn as much as you can about the real FACTS on prednisone and it's clones. The more you know, the more informed YOU will be when or if you decide to take it. Docs sometimes assume you know, forget to tell you, or don't care to tell you about both the benefits and pitfalls of any given medication. Search out the 'prescribing information' of the type of med you are taking and read all the fine print...have questions before you commit Bucks [$$'s] either yours or the insurance company's to your ability to take it and take to it with the best of all outcomes. What I do these days, is ask the doc for samples, as I often use my mail-in pharmacy and that takes up to 2 weeks. The good thing about samples? While it might not really work while using them, I will probably find out RIGHT away if they mess me up either mentally or physically. Example: I was prescribed one antibiotic at one time, and within 30 hours had developed a solid case of projectile vomiting! It was a side effect of the medication...Unfortunately I'd started it on a Friday and it Hit me Saturday...mid-day...had to wait [with infection still raging on] till Monday to call and get thru to doc and a new prescription.... The whole thing falls into one of my top 20 NOT FUN events! You get the picture. Hope this helps! - j

I believe the difference is Prednisone goes through the kidney. Prednisolone goes through the liver.

Prednisone has to be metabolized by the liver to its active form prednisolone.

In US, Upjohn patented prednisone as Deltasone many decades ago, and that became the preferred form here for humans by habit.

But Vets use prednisolone for most animals, and especially cats, who cannot convert prednisone well to the active form.

Upjohn also made methylprednisolone aka Medrol and patented that, which is still used commonly here for inflammation and transplanted organ rejection prevention. The Medrol Dospak is a carded taper the patient can easily punch out daily for correct use. It is still very common here.

Prednisolone is still used in other countries however for humans.
Here in US it is becoming difficult to find in pharmacies now, which I discovered when our cat Oreo needed it for her cancer chemo. Two pharmacies told me they couldn't even special order it, so we HAD to get ours from our Vet.

It would be best to have the doctor's consent, but I have taken it without, I can just tell when the liver is acting up.