Prednisone and the flu?

Hi all,

It has been a while since my last post. Long story short, after finding signs of chronic inflammation in my biopsies I was finally diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Not the best news ever, but after a year long diagnostic quest I am kind of relieved that what I have now has a name. More importantly, my GI has started me on prednisone (30 mg) for 4 weeks, after which I will taper by 5 mg every two weeks. This will be followed up by Imuran. I will hear when to start the Imuran in The first week of August.

Well, let me start by sharing the good news first: the pred really kicked in! Within hours the stabbing pain that I constantly felt during the past year disappeared completely. I only have to go to the toilet 3 or 4 times a day, which is a true blessing after the 15 plus times I had to go before. Also no D whatsoever. And the energy, my god. I felt back to my old self again! I did so much in the past three weeks, working, shopping, going out... I felt fantastic!

This changed a bit in the last couple of days. I actually think I came down with a cold or the flu or something. I am seriously coughing my lungs out, my head feels fuzzy and 'full' and gone is my energy. I know that I am now more susceptible to infections, so I guess that is what is happening now. This made me wonder: does being on pred mean that you get every little virus out there? I am a very clean person and I have made sure to wash my hands regularly and eat clean, but I still got sick. Is there anything else I can do? Also, should I consult a doctor for every little illness? I read that I have a higher chance of complications such as pneumonia while on pred. Any experiences or tips will be greatly appreciated!