Posted 12/7/2009 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
I'm currently on a fairly low dose of prednisone at 6mg a day. But when I started, I was on a high dose before so I'm familiar with it's side effects. I'll be on the high dose for a week, and tapering down on there within the course of a month. I never had any issues with swelling in my legs cause of the prednisone, but it did cause me to get the puffy moon face. The doctor did prescribe lasix everyday for a month as well to deal with the edema that I do have due the my kidneys. He didn't say anything about the cellcept, other then to keep taking the medicine I was already prescribed, and he bumped up the metropolol I was on from 1/2 tablet twice a day to 1 tablet twice a day. It's a blood pressure medication. Usually my blood pressure is within normal range, but due to all the swelling I'm experiencing it's rather high at the moment and we want to get that under control as well.
Up until I loss in my insurance, my kidney functions have always been good. I may have spilled some protein here and there but it wasn't anything drastic and was always kept a close eye on. This is the first time, that I've actually had other symptoms due to my kidneys. So it's all new to me. I've read a lot the past few days about nephritis and it seems like I'm on the right track so far on treatment. I'm already on cellcept, going to take prednisone, and the lasix. The only thing I'm not on that other people with lupus nephritis is the Cytoxan.
So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I respond well. This morning when I woke up, some of the swelling in my legs has gone down and that was from the solumedrol alone. So at least I think it's working so far. The doctor did say my kidney functions were still good and we just needed to get the swelling under control.
I'd guess my question is for those of you that are dealing with nephritis. Did you respond to the treatment right away? My insurance still won't get reinstated for a few months. So I'm really praying and keeping my fingers crossed that I can get it under control and be stable for at least the next few months. Up to six at the very longest til I get it back due to the wait list/exclusion period.
Other then the kidney symptoms, none of my other lupus symptoms are active like joint point, rashes, fatigue that I normally experience. And for the most part, I've been stable for almost 2 years until now. Which is really bad timing.