Lyme & Prednisone and Shingles

I'm not a doctor, but in my opinion, ideally, yes, it would have been good if the doctor understood the risks of giving Prednisone to someone with Lyme.  It is a balancing act, between the risks of whatever was causing your need to visit the ER and the risks of treatment in the setting of Lyme.  If someone with Lyme has a life-threatening condition that needs Prednisone to save their life, then I personally think a one-time dose of IV Prednisone and/or a short course of oral Prednisone is not going to make that huge a difference.   Otherwise, it is a good idea to use treatments other than those which suppress the immune system when possible.  Again, this is all my own opinion and each person needs to discuss this issue, if it comes up, with their LLMD/LLND.

I don't know exactly how the negative effects of Prednisone manifest in a Lyme patient, I've only heard it's not recommended and can cause (possibly permanent) setbacks. I had a similar situation this spring - it was actually a bad Herx reaction from my second shot at a low dose of Minocycline. I broke out in a rash, hives, welts, etc. and it got to the point where it was dangerous and I had to go to the E.R., knowing they would have to give me steroids. I was on and off Prednisone for nearly a month. I don't know if it was the residual effects of the Herxing, or the Prednisone, but when I first started taking it, I was so miserable and just couldn't do it, so I stopped for a brief time until I was stronger, then finished the prescription. If I remember correctly, I think I felt pretty darn good while I was on it, and I distinctly remember how great my skin was for a while...but the second I stopped the Prednisone, everything got 100 times worse. I called my dermatologist and they explained to me how it works (at least for skin problems). It's basically a miracle drug for conditions like eczema (which I've struggled with tenfold since getting Lyme) - but it's always worse afterward...go figure. Nothing is EVER easy with Lyme!

I completely agree with Razzle (from everything I've read on steroids) - although it's probably never a good idea to use a steroid if you have Lyme, it's probably not going to be that big a deal if you have to use them short-term in an emergency situation.

Steroids like prednisone, 'pushes' the tick-born infections deeper into the tissues & bones. Like Razzle & you pointed out Prednisone is an immunosupperssant..

Although it carries it's own set of complications, Prednisone can be necessary in certain circumstances.