Prednisone can be harmful

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am hoping you can give me some information about the treatment for colitis. I am a 49-year-old woman. Twenty-two years ago I was diagnosed with lupus which I kept under control with 5 mg of prednisone daily. After the birth of my son 10 years ago, I developed hypothyroidism and now take 100 mcg of Levoxyl daily.

My current rheumatologist thinks that my lupus is actually an undetermined autoimmune disease which has probably caused my thyroid problem and now the colitis that I’m struggling with which seems to be getting worse. I’ve been hospitalized twice because of it in the past five years. I am currently taking 10 mg of prednisone daily to try to keep it under control but my gastro doctor wants to get me off it completely because I have been taking it for so many years. This is where my problem comes in. I have tried sulfasalazine, Entocort and azathioprine to [Read more...]

Daily Column

DEAR DR. GOTT:
As odd as this sounds, I promise this is not a joke. When my husband sneezes, the air he expels as an odor to it. I would associate it with the smell of marigolds or musty urine. We have noticed this over the course of the last month or so.

I offer the following information in case it has any bearing (but we believe not).

He has been diagnosed with colitis but it is under fair control with diet. (He has been fairly closely following your no flour, no sugar diet.) He does not smoke anymore, having quit four years ago. He is a mild/moderate social drinker. His lymph nodes swell up on occasion but I assume that is from fighting off infection. It does not seem to have any correlation with the smell. He also has heartburn and uses antacids a few times a week. He takes vitamin C regularly but no other multi-vitamin. We cannot think of any major dietary or lifestyle changes in the last month that might cause this bizarre occurrence.

We wonder if ammonia-smelling sneezes have an obvious cause and should they be something to be concerned about? Is this something you have ever heard of before?

DEAR READER:
Ammonia-smelling breath is a well-recognized consequence of diabetes, kidney disease and liver disorders. Don’t ignore your husband’s symptom. He needs to be checked. Although the ammonia odor may simply reflect inefficient digestion that is characteristic of colitis and other intestinal disorders, I worry that a more serious situation is developing. Get him to your family physician for testing and let me know the outcome.

To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Living with Diabetes Mellitus” and “Kidney Disorders”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 FOR EACH report to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title(s).