Jump to content

I'm itching all over....is Prednisolone OK ?


chessie
 Share

Recommended Posts

Oh beeejaybers - I'm itching in lots of places.     Large red hard bumps in all sorts of odd places including two 'bites' on same eyelid, nape of my neck, both elbow joints, backs of my knees ....sigh.

Very itchy, very uncomfortable - anti-histamine cream not totally successful in stopping the scratching....it's horrid.

I've found some tablets - Prednisolone - which I think might be the French version of the UK Piriton - anti-histamine tablets to ease the scratching.  (Prednisolone - on side of pack - metasulfobenzoate sodique de prednisolone)

But before I take 'em I just wonder if anyone has used these tablets before ?   

And please don't shout at me - I shouldn't have to ask - but I've lost the flippin' info sheet that came with the box - yeah, I know, I know.........but any help or advice would be very welcome.

Chessie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

As far as I know Prednisilone is not an equivalent to Piriton they are a corticosteroid and is usually used for control of asthma or inflamatory conditions and you generally take a short course, I doubt taking one or two would have any effect. They also have quite a few side effects.

See http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/Prednisolone.htm

Hope the itching stops

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe ask your Doctor for some Clarityn or Piriton - not sure whether you can get Clarityn directly from the pharmacie without a prescription but this will work really well and is non soporific, though taking Piriton at bedtime might ensure that you get a good night's sleep as well as relief from the itching. Piriton definitely not the same as Prednisilone! An After Bite "pen" for topical use and immediate relief is brilliant. Not expensive and lasts a long time. Bought ours from Amazon, but easy to find on the net and from English pharmacies. Until then, maybe an ice pack wrapped in a teatowel (to avoid freezer burn) and applied to the offending area will take the heat out of it and reduce the inflammation, same applies to a pack of peas, or crushed ice in polythene bag or even very cold wet flannel. Hope you find the solution soon.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to take Tinset in France, prescription from my Dr.

You should see a Dr if you do not know what is causing this. And please please read the 'notice' or just look things up before thinking you can take them. I know someone who took prednisolone, because they were very ill and not with an allergy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What do you think has caused this? Bedbugs,mosqitoes,late aoûtats or animal fleas, something in the garden with a toxic sap that you have cut down or touched. I would see a doctor and get a prescription before you self medicate as it could even be an allergy to something. The flea infestation this year has been very bad according to my vet and nearly every animal, even the well doused ones, that she has seen have been infected. This late spell of very hot weather has probably stirred things up too.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mrs Benjamin has been prescribed methylprednisolone intraveneously in the past for her MS. It's a steroid and should be treated very carefully.

The French equivalent of piriton is polamine (and others no doubt). Piriton normally comes at 4 mg strength whereas polamine is 2 mg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Russethouse"]As already said prednisolone is a steroid and should only be taken on the advice of a doctor - I was prescribed them years ago for severe urticaria and started on something like 6 a day then had to go down to 5 a day, then 4 then 3 etc, over a period of weeks....a trip to the pharmacist is advised ![/quote]

Spot on RH. The very first time I took these years ago for my asthma I stupidly didn't read the instructions about come off them so I just stopped. The result was massive vomiting and diarrhea which lasted for about 24 hours. Even drinking loads of water didn't help and my ribs ached for days from all the vomiting, very uncomfortable plus I couldn't got to work which as a contractor at the time meant the loss of quite a bit of money.

I think the underlying message here is to go see a doctor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could also try taking a couple of ibuprofen (or your preferred anti-inflammatory) as that may reduce the itching. When I get bee stings, I take Clarityn and ibuprofen for a couple of days until the swelling subsides.

But you really need to figure out what's biting you and when and prevent it continuing - otherwise you might be be on antihistamines for days or weeks. Maybe get some insect repellent from the pharmacy too.

Edited to add:

There are different strengths of antihistamine - for eg, for wasp and horsefly stings / bites (I get a very bad reaction) I use Telfast (Fexofénadine) comes in about 5 different strenths which are prescribed according to the level of the allergic reaction. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks everyone for kind advice - and warnings about Prednisolone.    Good thing I didn't self-medicate !!!    Realised after reading your kind replies that I'd been prescribed this for a very badly injured knee - when I fell down some stairs and did serious self-assault.....   Must remember I'm not Superman these days - and can't fly.

As for allergies, reaction to fleas etc.   Not had any strange bods in the house, nor strange bods with strange dogs or anyone else who owns dogs - so can't see how could be fleas.    Not mozzie bites - not same reaction.    The pesky aouts - don't suffer such nasty reactions;   these were big lumps, very hard - and very, very itchy.   

Attacks seem to have stopped;  only suffered for about 2 weeks - just very sudden, numerous 'bites by thingies' - which seem to have now stopped.

Only way I could stop myself scratching the bites and making the skin raw and bleeding - was total smothering every few hours of the anti-histamine (? hydro-cortisone) cream - 'Cort Apaisyl' - which did soothe, and the idea of Ibuproufen was a good one as well.

So I'm baffled;  don't know why I was targetted so suddenly;   this year I seemed to have gone through almost all the summer without any real or major problems - but then to feel I was being attacked - all over - even in covered-up areas - was very strange - and very uncomfortable.

Ho hum - another of the joys of living in France - will probably never find out what 'it' was that had caused the problem - but I'll be ready next year - make sure I stock up with the remedies that everyone has suggested - yeah - ALL of the remedies - the little so-and-so's won't catch me again !!

So thanks for good advice and recommendations - very helpful - thanks for taking time and trouble.

Chessie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sounds like red spider mites to me which are invisible to the naked eye. They bite in folds or joints and where clothes are tight on the body, such as the elastic band in underwear. Last a couple of weeks.  The Americans call them chiggers and in French it's aouta

Animals get them and scratch themselves raw.

Picked up from the garden, often under pine type trees or from long grass.

Long hot bath with plentry of soap plus sprays are very effective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's odd I had about a week in September when I got bitten all over yet I had been in France for about 4 weeks when I got attacked...I thought it must have been Mossies at night...My kids thought it hilarious when they came over that I had as they put it 'Extra nipples'  (Well 'nip nips' in adolescent speak) 'Dads got nip nips on his arm' guffaw.... You have my sympathy!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nymphe of the aoûtat stays on the body for a week or so digging little holes in the skin, a "soupçon" of enzyme to the protein recipe.

Unfortunately each little hole then itches like **** for several days.

Called aoûtats by the french due to being common in août and other parts of france.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...