Hello everyone..  I started my cycle about 3 weeks ago have been on pred taper 60 mg yesterday was down to 40mg dose. Started verapamil at same time 160 mg with yesterday going up to 240.  I was of since starting pred but last night it came back and shadows all day. 

To top everything off I have come down with bronchitis so I asked pharmacist and took muscinex yest and today.  Since I upped my does of verpamil and was sick at same time I am not sure what's causing this but I feel like acid reflux or something not sitting right.  My heart feels like it's palpating and just a uneasy feeling.  I have also been doing the d3 reg but cut the calcium for now.  I am suppose to up my verpamil again by 1 tonight but was not sure what to do
Any thoughts

Tammy

Ok so that was supposed to read I was pf on the prednisone until last night.  The changes yest was adding a extra does verp and taking muscinex with pred dose down to 40

It's not cool to be under a doc's care and then to manipulate your dosing based on guesses, that is, your lack of knowledge about what's happening.

Get back to the doc. He may consider starting the Pred. cycle over again. Your starting dose is a bit low and starting the cycle over again, at a higher dose, may do a more complete block of your symptoms.

Hello, Tammy. I'm sorry, but I'm not certain what you're asking. Are asking about the pred taper, the verapamil dose or the acid reflux? In any case, you've got enough going on that I agree with Bob. Talk this over with your doc. Verapamil especially is nothing to mess with on your own. blessings. lance

It seemed to be the cold medicine that was interacting with the other meds which was making me sick with the indigesion.  I stopped taking it and I the indigestion went away.

Bob, My doctor was hesitant even allowing me on the prednisone so i was lucky to get the 60 mg taper, he said because it has been under 2 years since i was on it last so there is no way he'll restart the taper.  What is verpamil supposed to do I feel like it doesnt do anything yet?  Last night was about a kip 7 but yesterday and today I have a constant shadows all day, tried O2 when I was home this morning, red bull and even advil but nothing takes it away.  I do not remember in previous cycles having this constant shadow that wont let up.

The idea with Verapamil, as with most prevents, is to reduce the number and severity of your attacks. My prevent was lithium, last time I used it, at 1200 mg a day it would block about 60-70% of my hits. Oxygen with a red bull handled most of the rest, with the occasional imitrex jab when all else failed.

Joe

Ok so back to the something not right.  I was feeling ok and about a hour ago started that indigestion feeling again and took tums then a half hour later ran to the bathroom sick as a dog.  I took verpamil last cycle only up too 240 mg I'm now at 320 for past few days.  Could it be the d3 reg with the verp mixing. 

I wake up take 1 verpamil around 7. At 930 been taking prednisone then verp at 12. 4. And 830

I take half my multi vit in morning and other half at night per doctors suggestion.  Fish oil and magnesium lunchtime and vit d around 6

Hey Tammy,

I agree with Bob and the others, see your doctor...  Heart palpitations are not a normal reaction to verapamil. 

Try taking the vitamin D3 at lunchtime with the Omega-3 Fish oil and magnesium...  That said, I don't think it's the anti-inflammatory regimen of nutrients causing the upset tummy...  You were taking this regimen in 2012 with no problems.

I'd skip any cold preparations.  There are no silver bullets for viral infections and most cold preparations tend to work on symptoms that slow the body's immune response...

The vitamin D3 you've been taking should be supercharging your immune system and have it in high gear by now. 

Talk to your doctor about loading up on vitamin C until the bronchitis clears...  A thousand mg vitamin C with meals should help.   That said, bronchitis can take a couple weeks or more to clear completely with no coughing.  If you've got a stuffy nose, try Simply Saline nasal rinse.

Last questions... Howz the head today? Have you had your 25(OH)D tested recently and when did you restart the anti-inflammatory regimen?

Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Thanks batch

I will call dr today again I did not hear back from him.  He did give me a script for bloodwork but I have not been able to get there between the snow and work.  I'd have to say if anything vitamin reg helped 3 people at work have flu and 2 at my house so coming out with only the bronchitis isn't too bad. 

Last night besides getting sick I did ok pain free and so far no shadows.  Just hope it's not the verpamil because I've tried topamax and will not go back.  I will change taking the d to the afternoon I stopped the calcium a few days ago thinking that was it but apparently that didn't help.  Do you think I should continue holding off on that for now with its reactions with verp

Tammy

Update:  I spoke with my doctor and he said that this is not a side effect he has heard of on verpamil consitpation but not naseaus and getting sick.  Told me i can play with my dose if i want and try and deduct a dose and see if that helps. 

For me, Prednisone has caused the side effects your concerned with. Every time I've taken Pred.

Don

Happy Update:  Well Don you were right, it was the prednisone, I have taken it so many times and I never had a reaction like that, so I assumed it was the verpamil since that was new. Now that prednisone is done my body finally feels better the sickness and the numbness is gone. 

Finally I understand what Verpamil does, 4 days PF (YEAH).  In all my years the only relief I had was during a pred taper a soon as i finished it the pain would start again.  I am a little shocked because I am only at 320 mg but  will not complain I hope this steak continues.

Tammy

Prednisone has a whole host of potential side effects you need to be aware of, one of the main ones being it raises your susceptibility to infection. It is not a good idea to be taking it if you are dealing with another illness such as bronchitis, but only your doctor is qualified to make that call.

tammygue wrote on Jan 27^th, 2014 at 4:40pm:

Finally I understand what Verpamil does, 4 days PF (YEAH).  In all my years the only relief I had was during a pred taper a soon as i finished it the pain would start again.  I am a little shocked because I am only at 320 mg but  will not complain I hope this steak continues.

Tammy, I hope it lasts a very long time. Just a word of caution (not trying to be a buzzkill here but wanting to keep you on guard) the beast can morph and adapt. You may find eventually that 320mg isn't doing the trick. Make sure you have your abortives on hand even when things are going well. That way, you can attack the beast back while the doc and you make adjustments to your prevent. blessings. lance

I thought my cycle ended but I guess I was wrong.  I started cutting back on my verpamil 2 days ago (only by 1pill a day) then I got hit this morning.  How will I know when the cycle is over and it is safe to start weaning off?  I have had no signs of anything, shadows or even the slightest breakthru until I cut back. 
Tammy

If alcohol is a trigger then you can use the "beer test", just have a drink and see if it triggers a CH. If it does then you know you've still time to go, otherwise you can try dropping the dose of your preventives.