DEAR PEOPLE\u2019S PHARMACY: I have been taking prednisone since 2008 for an autoimmune disease, and I may spend the rest of my life coping with the adverse effects. The major problem now appears to be osteoporosis.<\/p>\n
My rheumatologist has suggested Forteo or Tymlos to treat the bone loss. I worry about side effects, especially from the bisphosphonate I would need to take after a few years. Why aren\u2019t we warned about the complications of prednisone before we start taking it?<\/p>\n
A. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that can help ease inflammation from a variety of sources. Long-term use, however, can weaken bones. That is why your doctor has recommended treatment for osteoporosis. After taking either Forteo or Tymlos, you would most likely need to take a bisphosphonate like alendronate to maintain bone strength. Doctors should always mention potentially serious side effects when offering any prescription.<\/p>\n
Q. I got stuck in an airport for a six-hour layover. Not wanting to sit still for all that time, I walked circuits around the terminal. Unfortunately, I was not wearing the proper shoes and developed blisters. Can you suggest a blister remedy that I can pack in my carry-on to prevent this from ever happening again?<\/p>\n
A. Our favorite product to prevent blisters is a hydrocolloid from Spenco called 2nd Skin Blister Pads. The box should fit in your hand luggage.<\/p>\n
A report in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (September 2019) describes the use of a similar hydrocolloid dressing for a serious blister experienced by someone climbing Mount Everest. According to the authors, \u201cThe Wilderness Medical Society wound care guidelines recommend that blisters larger than 5 mm should be drained but the roof left intact. The blister should then be covered with a hydrocolloid or hydrogel patch or equivalent, such as petrolatum or antibacterial ointment covered with gauze or moleskin.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is \u201cTop Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DEAR PEOPLE\u2019S PHARMACY: I have been taking prednisone since 2008 for an autoimmune disease, and I may spend…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9254,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[97,243],"class_list":{"0":"post-12328","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-medication"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}