Catching covid on prednisone? - Asthma UK communi...

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Catching covid on prednisone?

Leigh2305 profile image

So I’m double vaccinated as of June, I started pred on Saturday for my asthma flare up and upped my fostair on my mart regime. It’s been a few months since my last dose of pred and my fostair is 100/6 twice on a morning and twice on an evening

But my kids have been playing with another child who has covid. She was playing with mine yesterday and apparently has had symptoms for a few days. They are small so play close together 😳

But now my concern is catching it as I saw steroids weaken the immune system and I know the vaccine means you are less likely to get severe symptoms but I know a few double vaccinated now who have had it. One was really poorly

Anyone else had a similar experience of catching it after the vaccine when taking prednisone during a flare up. It’s got me quite anxious about catching it.

11 Replies

So my parents were both double vaccinated and caught covid. I live in the same house as them, spend several hours per day together. I had literally had my second vaccine a couple of days prior to them getting symptoms, so was technically on first dose immunity. I isolated, but must have been spending a lot of time around them for about 5 days when they were contagious. I did 2 pcr tests and several lateral flow, always negative, no symptoms never got covid. I too was petrified, but in the end it just depends on what happens. The asthma nurses told me to take the full amount of fostair mart each day just to be on the safe side. I'd say talk to them, get some reassurance, but know that it's not inevitable that you'll get it, or that symptoms would be bad.

Take the precautions you can, but given that it's your kid, keep an eye and keep in touch with someone who can advise you.

Thanks that’s reassuring. I’ve had nearly my full mart today. I’m hoping the nurse rings tomorrow as I had already made an appointment as I started my pred on Saturday.

My child always has her fingers in her mouth and has been sharing her toys. The other child has been playing out for days and is on day 3 of symptoms. I’m quite annoyed at the other parent being irresponsible and letting her out.

I know it is worrying but try not to worry about it too much. Prednisolone can weaken the immune system but that is normally only a concern if you have lots of regular short courses close together or if you’re taking it long term, and even then it isn’t a problem for everyone.

Asthma also isn’t really thought to be much of a risk for worse covid symptoms either now that they have more information. I definitely know of at least one very severe asthmatic (who also takes prednisolone long term) who had covid after their first vaccine and while they were quite short of breath with covid they didn’t really think it set off their asthma and it felt quite different apparently.

Take care and hope everything is ok :)

Leigh2305 profile image
Leigh2305 in reply to Js706

Hopefully it isn’t too bad if I do get it. Thankfully I haven’t needed many pred doses the last few months.

And my vaccines had plenty time to take hold now.

It’s just scary. As I have seen some asthmatics who have worse asthma since getting covid. I think it’s just a luck of the draw as to who gets a bad chest with it. My friends Mam has a bad chest with hers and she’s double vaccinated.

twinkly29 profile image
twinkly29 in reply to Leigh2305

When I had covid, the breathing symptoms were very very different to asthma symptoms. I know of many others like this too. A lot of people will think all breathing symptoms are their asthma being worse but mostly with covid (particularly if properly vaccinated) it's mechanical not inflammation - so breathlessness that's caused by breathing pattern issues because of the virus, not asthma itself. The breathlessness doesn't respond to asthma meds (another reason why people think their asthma is worse is that they use inhalers etc to help the symptoms but they don't help because it's not asthma causing them) but responds brilliantly to simple breathing exercises.

In some people, their asthma might be triggered, but mostly that will be no different to any other cold/virus and one would react as per their usual asthma plan, so taking steroids if needed, for example. Having both vaccines isn't a magic shield so people will still be unwell but mostly this is reduced to levels of "normal" illnesses.

Can you tell us about the breathing exercises please?

These ones are good, from the British Lung Foundation.

I found the breathing rectangle really good - done each time I was symptomatic (which was very frequently to start with but eased off) for just a couple of minutes at a time. Other people might find other exercises better for them. One technique I was taught years ago by physio annoyed me so I don't do that one!

The idea is to retrain the lungs to breathe properly because the body adopts different ways to breathe when under stress that it thinks are easier but are not effective. So it might be relieving tightness or slowing breathing down, for example.

I caught covid while on long term pred and while I was very poorly and also had pneumonia I think increasing my pred while ill with covid helped keep me out of hospital, I think possibly because it reduces inflammation. I was much better breathing wise within a few days of increasing pred and managed to avoid hospital.

I take hydrocortisone (a steroid) every day and got covid and I was ok!

Best wishes 👍 Colin

I’m on prednisone continuously and have been for 5 years ... I’m not concerned , even before being doubled jabbed

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