polksalet Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I have pneumonia. Today I completed the most vicious cardio workout of my life and had no side effects other than the same throbbing in my upper left chest that I've had for a few days. Tonight it started hurting pretty good to I went to see doc. It turns out I have pneumonia in the same part of the same lung I had almost exactly one year ago. He gave me Z pachk generic and prednisone. Here is the question. The dosage direction on box of prednisone says "take as directed". Seriously? What does that mean? fwiw I have 80 10mg doses. everything I read online says normal dose is around 20mg/day. If that is the case I take it for 24 days. BUT everything also says that you create dependence issues if you take for over 7 days. I've no idea what to do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Call the guy who wrote the script ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 Call the guy who wrote the script ... they closed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muck Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) they closed Take your weight as a % of the 'average weight' and multiply by the 'average dose' (20mg) and take that amount ... and then call 'em in the morning. Edited December 16, 2010 by muck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Our new computer system won't let us write "take as directed" on prescriptions, and your situation is another example of why they set it up that way. Your doc should've made the dosage instructions very clear to you. Prednisone is given to patients with pneumonia to reduce the bronchospasm (wheezing) that can occur secondary to the inflammation from the infection. My patients take it over 5 days and taper the dose quickly (60mg the first day, 40mg the second day, 20mg the third, 10mg the fourth, & 5mg the fifth). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 If you start vomiting black liquid . . . just wait it out, I am sure it is nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Every Z pack I've ever taken starts with a high dosage and tapers down over a week. Something like 6 or 7 the first day and then one less. Mine have had the dosage written in the foil that holds the pills. It's strange that they'd give you one without any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 Take your weight as a % of the 'average weight' and multiply by the 'average dose' (20mg) and take that amount ... and then call 'em in the morning. Yep that's what I did and it was correct Doc, this is a 14 day program and I'm thinking about shutting it down after 5 days. Square, I am taking the z pack along with the prednisone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 by the way this is some good stuff. My lung still hurts some but my joints are in great shape haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) My patients take it over 5 days and taper the dose quickly (60mg the first day, 40mg the second day, 20mg the third, 10mg the fourth, & 5mg the fifth). Sort of the same dosage instructions for Syphilis, Polk Edited December 16, 2010 by cliaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted December 16, 2010 Author Share Posted December 16, 2010 gotcha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Agent Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Every Z pack I've ever taken starts with a high dosage and tapers down over a week. Something like 6 or 7 the first day and then one less. Mine have had the dosage written in the foil that holds the pills. It's strange that they'd give you one without any info. I think he's talking about the Prednisone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I think he's talking about the Prednisone. Doh. :facepalm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 (edited) I have pneumonia. Today I completed the most vicious cardio workout of my life and had no side effects other than the same throbbing in my upper left chest that I've had for a few days. Tonight it started hurting pretty good to I went to see doc. It turns out I have pneumonia in the same part of the same lung I had almost exactly one year ago. He gave me Z pachk generic and prednisone. Here is the question. The dosage direction on box of prednisone says "take as directed". Seriously? What does that mean? fwiw I have 80 10mg doses. everything I read online says normal dose is around 20mg/day. If that is the case I take it for 24 days. BUT everything also says that you create dependence issues if you take for over 7 days. I've no idea what to do here. You will need to be tapered off the prednisone...the doc should have given you explicit directions on how much to take and for how long etc. edit: chargerz beat me to the answer edit2: the prednisone can really pack the weight on you too...I have been on it now for a little over 8 weeks and have put on 30 LBs during that time...first 4 weeks was 20mg/day and the last 4 weeks have been 10mg/day...i can't wait to get off this crap Edited December 16, 2010 by keggerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted December 20, 2010 Author Share Posted December 20, 2010 went from around 230 to 248 in 3 days. I'm cycling this nightmare out of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.