I am on prednisalone permanently with approval from my specialist and my doctor. Quality of life is what I now want and self medicating works because we knownour own bodies better than anyone else. I tried reducing down to 10 mg per day but it does not work. I am now sitting on 35 mg per day and get a reasonable result. Still have good days and bad days. Just spent two weeks in hospital with bacterial infection so avoid crowds of people or anyone with colds ipor flu. I almost died bit praise God I pulled through. I now can't do as much as before but the steroids are thenone thing that work. Self medication is normal in end stage COPD. Good luck and blessings.

It seems like no inhalers agree with me, so my doctor said I should 10mg of Prednisone a day, as maintenance since I can't really do inhalers. I have tried almost every inhaler they make. I refused to do the Prednisone every day because it's almost impossible to get off of it, once you start. I do Brovana and Bromide in my nebulizer and thank God so far, that is keeping me going. Her thinking was, an inhaler as maintenance, but that didn't work so that's why she said Prednisone. Of course I have to do a regiment of Prednisone when my breathing gets bad, but then I do a taper down and still I have withdrawal symptoms for a couple of days. I physically feel better when I'm off Prednisone, but I'm in Stage 4 of COPD, so I already know that down the road I won't have a choice but to take it, if I want to keep breathing without putting a ton of stress on my lungs and heart.

I am so glad you brought this up about the Prednisone . I was in the hospital also and taking that and it made me feel so much better so I talked to my Dr. about it and he did not want me to be on it. Now I a rethinking this because he told me I am in the last stages of copd according to the all the tests I had taken. Frankly what difference would it make it if made me feel better if i am not going to get any better anyways.

I am taking 30 mg every day. I will drop to 25mg then 20 for a few days and then I have to go back up to 30mg. I have been on this for over a year.My Doctor would like it if I didn't have to use it but I have no choice. without it...I cant breath.

My doctor said I should take 10mg of Prednisone every day the rest of my life because inhalers don't agree with me. I do not do that. Why, simply because of the side effects. When my breathing gets bad, then I do a regiment of Prednisone which starts at 30mg a day and tapers down to 10mg a day.