What are the diseases in which PREDNISOLON medicine can be used at its best ?

Actually my mother, aged 62 years is recently diagnosed with IPF ( Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ). She is presently on steroids MENDROL - 4mg ( 1-0-1/2 ) for 20 days. Now the expert Pulmonologist has doubled the dose of this medicine from 4 mg to 8 mg. Other pulmonologist has suggested PREDNISOLON - 10 mg ( 3-0-2 ) for 2 weeks along with AZIRON and few other supportive tablets. Kindly advise the forward path for us whether to continue with MEDROL with higher dose or to switch on to PREDNISOLON.
Your expert advice is highly appreciated.

Thanking you,
Regards,
Apurva N Mehta

Prednisolon is widely used in the treatment of COPD, asthma, emphyzema etc. It helps the patient's breathing especially during the course of a chest infection.

I am speaking, both as a registered nurse and also as a relative. My mother died with COPD six years ago, i took care of her until she died.

You mention Mendrol, my mother was prescribed it but id didn't seem to agree with her, not as well as Prednisolon did. What i mean by that is that she didn't get over infections as quickly as she did on Prednisolon/

Your mother should speak to the doctor offering to increase her Mendrol, ask what would think about a course of Prednisolon. Her doctor may decide she is better off on Mendrol, in which case she could tell him that she asked for a second opinion.

I don't know if you are in the UK or USA but should your mother ever feel that she was not getting the best tretment from her doctor, then Patients Charter states that she is entitled to have her views heard and switch doctor, if feeling that he would treat her beet.

Best wishes

I believe you mean Prednisone a steriod used to treat asthma in limited doses (or breathing and lung problems).
I am 40 and have had asthma for 30 years never once taking Prednisone as requested do to the fact that my mother thought I'd turn into a man for it (its a steriod so it makes the sexes sway to the other side if taken too much. So doctors only prescribe it in limited quantitys.
Well after a few years of thinking i was gonna die from lack of air on a nightly basis, i decide to tr it and now I wish i would have done it sooner, I tke it when I start to loose my breathe and im fine with in the hour plus it lasts for days, and no I'm not a man, still a woman.
I say give it a shot, what do you have to loose?
And if you gain from it thats great!
good luck!

I am not a doctor so please dont take my words seriously. I suggest you do some research online on the side effects of both the meds and also consult few other doctors if you are in doubt. I think all steroids have some side effects. But the side effects arent considered much as steroids are life saving in most cases.
Prednisolone is given for many reasons especially for patients who need increased adrenaline, some examples are during allergies, bronchospasms etc

Prednisoln can be used to help open your lungs when you are having a hard time breathing. Used for asthma patients and for respertory infections

its just another steroid, its not that much different from medrol. pretty much does the same thing. just do whatever the doc thinks would work better