experience with kids and prednisone or methyltrexate

[Val]

My DD9 is hard of hearing...mild/moderate fluctating and progessive loss. As of yesterday, she now has THREE diagnoses: otosclerosis, a malformation of her temporal bone, and NOW autoimmune sensory neural hearing loss. She had surgery in December to remove a cholesteatoma, had two new eardrums built and tubes put in both ears. Her hearing went back to near normal....until February when it all crashed again. Her ENT sent us to a neuro otologist, did MRI, CAT scans and blood work for the AISNHL....obviously, there is a lot going on. He wants her to have an immediate consult with a pediatric rheumatologist and start a course of prednisone and/or methyltrexate.

Oh, and she is having tube set #6 on Monday! The ones placed in December have already fallen out and she is having pressure/fluid buildup already!

Do any of you have any experience with these? What were the side effects? It appears that there is only a 50/50 chance that the treatment would bring back hearing, and then possibly only with continued drug treatment. Given how close she is to puberty (she will be 10 in September), we are worried about effects on puberty.

Any advice, experience, etc. would be most appreciated! thanks!

 

[Goofyluver]

My DS is on prednisone almost constantly---for asthma---he's on it again right now. Short courses are fine...but usually cause some hyperactivity, possible mood swings, emotional outbursts, a feeling that you are "out of control". DS gets very hyper...and he usually a very low arousal kid. My mother also frequently takes prednisone, and it makes her cry a lot. My step-father (also asthmatic) gets very angry outbursts. My ped told me that some children also become violent.

Long-term use can also cause weight gain and a "puffy" appearance. But, not usually with short-term use.

I'm not familiar with the other medication. Prednisone does have some side affects, others it affects not at all! But, this drug works well for my DS and his asthma! Not sure about the other drug though.

 

[ohMom]

do you mean methotrexate?

My DD has been on both for her JRA -- still on the mtx. She experienced little side effects of the predisone at low dose -- at higher dose she had the hunger, moodiness at times, sometimes a bit wound up. I found giving her the predisone in the morning helped her to be able to wind down for bedtime. I think the biggest side effect was as Goffyluver mentioned -- the emotional roller coaster. BUT for us not everyday by any means

methotrexate can make one feel 'flu-like' -- tired, stomach aches and/or nauseau. We give her that on a friday night so she can sleep for the first 8-10 hours or so of the dose. It also makes her sunburn more easily