daughter has flu-just finished month on steroids

[colleenrn]

My 14 yo PANDAS daughter apparently has influenza B. Several of her friends have tested postive for the flu, with the same exact symptoms as my daughter. It does not seem to be respiratory related at all.

 

It started yesterday with extremely bad abdominal pain, chills, head ache, and intense dizziness. I had to hold her head while she was trying to vomit b/c she kept blacking out.

 

Her last day of prednisone was Monday and the flu symptoms started Friday. Does anyone know how long it takes for the steroids to completely get out of her system? She was on 32 days of prednisone (60, 40, 20, 10). My concern is that her immune system is still suppressed from the steroid, but maybe it is out of her system by now.

 

TIA

Colleen

[peglem]

According to this website: http://noairtogo.tripod.com/prednisone.htm

 

Pharmacokinetics: Prednisone is rapidly absorbed across the GI membrane following oral administration. Peak effects can be observed after 1—2 hours. The circulating drug binds extensively to the plasma proteins albumin and transcortin, with only the unbound portion of a dose active. Systemic prednisone is quickly distributed into the kidneys, intestines, skin, liver and muscle. Corticosteroids distribute into the breastmilk and cross the placenta. Prednisone is metabolized by the liver to the active metabolite prednisolone, which is then further metabolized to inactive compounds. These inactive metabolites, as well as a small portionof unchanged drug, are excreted in the urine. The plasma elimination half-life is 1 hour whereas the biological half-life of prednisone is 18—36 hours.

Bolding mine

The prednisone should be mostly cleared by now.