I had my left lung fill with fluid and collapse after radiation treatment for Breast Cancer. The lung was drained with Thorocentesis and I was hospitalized for a week and put on prednisone – 40 mg reduced to zero in 1 week. I experienced symptoms of heart … more »

I had my left lung fill with fluid and collapse after radiation treatment for Breast Cancer. The lung was drained with Thorocentesis and I was hospitalized for a week and put on prednisone – 40 mg reduced to zero in 1 week. I experienced symptoms of heart attack as reaction to reduction from prednisone. When it was determined by enzyme testing in hospital that heart not damaged I was sent home with prescription of prednisone starting at 60 -10 days, to 40- 5 days, to 30 – 10 days, to 20-10 days. The cumulative effect of these doses was all the side effects mentioned by others, loss of emotional and physical balance, stability, swelling, moon face, insomnia, depression, crying, stomach pain, constipation, etc. I dropped myself to 20mg for 9 days but on the 8th day had recurrence of lung pain and feared possible fluid build up through tissues damage/leak caused by radiation – they are calling it pleurisy or pleural effusion. (It was also determined that I must be on constant oxygen and sleep on oxygen as my breathing capacity is below 88 off of oxygen.) Dr. found not enough fluid to drain without risk to damaging my diaphragm so upped the prednisone again to 30 for 14 days. using pain and shortness of breath as a measure of lung condition I must not dampen pain now but suffer it to monitor my lung so as to avoid trips for constant X-rays. I continue to suffer from prednisone and it has disabled me so that my normal life cannot be resumed in any way. I want to get off of it, but after reading these reports, I am very worried – supposedly the steroid is allowing my radiated lung to heal, but if that is not happening I think the steroids are possibly more life threatening than the lung – in any case, what life? What other choices do I have to survive the damage done to me by radiation?