Side effects

Reading through the list of potential side effects caused by the various used medications, it is not hard to become concerned that many of the potential side effects are in fact almost the same as the issues they are trying to solve. On top of that there are many other side effects as well so it is perfectly understandable, justifiable and even prudent to be concerned about taking these drugs.

Unless there is going to be an immediate adverse reaction to a drug, for most of them the side effects tend to take longer to kick in than the healing effect and so there tends to be an initial period of relief, followed, if it is going to be the case, by the expression of the side effects. Depending on the individual, some members of the group find that the benefits outweigh the side effects caused and so continue with the medication and manage their day to day activities to minimise the impact and further exacerbation of those side effects. For others, the side effects are such that they cannot be left to continue as they would cause equally serious complications in other areas and so a change must be made to the use of the causative drug. Getting the combination right is unfortunately far from an exact science and quite a bit of experimentation is required.

Of the myriads of potential side effects that the relevant drugs have, below are those that have in fact been an issue for various members of the group.

Medication Side effect Steps to reduce symptom
Azathioprine  Liver Complications Reduce dosage if possible
Cyclosporine  Headaches, fatique and hormonal imabalances causing facial hair and voice deepening Reduce dosage if possible
Prednisolone Thinning/fragility of skin - While quite different to the blistering it is quite an issue as it means the skin tears/peels off with the slighest of pressure or friction. Reduce dosage if possible
Dapsone Anaemia (in particular, caused at 150mg/day) Reduced dosage to 100mg/day
Combination/Unclear Yeast infenction/Candida/Esophagitis resulting in tightness in the throat and chest Use Nystatin
Combination/Unclear Dizziness None
Prednisolone Above normal sweating (underarms and chest) Use Driclor for underarms
Prednisolone Muscle fatique and shakeing of hands Reduce dosage if possible