Question: I am on replacement cortisone following surgery and recently had an experience where I was really sick with an infection. I tripled my dose (to 60 mg) according to the instructions from my endocrinologist. I only ran a fever of 99, but felt much sicker. Will the higher doses of cortisone required during illness suppress a fever and symptoms?

Answer: You did exactly the correct thing. The purpose of taking increased steroid during febrile illness is to mimic the body’s normal response. The steroid will decrease the degree of fever, and it may reduce or eliminate some symptoms, especially those caused by inflammation. However, the steroid does not in any way treat the cause of the illness. You should contact your endocrinologist if your symptoms continue to worsen while taking the increased steroid or if you cannot return to your usual steroid dosage after three days. If you cannot take your medication because of nausea or vomiting, you should inject yourself with dexamethasone and get to your physician as soon as possible.

By Dr. David Orth MD (Summer, 2000)