can pulmicort, used nasally, make bones weak?
My son's doctor has him using Pulmicort nasally, for allergy prevention, NOT by mouth for asthma. My son is 14. He has had some fractures, and even though he is an extremely active athlete, I am getting suspicious as to whether the Pulmicort is making his bones weak. He has had a broken thumb, which seemed normal. But he fractured his tailbone two years ago, and then this week he was lightly tackled in football and fractured his tailbone and also up about 2 inches (they said "he broke his back in two places.")
Hi Amy,
Pulmicort is a type of medicine called a corticosteroid. Steroids do carry some risk of bone loss, though in the nasal steroid preparations, this risk is quite low. This risk is most associated with high doses, though. When looking at the risks of any medicine, doctors must always weigh the potential risks against the benefits.
There are other medicines that can be used to treat and control allergies besides nasal steroids. However, they may not be as effective. I would advise you to discuss your suspicions and concerns with your son's doctor.
Good luck,
Kathi
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