Question
Can facial hair fade after children with nephrotic syndrome stop taking prednisone tablets?
Answer
Case Analysis: Hello, based on your description, the child has nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) can be caused by various factors, primarily characterized by increased permeability of the glomerular basement membrane, leading to massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, severe edema, and hyperlipidemia. Prednisone tablets, as a type of glucocorticoid hormone, mainly act as an anti-inflammatory agent. It can reduce the exudation during acute inflammation, stabilize lysosomes, decrease fibrous protein deposition, and lower capillary permeability, thereby reducing the leakage of urinary protein. The effectiveness of glucocorticoid hormones in treating the disease largely depends on the pathological type, especially for the minor lesion type, which shows rapid and significant efficacy. Treatment Suggestions: Hormones are the key drugs for treating nephrotic syndrome. The principles and schemes for use usually include: 1) Initial adequate dosage: commonly use prednisone, taken orally for 8 weeks, and may be extended to 12 weeks if necessary; 2) Gradual dose reduction: after adequate treatment, reduce the original dose by 10% every 2 to 3 weeks; when reduced to about 20mg/day, symptoms are prone to recurrence, so the dose reduction should be slower; 3) Long-term maintenance: finally maintain with the smallest effective dosage for several months to half a year. The use of hormones can adopt either a full-dose regimen taken all at once or an intermittent regimen with twice the maintenance dose taken every other day to alleviate the side effects of hormones. Side Effects: Long-term use of hormones can cause side effects such as moon face, buffalo hump, and facial hair growth. It is recommended to adjust or discontinue the medication according to the condition, and these side effects will gradually disappear.