Jerry Lewis hospitalized to get off steroid medication

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 11.14.03

[mhking]

LAS VEGAS -- Jerry Lewis has been hospitalized for several weeks trying to wean himself from a steroid medication he took for a life-threatening respiratory condition, his manager said Friday.

The 77-year-old comedian was trying to recuperate and strengthen his lungs at an undisclosed Las Vegas hospital as he stopped taking prednisone for pulmonary fibrosis, manager Claudia Stabile said.

The medication caused him to gain so much weight that his body appeared noticeably bloated in recent years.

"The important thing is he's fine and I would say in a few months he's going to be active again in the business," agent Jeff Witjas said. "He's slimming down to his normal weight. This is all a good thing."

Stabile said the hospitalization was designed to improve his condition, but she didn't know if he would switch to an alternative drug for treating the illness after stopping prednisone. She declined to release the name of his hospital or physicians.

"Hopefully the condition will improve enough where he won't have to take meds," she said.

Candi Cazau, spokeswoman for Lewis and the Orleans hotel-casino in Las Vegas, said Lewis entered the hospital voluntarily on Oct. 13, and expects to be out in time for a March 4 show being planned at the Orleans.

"This is his goal, to be back to where he wants to be, put on a tuxedo to fit his 180-pound frame, and come to the Orleans for a show," Cazau said. "It was his choice to go in there."

Lewis has been plagued in recent years by several ailments. Besides pulmonary fibrosis, which is an increase of fibrous tissue in the lungs, he has had spinal meningitis, chronic back pain and diabetes.

The comedian's films include "Cinderfella," "The Errand Boy," "The Nutty Professor" and "The Patsy."

He and singer Dean Martin were a popular comedy act in the 1940s and '50s.

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[MamaB]

My daughter has Crohn's Disease and has been on and off of prednisone for many years. She too has all the puffiness. She is able to get off it for a while, loses some of the weight and then she is back on the drug. She is back in the hospital now. Think this is the 6th or 7th time since June.

[Paul Atreides]

I had to take Prednisone for a few weeks. It does odd things. I didn't experience any weight gain (I was literally starving and dehydrating to death, at the time), but I had other side effects, albeit minor.

[steplock]

WHERE are the screams of INDIGNATION by this hideous drug addict who is always catering to the purient FRENCH interests?

[buffyt]

addicted to legal drugs....?

[patton]

One of my sons also has Crohns. He was on steriods for a while, but now he take some other thing.

How old is your daughter?

[NonValueAdded]

Wrong tree, so stop your barking. Prednisone is a powerful medicine with some powerful side effects. But it is life-saving for many conditions. If you ever have to take it, you would understand. This is not drug addiction and let's not drop to the same level as the RATs on this one. The dosage must be tapered off slowly or very serious side effects can occur. No matter what you feel about Jerry Lewis, this is neither the time or the place...

[Jennikins]

This is his goal, to be back to where he wants to be, put on a tuxedo to fit his 180-pound frame, and come to the Orleans for a show," Cazau said. "It was his choice to go in there."

Blessings and prayers go out to Jerry Lewis. I DO hope he manages to get off the drugs, and get off the weight. He is a handsome guy and deserves another chance at his life.I wish him well.

[Ann Archy]

I feel very sorry for him....HOWEVER he's a BIG lefty.

[Tacis]

Lewis is America's contribution to French culture. They were going to send him to France in the hope he would be well treated and then they remembered the French habit of killing older folks for the hell of it.

[catonsville]

You may not like him but no one has raised more for charity than he has. He became addicted to perscription pain killers because he damaged his back doing all the pratfalls and dives off pianos to make people laugh.

He can be pompous about his own talents, but he has suffered greatly from many ailments and I wish him well.

[SF Republican]

addicted to legal drugs addiction is addiction no matter what you are addicted to be it legal or not.

[RedMonqey]

One does not get a "high" from being "addicted" to Predisone.
There is no black market for it and there is no roving bands of addicts knocking over old ladies for their Social Security checks to pay for their habit.

It is a steroid, not a narcotic. I took it several years ago for Rheumatoid Arthritis and gained a tremendous amount of weight because of it. Lewis deserves our prayers, not our condemnations.

[steplock]

Get real! I guess we NEED the < sarcasm > tag around here?! It was a simple light-hearted jest.

"Prednisone is a powerful medicine..." What do you call the MEDICINE Rush was on that he got hooked on? Which side of that issue were you on there?

"This is not drug addiction" you claim ... What is the definition of an addiction then? Or should I say - WHICH definition of an addiction do you agree with? Who is an addict?

"If you ever have to take it, you would understand." I have the same prescription that Rush had. I have a STANDING prescription for 3 pills/day -- that's 90+/month -- That's 1095 pills / yr! Do YOU understand?

The doctors know full well what happens to patients that have chronic pain. Hopefully the Adolor (ADLR) non-narcotic medication that is in it's PHASE 3 testing now proves to be with little side effects.

BTW - you don't know other side effects of narcotic use - very embarassing condition called bowel narcosis. when you swallow a pill, it "medicates" ALL THE WAY through you.

[AdA$tra]

Lewis deserves our prayers, not our condemnations.

I admire what he does for MD and other charities, but it does not stop him from getting on my last nerve.

[muggs]

Prednisone isn't a drug anybody would take for fun. You must be weaned off it slowly to avoid Addison's disease, which can be fatal.

My husband had to take this drug and the side effects are really unpleasant. He hated it so much that he was going to just stop taking it until I informed him that would be very risky. Hopefully he will remain in remission for awhile and not need to take it again soon.