Side effects of Flaherty’s treatment don’t affect his performance, spokesman says

Posted: Published on February 1st, 2013

This post was added by Dr P. Richardson

OTTAWA The steroid Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is taking for a rare skin condition can cause anxiety and nervousness and, in rarer cases, serious psychological side effects including depression, confusion and even psychosis.

In a statement issued Thursday morning, Flahertys office acknowledged he was taking prednisone, a commonly-prescribed corticosteroid drug, to treat a non-life threatening, but serious dermatological condition known as Bullous Pemphigoid.

The side effects of prednisone are serious enough that its use by airline pilots is limited by aviation authorities in the U.S.

But, as Flaherty prepares to deliver a federal budget, likely in March, his office contends the drug is not affecting his job performance.

Rumours about Flahertys health have circulated on Parliament Hill for months, but it appears that an uncharacteristically sluggish TV interview in Switzerland last week compelled him to go public with his condition and treatment.

Flaherty, 63, was in Davos to represent Canada at the high-profile annual conference of the World Economic Forum.

In the interview with Bloomberg taped on Friday morning, Flaherty spoke with a thickened voice at times, sounded breathless at others, and gave short answers to questions on topics ranging from Canadian monetary policy to the departure of Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.

Several times, the Bloomberg interviewer had to press the normally talkative Flaherty to elaborate on his responses.

Flahertys office denied there was any problem when, on Wednesday, the Citizen asked director of communications Dan Miles if the ministers performance in the interview was caused by either alcohol or a medical problem.

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Side effects of Flaherty’s treatment don’t affect his performance, spokesman says

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