Steroid multi-day taper pack risks

I was prescribed a 4mg methylprednisolone multi-day taper (MTP) pack to help deal with an injured back. However, in research I found doctors had taken advantage of anonymized electronic medical records, and found taking a single MTP increases the chances of osteonecrosis by approximately 1 in 2,000. If a second MTP is taken the chances increase to approximately 1 in 600. While the chances are very small, the consequences are rather catastrophic.

https://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ortho/2014-7-37-7/%7Ba23b234a-a94f-4173-8bb6-9abad2b69aa7%7D/osteonecrosis-following-short-term-low-dose-oral-corticosteroids-a-population-based-study-of-24-million-patients

However, there is research which suggest vitamin E can help prevent osteonecrosis when taking steroids. Since there's no downside to taking vitamin E, I took it daily both before and after the MTP, and took close to the maximum dose while taking the MTP.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214031X14002575

Amitriptyline and Cough

One of my children was given a very low dose of amitriptyline many years ago for migraine. While it did help the migraines, it also caused a cough that interfered with proper sleep and some other activities. Since we had no explanation for it, and cough is listed in the drug-reference materials as a possible side effects, along with about 50 others, we stopped the drug before a major medical evaluation. In a few days, the cough was gone, and came back when the drug was restarted. Of course, we discontinued it, and the cough was gone with it.

Years later I talked with an older gentleman who told me about a bad cough he had been fighting for a year. He had numerous medical tests done, and was scheduled for a repeat bronchoscopy in the following week. I also have found out that he started a low-dose amitriptyline a year ago for a mild neuropathy. I shared our experience with him. He stopped the drug, and called me a few weeks later, profusely thanking me for clearing up his cough and saving him from further medical tests.