Prednisone

[Scout4answers]

What is protocol for weaning off of prednisone?

[treedown]

Are you on 5 or 10mg? I was on 5 and my MO said I could stop cold. I did it over a week and had no issues I was aware of.

[Scout4answers in reply to treedown]

5 mg

[treedown in reply to Scout4answers]

Have you stopped Lupron and Zytiga already? Has it been 2 years?

[Scout4answers in reply to treedown]

Last lupron shot (3 mo.) Dec. 15th so should be out of my system about now. Have not yet stopped Abiraterone. planning to do so this week. (Lupron 30 mo. , Abi. 28 Mo.)

[jedimister in reply to Scout4answers]

5mg is a miniscule amount. Don’t worry about it.

[RayVarella62 in reply to jedimister]

I am ending 2 years of Abiraterone and 5mg Prednisone this month and that is what my MO said. He doubts that there will be any serious side effects due to such a small amount I was using.

[fireandice123 in reply to treedown]

I was on 5 mg and if I remember correctly my MO prescribed 2.5 mg pills and I took them for a few days before stopping completely.

[treedown in reply to fireandice123]

There's been varied responses to this question over the years on this forum, so the OP will have to choose from those and what his Dr. says.

[Scout4answers in reply to treedown]

My MO is out of town and his nurse told me I could stop Prednisone cold but I am questioning that wisdom.

[treedown in reply to Scout4answers]

As did I🙂

[Still_in_shock in reply to Scout4answers]

I wont chance cold turkey. If my adrenals dont recover right away??

I want to give my adrenals time to recover.

This is what I will do in 6 months.

Week 1: Take 5 every other day and 2.5 on alternate days.

Week 2: 2.5 everyday. Week 3: 2.5 every other day. Week: 4 clear!!

[TeleGuy in reply to Still_in_shock]

This is closer to what I have done except over six weeks. You can tell if you are going too fast when you are exhausted and don’t recover quickly from exercise.

[dhccpa in reply to Scout4answers]

I've always understood that it's best to taper off gradually.

[Rocketman1960 in reply to Scout4answers]

break the 5mg in half and take 2.5 for a week and then stop.

[cesces]

There should not be much for a prostate cancer patient.

Generally you will be using prednisone to counterbalance the effects of some other medication.

So as the other medication leaves, you reduce your prednison.

Do a lot depends on the relative effects, half lives, etc of the two medications.

The is something you really should follow the lead of your doc on. I would expect that it requires practical experience as opposed to reading of articles, even peer researched articles.

[Still_in_shock in reply to cesces]

It's not about the prednisone, it's about the adrenal glands, they do not recover instantly.

The effect of the Abiraterone usually does not stop immediately after stopping it.

[Mascouche]

Weaning of it was difficult for me when I was following my oncologist advice which was to cut it by half every week. I was taking 10mg for over two years.

What worked better for me was to use a half dose one day out of two and the regular dose the other day.

So if I was you I would take 5mg one day, 2.25 the next day then 5mg then 5,... A week later take 2.5mg one day and none the next day and then 2.5mg,... Best of luck to you.

[rfgh20]

I'm on 5mg. My two MO'S agreed when I stop Zytiga, I stop prednisone without taper.

[RyderLake2]

Hello,

I am on a clinical trial and my Cancer Agency team decided they wanted to do a slow Prednisone withdrawal. For two weeks no Zytiga (abiraterone), 5 mgs of Prednisone only. For the next two weeks 2.5 mgs of Prednisone. We used a pill splitter. For the last two weeks 2.5 mgs of Prednisone every second day. The Cancer Agency folks tend to be very cautious. The reason for dropping Zytiga and Prednisone is the CancerAgency has allowed me to crossover from Arm B of the trial (SOC) to Arm A (lutetium). Hope that helps!

[Scout4answers in reply to RyderLake2]

Thanks I will try it

[classicbman]

After completing 28 months of Orgovyx and Zytiga, with 5 mg of Prednisone, my MO suggested taking 5mg of Prednisone every other day for a week and then discontinuing it. I was not comfortable with such an abrupt stoppage, so I went with an 8-week weening program as follows: Weeks 1/2 involved 5mg on day one, alternating with 2.5 mg every other day; Weeks 3/4 included 2.5mg every day; Weeks 5/6 involved 2.5 mg every other day: Weeks 7/8 I took 2.5 mg every 3 days. Granted, this is a rather extended weening period, but why take any chances with your own cortisol finally kicking in after 28 months of Prednizone usage. I did not experience any adverse side effects utilizing this plan.

[Tall_Allen]

Slower is better.

[Scout4answers in reply to Tall_Allen]

Do you favor 4 weeks over 2?

Or is 2 weeks enough with 5mgs?

[Tall_Allen in reply to Scout4answers]

I'd do 4 weeks for myself, but I'm cautious. I'd also take my BP everyday.

[Scout4answers in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks Allen

[Mike1971]

Hi Scout4answers,

My doc instructed me to taper off by taking one pill every other day for a week then 1/2 pill every other day for a week. Worked without problems for me.

[Scout4answers in reply to Mike1971]

I like this one best, simple to execute. thanks

[TJS-1]

Concur with the tapering off plan, but only after you have stopped Zytiga. My MO advised prednisone is only needed with Zytiga/Abi, not Lupron or other first line ADT. I tapered off over two weeks; 5 mg/day 1st week, then 2.5mg/day 2nd week. No issues and my BP returned to pre-ADT normal within a month of stopping the Abi.

[Scout4answers in reply to TJS-1]

BP returning to normal will be another welcome benefit.

[GAdrummer]

Tapering too fast sent my husband to the hospital. Had to go back up and start over again much slower.

[reconjj]

My MO at VA said to split my 5mg pill for 4 days in a row

[westobutch123]

Weaned off 5mg recently as starting a drug holiday. Per MO suggestion, I took 2.5mg daily for 3 weeks then done. Did I need to? Who knows....

[doc1947g]

I was on Prednisone 50 mg for 10 weeks for pulmonary infection and my chest doctor told me to stop cold turkey.

Lucky I did not have any problem.

[ShipModeler]

I have been on 5mg of Prednisone for the past two years. This week I begin weaning off by taking one tablet every other day for ten days. (Doctor directed).

[MoonRocket]

33 replies on how to stop Prednisone. Wow. Who would of thunk.

[Scout4answers in reply to MoonRocket]

and yet, no consensus😎

[MoonRocket in reply to Scout4answers]

You'll been weened by the final reply

[MoonRocket in reply to Scout4answers]

Might as well throw my half pence in.I stopped by going every other day for a week, then every 2nd day then finally every 3rd day. Then I stopped. 5mg is a very small dose.

[LakeT]

MO reduced my prednisone from 5mg to 2.5mg. I am still on Zytiga for as long as possible.

[Sagewiz]

My wife was on it for her post-chemo pain syndrome and it took her a year to get off of it, but she had higher dosage. Her withdrawals were awful for a year, and her MDs said to reduce it 10% per month even when a miniscule amount. It seems like others here have had no problems. I am still about 2 years out before trying to get off of it, so watching everyone else's experiences.

[SilverSeppi]

It is my understanding that you have to be 'weaned' off steroids, cannot stop cold; usually by reducing the dosage over a period of time then completely stopping. Your doctor should be able to give you more details.

[Gatodd]

I asked a similar question 3 months ago when coming off zytiga after 2 years. My MO also said that since it was 5mg, cutting cold turkey would be ok. But I listened to advice from this forum which was to take it slow over 6 weeks.

Even cutting to 1/2 doses, I had an immediate increase in blood pressure (like 175-180 over 85-90). But only in the evening, as morning blood pressure was fine. My blood pressure had always been in the 120 over 80 level - except when I added zytiga/prednisone 2 years earlier.

After about a month, blood pressure returned to normal. But I recommend slow and monitoring blood pressure twice per day. I can’t see a reason that a slower weaning is bad.

[Scout4answers in reply to Gatodd]

thanks

My intention is to take it slowly.

[j-o-h-n]

Easy: Take odd amount on even days, and even amount on odd days. Skip holidays that fall on Fridays and take normal amount on holidays that fall on Mondays... Of course there's the End of the month to consider........and the time zones......... but what the hell........ just ask your doc....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n