What is protocol for weaning off of prednisone?
Prednisone : What is protocol for... - Advanced Prostate...
Prednisone
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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.
5 mg
Have you stopped Lupron and Zytiga already? Has it been 2 years?
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.
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.
My MO is out of town and his nurse told me I could stop Prednisone cold but I am questioning that wisdom.
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!!
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.
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.
I'm on 5mg. My two MO'S agreed when I stop Zytiga, I stop prednisone without taper.
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!
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.
Slower is better.
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.
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.
Tapering too fast sent my husband to the hospital. Had to go back up and start over again much slower.
My MO at VA said to split my 5mg pill for 4 days in a row
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....
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.
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).
33 replies on how to stop Prednisone. Wow. Who would of thunk.
MO reduced my prednisone from 5mg to 2.5mg. I am still on Zytiga for as long as possible.
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.
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.
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.
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