Prednisolone Reduction

I've been on long-term Pred for what seems like forever. I've been wanting to reduce it due to the side effects, but neither my resp. consultant nor endocrinologist would take responsibility for helping me reduce and my GP said he wanted it overseen by a consultant.

Anyway, with lots of badgering (and a little light bribery!) I got my GP to agree to help me reduce. With only one splat, I've got down to 10mg (from 40mg) which is pretty amazing, but now I'm stuck.

The GP has given me 1mg tablets, but has said it's really up to me what I do now, whether I reduce further and by how much. He says I have two options to reduce further. Either:

[*]go down 1mg a week

[*]take it slower and alternate each day, so this week do 10/9/10/9 etc, next week 9/8/9/8 etc

Has anyone tried these options (especially the alternating one)? Did they work for you? Any other tips to make this pred reduction successful?

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Wow, well done on getting down to 10mg!! I haven't gotten my Pred down that low so I can't comment on either of those options. But I do know from my own experiences of reducing Pred, the slower the reduction the better my body seems to take it

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Hi Ratty

Fantastic news on your successful reduction, i'm so happy for you.

Ive been on steroid reduction for the last year, when i reached 10mg i was told my my consultant to reduce by only 1mg per month.

Hope that helps and you achieve your goal.

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I've done both those ways of reducing and the every other day didn't seem to make any difference just made things take longer. So if it was me I would do the 1mg every 2 weeks then gives chance for body to catch up

[Asthma-girl]

Well done on managing to get down to 10mg.

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I came off mine quite quick, within months, I dont remember having too much in way of problems. I was on them for years with a few people telling me off for letting my Dr keep me on them

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Hey Ratty!!!

Blinking great news on the reduction, thats fantastic!!

I know from personal experience (granted i have to start this at 20mg and never get lower than 18mg) but I reduce by 1mg per week, if I notice lungs or anything else, I either hold it at that dose or I upp it to the nearest 10 again, so if at say 18mg etc and I start feeling rubbish, I up back to 20mg...

....hope this makes sense!

xxx

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Thanks eveyone - it is great to get this low. I managed a 9/10 mix week, debating whether to go for 8 next week or a 9/8 mix. Lungs aren't too bad but the hayfever is really doing me in, and the achy muscles are, well, achy!