I have a question to all of you that take this mess. Does prednisone help with the actual progression of RA or is it simply to help with inflammation and pain? I am on 7.5mg a day. Have been on it for years. My teeth are beginning to loose enamel and I’m worried about my bones. Not to mention I’m considered to be diabetic and I know the steroids cause my sugar to go up. Any advice will be appreciated. I just wanna get off of this mess.
Hugs
Peggy
Hi precious, prednisolone is given to help with inflammation in your body, therefore reduced inflammation equals less pain, but why your Rhumatology team would be happy for you to take this dose for years I’m not sure! Think a call to your rhumy nurse or doc is vital for an explanation, good luck & keep well 🤗 X
No it’s not going to help except by masking pain by calming inflammation.
I tried it & thank goodness was allergic to it so have never touched it in20 years.
Are you on any Dmards at all? If not ask why not? Maybe you have contra-indications?
Talk to your rheumy or rheumy nurse.....soon.
Ohh yes I’m on the max dosage of methotrexate and an injection of orencia once a week. Much better with this as the arthritis is still in the moderate to severe area it is getting better. Thank goodness I can now get out and do things. I still take Oxycodone four times a day but I am at least living better. I asked my Rheumatologist which I love and respect so much. He has worked with me for many years and always done what is best for me. But I did ask if I could start weaning off of it and he said let’s leave it alone for now.
Peggy
Well if your rheumy thinks you still need it & you have agreed the ball is in your court.
If you really want to get off It - you will have to ask very firmly if you can go down by say 1 mg a month .....and see how you feel .
If you find your rheumatologist is right and your pain gets worse it would appear as if you do need to stay on that amount.
But we do need to be proactive .....not just take a drug we think we don’t need without asking questions.
My Rheumy wants me to stay on 5mg Pred daily indefinitely as I have Vasculitis. To begin with I took 40mg plus 5 infusions of 1gram Methylpred. I now have Osteoporosis with 4 Vertebral fractures. Only stay on it for the shortest possible time and ask if you can have a DEXA scan to check your bone strength.
Gulp....MTX plus Orencia plus oxycodone plus 7.5mg prednisone! I reckon your RA is more than moderate!! Unless of course you have other conditions as well.
With pred it’s a bit like you having lots of fires starting in your body, so it rushes around and puts them out. But the disease modifying drugs are supposed to stop the fires starting in the first place. Except that they don’t for you if you still have high inflammation.
I get that you love and trust your rheumy (I still miss my first one) but in your place I’d want to be having a conversation about whether there’s a different mix of drugs that would work better for me and mean I could stop taking prednisone.
I have neuropathy, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteopenia as well. I think my meds have now quit working as my pain meds are only working about 4 hours now where they were working 6 hours. And I am now back to having shortness of breath and severe weakness again. So he is probably going to change meds to what I don’t know because I have failed so many. The new drug out I cannot take because I have had a blood clot before. He was hoping I would be able to take it when it come out. Then we find out if you have had a clot before you cannot take it. I’m 61 years old and I would love to be able to enjoy some times outside with my grandkids. As it is my recliner is the only time I feel comfortable.
Prednisone
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Methotrexate and Prednisone 
Prednisone Instructions 
