Sorry to gloat ... but ...

I am lucky enough to be on day 2 of double steroid dose (20mg) and am already feeling the benefits. I just realised that not only do my fingers not make me continuously wince as if I have St Vitus dance, but I could actually hang a pair of trousers up on one of those awful snappy hangers (know the ones I mean?). As opposed to anti tnf, do you think I could ask to stay on this dose of pred or will it simply mask any active ra? Mind you, I must admit to feeling jumpy and a bit ' sparked up' - hope my husband can cope with this side effect! Virge

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Steroids do help so well but at 20mg or above I get "wired" I ask for no more than 20mg when I need them.. they can be so beneficial though x

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I'm a split personality when it comes to drugs as I think a lot of people are & have to be, in some ways. I'm grateful for them when they work and because they are free or cut price (how long will that last, I wonder??) but also aware that drugs are not like food or water, they always take some sort of a toll on the body. I can imagine that in 15 or so years time it might emerge that anti-tnfs have more or different serious side-effects than we know about now, that's just how it goes with most drugs over time. A nurse friend of mine said that back in the day all she could do with RA patients (who were in crisis, hospitalised) was bandage hteir hands and give them steroids. There are reasons why steroids are no longer so much the drug of choice for RA. They can damage bones if taken at high doses for long periods and for some people coming off them after a longish while can be very difficult. And as you obviously suspect, they are not disease modifying to the extent that the DMARDs & anti-tnfs can be so I should think the joint damage can continue. (This bit puzzles me though as they do bring down inflammation which was what I thought caused most of the destrtuction.)

You might want to look into this more and keep a discussion about drugs going with your rheumy while enjoying the relief and all the new things you can do with steroids for now rather than looking ahead to long-term steroid use.

[helixhelix]

You gloat away and enjoy the moment. But have you been through the anti-tnf assessment? As don't want to cover up symptoms before you've got the go ahead for them....

As others have said, long term steroid use is not a good plan. Also find that once i get over the initial buzz of being pain free, they make me go a bit mental with wild mood swings. last time I used them I ended up throwing things at my OH, for no good reason at all! Polly

[Josie2]

Steroid injections are a god send to me yet oral steroids a total demon!

[pip895]

The day after starting a course of steroids for me is like a grey veil being lifted - its not just the lack of pain, my whole mood lifts and I realize how much the flare up has been getting me down. They are miraculous! Conversely I haven’t had such a good time with the injections.

I am only ever on the maximum dose for about a week then comes the gradual process of coming off them, which is a pain and sometimes takes a couple of months (mostly on very small doses 5mg or less)

You don't want to stay at high doses for long or you risk serious side effects as others have said. Also your body will compensate for them and you will need more and more for the same effect. For me though, they are a life saver - I have been managing my RA with them as the treatment of last resort for over 40 years!!