Can anyone give me the reducing prednisolone plan that once appeared on these pages as approved by 2 doctors (USA & UK)? Thank you.

[ricardian1]

[hiyaitsfiona]

I'm told that it's 15 mg for 4 weeks, 10 mg for 4 weeks, then reduce by 1 mg every 4 weeks

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I also saw this reducing plan, then couldn't find it so I have created my own - which I have spoken about with my doctor and she approves. I have been taking prednisolone for 4 years, and every time so far that I have got down to 3 or 4 mg I have had a flare up, so I have decreased much slower this time and at at my lowest going from 3 to 2 mg on this plan. I need to use a weekly pill dispenser to keep track!

on 4 mg for 6 weeks

decreased to 4mg and 3 mg alternate days for 1 week

decresaed to 3 mg for 4 weeks

started continuous decrease

wk 13323332

wk 2 3323232

wk 3

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sent my last reply unfinshed here we go again

continuous decrease

I will then continue with a similar pattern form 1mg to 0mg - I am on week 2 of the 3-2mg and this is the lowest I have been for 4 years.

week 1 3323332

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week 5 2323322

week 6 3222223

week 7 2323222

week 8 2232222

week 9 2222222

week 1 2212222

week 2 2212221

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week 4 2122121

week 5 1212211

week 6 2112111

week 7 1212121

week 8 1121111

week 9 1111111

[ricardian1]

Thank you so much to the kind people who answered my question on reducing pred. I am now starting the process to reduce from 6 mgs slowly and hope it works. Best wishes to all who are struggling with their own situations.

[JANNYROSE]

Good luck, I started the plan when it first come out and I am now down to 5mg and with no problems at all. I printed the info off straight away when it came out a few months ago so I have always got it.....

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member in reply to JANNYROSE]

Oh well done! That's great!

[ricardian1]

Thank you and I am so pleased you are doing so well. I copied the plan but got a few digits in wrong places! Anyway I have since worked it out from where I am and it seems to reduce 1 mg per week doesn't it? It certainly is very slow and I hope it works out.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hello ricardian1

No, DO NOT reduce by 1mg a week, especially from where you are at 6mgs at present. You need to take about 7 weeks to reduce by 1mg if following the above suggested plan or similar. I took 7 weeks to reduce by just half a mg from the 5mg dose following a severe flare at that dose which landed me back up to 10mg so I wasn't taking any chances second time around! A snail's pace I know, but it got me off Pred slowly but surely. Some will manage to reduce by 1mg over 7 weeks at this stage and some even faster if they've had textbook recoveries down to this level. When I first succumbed to PMR and GCA some 7 years ago, I read a recommendation at that time to slow the reductions at the 5mg level by tapering 1mg every 3 months. Good luck.

[ricardian1]

Hello Celtic,

Thank you for your advice. I should have said my GP said to reduce not weekly but fortnightly. I have spoken to her on the telephone and she says to do the fortnightly drop by 1 mg until my next ESR test after 6 weeks then I will be reassessed. I am reluctant but will go along with her for these few weeks if I can. Thanks again.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hello ricardian

I worry for you in following your GP's advice to reduce by 1mg a fortnight - a 2mg a month reduction from the 6mg level is really far too fast and too big a drop. I wish you well.