Reducing still but ?

[suzieh]

Have had PMR for just over 2 yrs and have managed to get to 3.5 mg using the slowly slowly approach. Taking 1 mg before bed and 2.5 mg in the morning which seems to work for me at present. Still find it difficult to get going in the morning- I sleep well but feel very fragile first thing. Often feel sore and not well first thing. Takes about 1 hr laying in bed before I feel I can get up. Feet hurt when I stand up and have to move carefully for a few minutes to get going. Feel fragile until about 11 am then feel normal!!! By 11am I can do anything I want to now - hours of gardening, housework, walking or whatever.

Should I stick at 3.5 mg or try and reduce further? Should I rest more will this help?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I would say yes and yes!

The 1mg before bed doesn't seem to be achieving much though - I'm not sure I can agree with your saying it seems to work. Why do you do it that way?

[suzieh in reply to PMRpro]

I thought it helped me sleep better without pain and maybe made me feel better in the morning. Your response has made me realise it isn't really doing that .... Any advantage to taking it all in one go in the morning?

We are going to Menorca for a week so hopefully a nice Hol and rest will do me some good.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to suzieh]

polkadotcom has said it all! Nothing for me to add except have a nice holiday - and don't overdo it!!!!

[polkadotcom]

It's generally accepted that Pred is taken as a single dose as early in the morning as possible to replicate the way your own body would make it. Some are so keen on this that they arrange to take it at the optimum time of 2am, but I have never so well disciplined! That's the time your own body's systems would kick in to reach a peak a couple or so hours later to fight all the nasty cykotines which cause the muscle pain.

I take mine when I first wake in the morning - about 6am - then go back to bed for a lie-in. Although I've been retired for several years now, I just love the feeling of being able to go back to bed and listen to all the neighbours going to work!

[vonne123]

I have been taking Pred for12 months or so and I started with 25mg and have slowly reduced them, all OK

until I went from 5 to 4 and then I started to feel unwell, flue like, head ache,I also was told to cut down on the

pain killers ( I have been taking one tab in the morning with my pred ( 500 paracetamol /30 codeine ) now I am on the same tab but only 10mg Codeine

I am having a knee replacement in Jan 2015 and the spec. wants me of the real strong painkillers so I was wondering if all these symptoms are pred reducing related and not helped with reduced codeine, I took a 30mg

codeine this morning hoping it would make the headache go away it did but only a little but I took 4mg pred

and 4 hours later I am starting to feel better, anyone else have this happen to them. ???

[allotment-lover]

I too am trying to get from 4mg to 3mg by taking 4 one day and 3 the next. Am feeling achey and tired with pain in temple at times. Will

persevere I think. I am interested in you taking half mg, can you get a half mg pill? Good luck.

[mk14 in reply to allotment-lover]

You can't get half a mg, but you can mix 'n' match 1mg and 2.5mg tabs, so for 3.5mg would take one 1mg and one 2.5mg. I've done that all along to get half mg doses when necessary.

But the pain in the temple? Do you have GCA? Should you be reducing if you still have temple pain?

[suzieh in reply to allotment-lover]

You can get 2.5 mg tablets I also cut 1 mg in half

A bit fiddly but possible ! Worth trying