Reducing prednisone

I am 51 and was diagnosed with PMR in January 14.i managed to get down to 4 mg in January this year but had a flare up of my ulcertive coloitus so was put back up to 30 mg for three weeks I have been reducing this now for the last few weeks and I am back to 10 mg, I'm not sure how to reduce now. Shall I drop down to 5 mg and then start reducing slowly again or do I go slowly from 10 mg to stop any pain.

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Donna, if you were originally symptom-free at 4mg, then you should be able to reach that level again quite smoothly, or at least to a dose just above. Your body might adjust more easily to the withdrawal of steroid if after being on 10mg for a couple of weeks, you try 7.5 for 2 weeks, followed by alternate days of 7.5 and 5mgs for 2 weeks. If necessary you can remain on 5mg for a while longer, and perhaps then try reducing by just half a mg to 4mg, remaining at each new dose for several weeks, remembering that each reduction at this level is a much higher percentage than at the previous dose.

[daveD]

Thank You Celtic. I like Donna had reduced from 15mg to 4mg then Bang Flue, have gone back up to 7mg, will try for a couple off weeks,I will mark this post&use later.Thanks for the post Donna did not want to hyjack it with my problem. stay well Dave

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think you would better reducing more slowly from 10mg - but I would have thought that 2.5mg to 7.5mg would be OK under the circumstances and then to 5mg. The risk with shooting straight to 5mg might be that the PMR has changed under the stress of the ulcerative colitis - it is a real unknown. Most of us find that illness and other stress can upset PMR and it used to be said that a higher pred dose was called for during illness. You shouldn't need to stop at the doses for long down to 5mg though.

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Thanks so much for all the advice. Seeing my GP tomorrow but not very confident with what she may say. Will be taking the advice from the posts here. Many Thanks