Tapering

[tgca]

I am quite pleased with myself (hopefully not famous last words) as I have been cautiously sticking to 10 mgs for a long while and have now tapered to 9 on the dsns method. Please, experts, will you advise me about the length of time I should remain on 9 before tapering to 8.5 ???

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Depends on how nervous you are I suppose. Theoretically if all you are doing is 1/2mg at a time you could start almost straight away. As a security blanket you could wait 2 or 3 weeks and see how you do.

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro, yes I am quite cautious after a flare when I tapered too quickly at 10 some time ago so I shall wrap myself in the security blanket and give it a couple of weeks. Without your support, I would have made the same mistakes again... why oh why aren't the GPS and rheumys interested in learning?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tgca]

Some are to be fair - though they are in a minority.

There is a definition of madness: repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome. Maybe they are all mad?????

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

Yep, reckon you're right...I think I'm probably in the mad camp too as a reasonable sense of humour keeps us going eh?

How's Spring your way? Our country birds are shouting!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tgca]

It's been summer for the last few weeks - we've already had temperatures down in the valley that are classed as "summer" (25C) on 8 days this year! So, punctually for Easter, it is cooler. And tomorrow we are forecast to have a hard frost and a top temperature of 6C. On Friday they are promising -8C for breakfast with a high of 12C!

Not amused!

Though I bet the apple farmers and wine growers are even less so ...

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

We have had a mini English summer of around 20 but, like you, they are predicting frost at night this week...as long as it's dry and I don't care what the farmers say there are too many fields of bloody rape everywhere...!!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tgca]

I detest oilseed rape - I used to shut all windows and put the air con on recirculate to keep the smell out. Smells of death to me - and there is no wildlife around it.

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

Really pleased there's a fellow hater of the stuff. We are surrounded and tourists keep coming up the hill to admire 'the lovely yellow fields' grrrrrr!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tgca]

If there is a colour I hate it is oil seed rape yellow. The only good thing I have ever experienced with it in the name was a honey - which had decidedly medicinal tang but was actually very nice!

[Rugger in reply to PMRpro]

Was just about to reply and say that bees seem to love oil seed rape, but I think the honey is tasteless! For those in the USA, we're talking about canola oil.

[sara44 in reply to Rugger]

Thanks

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Couple of weeks maybe. I found that using the slow method of tapering I could go virtually from one taper to the next without problem. Occasionally stayed on for an extra week if I was doing anything particularly stressful or didn't feel quite right!

Do what you feel happy with.

[Amkoffee]

I stared at one week and found that impossible so I went to two weeks.

[piglette]

Under 10mg I have been aiming for half a mg a month. If I don't feel so good I take a bit longer.

[enen]

I am also at 10 but each time i have reduced i have suffered aching and had to go back to ,10. Twice i have tried but feel so much better at 10.