reducing prednisone and flares

[arvine]

i am curious as to when you reduce dosage, ie, been reducing now reg and down to 10 mg from 12.5 this is the 5th day now , and am planning a little travelling, but don,t want to have any problems while doing that, i was diagnosed last oct, 2016 and started at 40, first drops were fairly quick, but by nov 1 was down to 20, there for almost 3 mos, than jan, down to 17.5, until apr 8th down to 15, then on that until may 3rd then on 12.5 until 5 days ago, apart from some discomfort shoulders, buttocks hamstrings, have been doing fairly well, now at 10, hoping that continues for me,

[piglette]

Hi Arvine, I think now you have got to 10mg I would not reduce more than once a month. I reduce half a mg a month, although some brave people go for 1mg. Under 10mg you do need to take it more slowly.

[arvine in reply to piglette]

thanks piglette, i think my rheumy suggests if all is well go down another 2.5 in july, but i will discuss with her

[piglette in reply to arvine]

A lot of these rheumie are very trigger happy, they don't have to do the reduction!

[PMRandRA in reply to piglette]

And it has been suggested that we should stick on 10mg for a year. That's what I intend to do this time. S*d the doctor telling me it's too slow! It isn't his PMR its mine and I've yo yo'd 6 times now. !

[PMRandRA in reply to piglette]

I will go the very very slow route this time. Ie:

After the year on 10:

10,9,10,10,10,10,10,9,10,10,10,10,9,10,10,10,9,10,10,9,10,9,10,9,10,9,10,9,10,

9,10,9,9,10,9,9,9,10,9,9,9,9,10,9,9,9,9,9,10,9,9,9,9,9, for a month. Then do the same with 8,9 etc.

As long as pain is very bearable or none - hopefully.

xxxx

[suziq123]

This is the same sort. I of reduction I was in and found once I got to 15, 12.5 was too much so I did 1mg every 2 to 3 weeks as long as I was feeling well. This for me was defined by a bit of morning stiffness (I mean a BIT) and essentially pain free through the day. I keep going back to " if pain returns gi back to the dose where pain was under control". I tried to be tough and work through the pain and it just wasn't worth it, and decided it couldn't be good either. Good luck with it. Remember a Marathon not a Sprint.