GCA

[lynnmcd]

On my third flare of GCA and wondering if I should stay on low dose of Prednisone when I taper down this time. How low can I go?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you are having flares - you are going too low. You aren't heading relentlessly for zero, you are looking for the lowest dose that gives you the same result as your starting dose did. Reduce in SMALL steps, possibly even smaller as you approach where you have flared before. When you find a dose where you have symptoms - quickly go back to at least the last that was OK. Stay there for a month or two before trying another step down. It isn't a race.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi lynnmcd,

It's not a case of seeing how low you can go!

It's a matter of finding the lowest dose that controls your inflammation, and if you are having another flare then you are obviously consistently going below that level - three times in fact!

Your doctor obviously hasn't explained things very well, it not a matter of reducing relentlessly to zero. All the time you have GCA or PMR you need to take enough Pred to control the inflammation it produces. Pred doesn't cure the GCA, nothing does, you have to wait until it decides to go into remission itself - and that is a matter of years.

It may help if you consider this analogy - It's like putting a plaster cast on a broken leg - the plaster doesn't mend your broken bone, but it helps protect it so you don't do more damage whilst the body mends itself.

You need to go back to level you were last okay at, and then reduce slowly, preferably at monthly intervals and not if you have any return of symptoms.

[Hidden]

Hi there,

I have had GCA for almost 2 years. Below 5mg is very slow, I let my body dictate the dose. Since I make steady progress my Docs have never questioned my method. I look at it like this:

Getting to 0mg does not make you GCA free, but when you successfully get to 0 mg you will be GCA free.