How long to stay on 10 mg

[barbthy]

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I have been following the slow taper method and will start 10 mg next week. I split my dose and am doing well working my way from 11 to 10. Diagnosed and started prednisone June of this year. My question is do I stay on 10 mg for a year or do I continue to follow taper and slowly reduce dose?

[SheffieldJane]

Happy Thanksgiving barbthy,

I think you are doing so well! Like many others I have found it very difficult to reduce after 10 mgs or at any rate much harder. If I were you I would rest at 10 mgs to make sure everything has settled down completely. Then, perhaps after the holiday season and all its attendant stresses are over, I would start a very slow taper to 9 mgs or even 9.5 mgs. Good luck !

I have heard about staying on a dose for a year. I think, if I ever get to 5 mgs. I might do it then.

You may get other opinions.

[TooSore]

Happy Thanksgiving! Your taper should always be based on symptoms of course but many people find pausing along the way helpful. I know some do it at 10mg , some at 7mg. I'd also take the holidays into account. Maybe pause and decide after the New Year if you're ready to continue. Some people have difficulty with cold wet weather so your choice may depend on your location and how you do with the cold. When you start to go below 10mg you will want to consider dropping only .5mg at a time. The advice is no more than 10% of your dose. Have a wonderful day!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Personally I would try the very slow taper and see how you get on. And as has been said - if you get to 5mg, stick there for a bit!

I suspect the Quick and Kirwan method that describes the year at 10mg reduces the rate of flare because it rides out the year or so where the cause of the PMR is still relatively active and lower doses would just let in a flare. Flares then only happen once they start to get to the lower doses.

Like the others - I'd also not rock the boat over the holiday season!!!

[Hidden]

Like others say it's the symptoms that have determined my tapering plans. I had "planned" to go from 10 to 9mg about two months ago but then had some stressful issues, a holiday then an infection so staying on 10mg for a week or two more and will do 9mg after Xmas probably...a lot of travelling and family days over Holidays.🙄

[barbthy]

Thanks everybody. I am following the very slow taper so it will be mid January when I will be ready to taper down from 10mg. Will follow slow taper and decrease by .5 and hope it goes as well as down from 15 to 11 has gone. Happy holidays to all