Tapering is not a race to zero given that judging the right dose is a finely judged trial-and-error attempt to find the lowest dose that maintains the initial level of symptom relief. How do I see the process of living through this illness?
The dose of Pred is not a direct measure of illness progression but an indirect, or proxy, measure. By this I mean that, simply put, that the AI syndrome is chugging on its merry way, downwards hopefully. In the meanwhile pred eases the symptoms and takes pressure off the body, so helping to facilitate the process of recovery.
So, being able to manage on progressively lower doses just indicates the likelihood of illness abatement. Of itself a lower dose means little.
Now, illness progression is negatively effected by concrete events like stress, overdoing things etc, and by the seemingly random vagaries of PMR.
It follows, therefore, that art of tapering (it's not a science!) is about tying dose back to underlying symptoms.
Being driven by a relentless need to get off pred thus seems pointless unless the symptoms remain stable (ie when the pred is tracking the underlying illness reasonably closely).
Of course, there are secondary issues such as adrenal laziness at lower level etc.
So, I'm not minded to struggle through a reduction - it doesn't mean anything. BUT, recognising that it indicates a slowing of illness abatement means I stay at a comfortable pred level and concentrate on strategies to support the illness itself eg more rest, less stress,continual diet refinement, TLC etc.
Well, that's just my perspective.
M, 69, competitive athlete until dx, 6 months since dx, comfortable even progress ie no change in symptoms, start 15 mgs - currently DSNS 10.5 to 9.5.
pred and early waking ?
Methods of tapering
taking Pred in the night advise please
Tapering prednisone dose using the "slow and slower method"
