Consistency of predniselone? 🤔

[NWFiona]

Feeling loads better today! (in spite of a heavy cold & cough - first one in over a year)

I went back up to 5mg 5 days ago, because I felt so terrible - difficult getting out of chair & still that extreme tiredness.

I can't believe how different I feel! I think the cold is stopping me overdoing it?! Even had a quick vacuum with my new lightweight vacuum cleaner 😱 Only downside, having some scary mood swings!

I had some 5mg tabs left from my original higher doses & I noticed these were made in the UK. My current 1mg ones are made in Cyprus. It did make me wonder how strict the regulations are on the consistency of the quality of the predniselone? I have absolutely no idea - it just made me think because increasing my dose by 1mg has made such a difference!

Has anyone any knowledge of this?

Hope everyone is doing ok on this lovely sunny day? 😎

[Hidden]

Hi

Glad you are in a bit better condition. Most tablets from different makers have different fillers. I noticed different in a few of my meds when pharmacy changes them. Not sure regarding place if manufacture. Have you checked expiry date?

I find even 0.5mg makes massive difference!

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I never am told the expiry date. As my doctor has now started prescribing my pred by the bucketload (300 tabs per time) I should ask shouldn't I? They might be expiring before they're all used up. Isn't there a six month leeway where the drug is still acceptable, however?

Yes, at the low levels .5 mg is very significant.

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

At least on boxes it has a date. I have a few boxes of 1mg and longest is to November this year. I have numbered boxes based on date order to ensure I use them up before expiry (if i have to). Usually it's active ingredient that loses potency isn't It?

[maria40 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I have a batch of Pred 1mg which expire at the end of February. I'm reluctant to jettison them if they will still be effective after that date. Would like to know more. Is it a 'best before' or a 'use by' date?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to maria40]

It has been studied:

health.harvard.edu/staying-...

emedexpert.com/tips/expired...

They will be fine...

[maria40 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro. Very helpful.

[NWFiona in reply to Hidden]

The expiry date is fine, but as you say, I think it is the 1mg increase that has made all the difference!

Best wishes

[HeronNS]

I think many people have noted a difference between different manufacturers. It may be something to do with the fillers, not necessarily the active ingredient. It's an issue here where insurance insists that if a cheaper generic is available that is what should be supplied to a patient by the pharmacy although the doctor usually prescribes by brand name. Usually this is not a problem but there are cases of patients who don't do as well on the generic, or who do better with a different generic.

[Hidden]

Hi Fiona,

I had the “ head cold from hell” also. Mine started the end of December and turned into sinusitis. A couple of times I bumped up the prednisone from 4 to 5mg and it helped a lot.

Karen

[NWFiona in reply to Hidden]

Yes, Karen, increasing to 5mg has helped a lot (plus the odd hot toddy to ease the cold!)

Best wishes 😊

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The same regulations apply to manufacturers all over the EU. And Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. What may make a difference, as someone has already said, is the fillers used to make the miniscule amount of pred into a tablet of consistent size and some don't suit some people as well as others.

Several years ago on another forum I wrote a post "What a difference 1/2mg makes" - and that was over 2 days not just 1! You are either taking enough to swab out all the inflammation each day or you are not. Even a tiny amount too little leaves a dripping tap of mounting inflammation until it is bad enough to make itself felt as pain and stiffness and then you are starting at a far higher baseline than if you have cleared it all out first.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

I presume that is why it takes a couple of weeks for symptoms to come back whilst tapering. I know that makes sense but dripping tap metaphor just hit home. Duh😂

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

It was a lightbulb moment when I thought of the dripping tap!!!!

[NWFiona in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for the information PMRpro!

I also like your dripping tap analogy & it explains it so well!

On reflection I think that it is going back up to 5mg that has made the difference & not the source of Pred. (which are well within date) I have had the dripping tap for a while. I now intend to reduce much more gradually & by 1/2 mg (pill cutter ordered!)

Thank you again for your advice 😊

[Nannie-C]

I got 1mg tabs one time that had a shiny coating and a bit rounder ( not the proper coated ones ) and as soon as tried to cut with pill cutter just shattered. Took back to chemist and they don’t get that make anymore