I recently produced a steroid reduction chart in Excel which can be altered to suit a particular tapering schedule and will simply recalculate. It is based on a 7 day cycle. Any number highlighted in green can be changed and the rest of the sheet automatically sorts itself out. For example, I just finished my 4th week of 5 mg so next week I start the reduction from 5 to 4. In the first week I will have 6 days at 5 mg and 1 day at 4 mg and so on. The number of weeks I stay at each level are set at 1 until I get to the next target. However, at the lower numbers, maybe the number of weeks needs to be 2 or 3. Whatever, this can all be input and each time it will adjust automatically. You probably have to play about with it to see it if suits. If anyone would like me to sent it out, please provide me with you email address in a private message and I will email it to you.
Cheers Kathryn
Written by
allykat
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27 Replies
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WOW! Very cool... thank you! I have sent you a message! Cheers!!!!
I like your idea of plotting reductions a bit more scientifically than the often arbitrarily recommended (by some GPs and Rheumies!) periodic 'step-downs' in Pred dosage.
I've found that it's also useful to keep a simultaneous record of Symptoms / Circumstances (e.g. the Flu / Weather conditions / Over-activity in the PMR context / Stress factors / Personal health context etc) in conjunction with the 'Plan' so as to make sense of Cause and Effect in the process: i.e. 'Are things going to Plan?' or (if not!) 'Have I reduced the Preds by too much and / or too quickly?' and / or 'Have, or do other factors impact on my reduction plan despite my most careful projections?'
Plus, of course, there's also the possibility that the PMR disease process can 'cycle' up and down in intensity regardless of our best efforts to predict and measure it. A Spanner in the Predictive Works or what?! ;-/
Either way, I'm sure your suggested approach will be greatly appreciated by many of us 'Confused.coms' here!
Yes that is a good idea to keep track of symptoms, circumstances and other things that gum up the "perfect world" scenario. Wouldn't it be nice if I could say with all certainty that in 50 weeks I will be done! At least if I have to change tapering pattern, I won't have to reinvent the wheel.
No I hadn't seen it as I had a fairly easy couple of years tapering from 50 mg (GCA diagnosed in April 2015) and didn't really need any aids. It was only when I got to zero in October and ended up with PMR (it was probably always there but masked by the higher steroid doses) that I needed to come up with much slower reduction plan. My chart and a 7day pill box works for me.
with a diary/calendar and a pencil!! You can start anywhere, mark time anywhere and change your mind.
It really worries me when people use a long term planner that shows them a date for completion - it really seems a bigger deal when it goes wrong. And go wrong it will at least once...
Hi there, I’ve just found this online via PMRGCAuk and am wondering if you are still sending this out to people? If you are, will you send it to me please? My email address is ... I hope you are well?
I have removed your email address for security. This is social media and it really is not a good idea to share such personal information in public. Anyone can join the forum without screening so even locking your post does not make it safe.
There is a private Chat option for communicating such information to a specified person.
Thanks so much😃. I had intially thought I was private messaging, so when it went on the board I was a little worried about that - but not savvy enough to know how to remove it! I’m not great with online ‘techy’ stuff so thanks again!👍
Yes, I am happy to send it to you. You just use the private message facility and give me your email address. I will send you the excel file which you can then alter to suit.
On the top bar is Chat with an paper aeroplane icon. Click on that and it brings up a page to send a message - enter the name of the person and follow the instructions.
Alternatively, click/tap on the person's name which brings up their profile and you will find a blue box saying Chat, Tap on that and it brings up a chat page with a box with start a new message - write what you want to and press Send
When you get a message there will be a number in an orange circle by the Chat icon at the top of the page,
All the details of the tapers are in FAQs under Tapering. The link is at the top of every thread,
If you read through the entire thread you will find allykat's details of how get this one directly from her - but you do realise it will be as an Excel file for you to adapt as you want, not just a printed sheet? I point out you can also use a monthly calendar with large spaces for each day
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;-/ 
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