So now I know...

[peace_lover]

So at about 6am this morning I wake up and take my 9mg of Pred with a glass of milk, which I keep in an insulated cup by the bedside, and go back to sleep. A little later I get up and start my day. Hmm, feeling a little, shall we say, unwell? Shoulder hurts a little, legs feel like lead. Oh well, it’s one of those days I think, I’ve had lots of good ones recently, perhaps I’ve overdone things? Bit of gardening, using the new vacuum cleaner, pretending there’s nothing wrong with me, you know, don’t you all?

Then I found it: the little white pill still in the container. 1mg of Predisolone. This was about 12.30 pm. So I took it.

Cant say as there has been a miraculous recovery, but you can’t help but wonder...

Good news is I haven’t thrown anything at other half today. It’s all been very civil. 😉 He did mention there was some weed killer in the garage when I mentioned the Ivy was coming through the fence again. I ignored him, probably for the best. If you have no idea what I’m talking about it’s probably for the best too.

You know what they say: (sings badly) what a difference a day (substitute 1mg Pred) makes, 24 little hours... well 6 hours in my case, but now I know why I feel so rubbish. At least I think I do 🤔

[Hidden]

I know exactly what you mean! I too have done it and it's surprising what 1mg can do (or not do) when you're not ready for it. I've been trying to taper from 4 to 3mg for ages and every time I try - just for a day - I feel awful. To do it accidentally is worse because you're not expecting a reaction. Glad you've realised what's happened!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

That is the basis of the Dead Slow approach - challenge your body just one day at a time. I find it takes about 3 or 4 attempts before my body obviously thinks "Oh, it's OK, it will be back to normal tomorrow so I won't bother having a paddy..." and then I can continue. But when it keeps happening beyond that - that is your body saying, "Thanks, but no thanks..."

But have you tried just 1/2mg????? You are trying a 25% drop - way above the 10% recommendation and even if it is just 1mg it is a relatively big drop.

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Good idea, I hadn't thought of it in terms of a percentage drop. I'm fairly relaxed about tapering these days after reading all the wise comments about it not being a race to zero.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

May sound strange - but I hope it is that!

[peace_lover in reply to PMRpro]

Not strange at all. I’m pretty sure it is as it’s exactly the same symptoms as I’ve had before when tapering too quickly and at the wrong time for my body. I wouldn’t deliberately drop 1mg at 9mg, I usually do 1/2mg and take at least a week. My legs are now feeling better, but the shoulder is a bit achey (and I’m not admitting to doing just a little teensy weensy bit of weed hoeing yesterday....)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to peace_lover]

Ah-ha! Caught...

[peace_lover in reply to PMRpro]

It’s a fair cop, Guv

[Daisychain12 in reply to peace_lover]

Hello my fellow thing-thrower🤡. I am evidence of the difference 1 mg can make. I turned from a violent raving witch to a subdued raving witch when I reinstated 1 mg. I hope you feel better as the day goes on. Oh dear this is a .... hmm I almost said “ pain in the neck “ xxxx

[peace_lover in reply to Daisychain12]

The day is not going well at all. I’ve been waiting in for a hairdresser to arrive only to find out its tomorrow! Wrote the wrong day on the calendar. Husband noticed it was an unusual day, but I ignored him. I think he prefers this..

[Hidden in reply to peace_lover]

Ohhhh, no!

[maria40 in reply to peace_lover]

I seem to be getting days muddled quite frequently lately. But I was reassured when my (relatively) young gardener rang to ask if he was coming on Wednesday or Thursday as he'd written Wednesday but his memory was telling him otherwise.

So it's not just us .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As we oldies say, even 1/2mg makes a difference let alone 1mg. Not that the medical fraternity would agree probably!

[SheffieldJane]

We have all done it peace_lover. I wish they’d make the pills bigger, or different colours, at least the boxes. It sets you up for mistakes.

[Telian]

I did the same thing last week, couldn't understand why I'd got 'the head' then mid afternoon saw the little devil, 1mg of pred stuck to the side of my pill bowl, took it and things started to improve. I'm on 4.5mg and still get the reactions and emotions when trying to reduce.

[Hidden]

Wow! Bummer! I hope the rest of the day went "okay." : (

[Telian in reply to Hidden]

It did thank you, I took paracetomol to deaden things - but you know when you don't feel right, and wonder why, when I saw that little tablet I felt rather relieved to say the least. I've said it before it's not psychological, the body knows everything. Like the old car analogy, don't ignore symptoms as it means there is a problem....... xxx

[Sorop]

Hi hope you feeling better most of us have done something similar. Wanted also to thank you for the tip about the insulated cup as I now split my dose and take some kefir or yogurt but with the hot weather worried about it just being in a cup. Thanks thats what is so good about this site people sharing the little tips as well as the major ones.👍

[peace_lover in reply to Sorop]

Yes I got that tip from someone on here but can’t remember who! I was worried too with the very hot weather we had in the UK in the summer, but the milk has been fine.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sorop]

Kefir and yoghurt will be fine even in warm weather - they are alive so just behave as if they were in a yoghurt maker.

I don't know how we survived as children - milk was left in a bowl of cold water on "the stone" and other food in a closed cupboard. I think we got our first fridge when I was about 6 or so, late 50s.

[peace_lover in reply to PMRpro]

It takes quite a while for pasteurised milk to go completely off. I used to make butter and cheese as part of a historical re-enactment and the difference in the life of unpasteurised milk to pasteurised is astounding, especially without refrigeration. On the other hand we could let the milk go off deliberately to make soft cheese, which is dangerous with pasteurised as all the good bacteria have been destroyed.

[peace_lover in reply to peace_lover]

We also had a large slate and ceramic bowls to keep milk and butter cold. Didn’t work in thundery weather though, all the buttermilk particularly turned very quickly.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to peace_lover]

Yes - the thunder effect was strange wasn't it.

[Sorop in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for that PMRpro I remember that as a child we had a metal box sunk in the ground as a cool box for milk etc and a larder under the stairs. The milkman came and filled up our jug as opposed to having milk in a bottle but when bottled milk came in I remember the birds pecking the tops off the milk bottles and pinching the cream!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sorop]

I remember the little bottles of milk at school appearing with little towers of frozen cream on top! Which was an improvement on it being sour in summer...

[MartiFL]

Another little tip that might help:

When I am taking my Pred pills, I always start with the 5 mg pill first (i am currently tapering from 9 to 8.5). Then, I take my 1 mg pills, counting as I go.

This way, if one of my pills were to drop (down the sink, onto the floor...), I would know which one to replace.

If taken out of order, I wouldn’t know which pill

had been lost and how many mgs i had already taken.

On the other hand, I have been told I might be a little OCD.

[Hidden in reply to MartiFL]

That is a very good point! I like it! 🌟

[peace_lover]

Or I could just shove the whole lot into my mouth at one go and down them with a large gulp of something strong tasting... they taste vile! 🤮

Thing is - I did count, probably. But it’s dark now in the mornings and I didn’t want to get too far awake that I couldn’t go back to sleep, or wake anyone else up.

I know, excuses, excuses! 🙄