Was wondering if some of you could write me briefly your tapering routine. I have GCA ( LV vasculitis ) PMR and PVD.
E.g
60 mg - 6 weeks
50 mg - 4 weeks
40 mg - 2 weeks
35 mg - 1 week. Flare
40 mg - 2 weeks
EtcEtc
I’m just curious when (If) you got flares.
Just a heads up for me, thank you.
Hi,
This may or may not help - not typical. Initally kept a high dose because already lost sight in one eye (after 18 months with no diagnosis, no treatment.
Start dose April 2012
80mg - 2 weeks
60mg - 8 weeks
55mg - 2 weeks
50mg - 3 weeks
40mg - 2 weeks
30mg - 3 weeks
25mg - 4 weeks
20mg - 5 weeks
17.5mg - 4 weeks
15mg - 6 weeks (Xmas period)
2013
14mg - 3 weeks
13mg - 4 weeks (1st 4 days @ 13.5mg)
12mg - 10 weeks (1st 4 days @ 12.5mg)
20mg - 2 weeks***
17.5mg - 2 weeks***
15mg - 2 weeks ***
17.5mg - 4 weeks***
25mg - 3 weeks ***
***Raised ESR, due to stress over hubby being very ill, liver cancer diagnosed and subsequently dying. No GCA flare.
20mg - 4 weeks (slow taper)
15mg - 6 weeks (slow taper) - changed surgeries
14mg - 2 weeks
13mg - 9 weeks (Xmas)
2014
12mg - 10 weeks (slow taper from now on)
10mg - 3 weeks
9mg - 6 weeks
8mg - 6 weeks
7mg - 6 weeks
6.5mg - 6 weeks
6mg - 12 weeks (visit to NZ)
2015
5.5mg - 6 weeks
5mg - 8 weeks
4.5mg - 6 weeks
4mg - 10 weeks (unexplained neck/back pain)
3.5mg - 5 weeks
3mg - 9 weeks (back pain)
2.5mg - 6 weeks
2016
2mg - 5 weeks
1.5mg - 6 weeks
1mg - 4 weeks
0.5mg - 16 weeks (couple of false starts, plus holiday)
Zero.
No flares!
For certain periods when I expected stress, I decided to stay on a dose longer than usual.
Perfect. . 4 years I see. 😭. Thank you. Just what I wanted to know. Glad you are well and continued good health 🙏🏻
Thanks DL. This is very helpful as I myself have been wondering how long to stay at each level. I'm currently on 11 having tapered down from 40 in January last year. For some time ( since a flare in May last year when on 15mg), I have been gradually going down 1/2 mg every fortnight.
Before each taper my CRP is tested & it started to go up just before Christmas when on 11.5 ( I knew I was doing too much). Although still in the normal range, I stayed on 11.5 for another 2 weeks. My CRP at that time had gone back to 1, so I started the taper to 11.
After 2 weeks tapering to & on 11, my CRP had gone out of the normal range up to 7; this could be due to a swollen ankle the dr thinks is caused by some sort of vasculitis. So almost a week later I am still on 11. I was intending to get another blood test in a couple of days to make sure the CRP is not getting out of control ( I have GCA), but based on what you have written, wonder if I should stay on 11 for another week & then get the test?
Hi.
As the inflammation is probably caused by your ankle not GCA then it’s probably not necessary, but as Pred fights inflammation then it’s not going to do any harm either!
Me - I would have gone another week at 11mg.
Thank you.
More tapering plans here steroidtaper.azurewebsites....
It might be the ankle. But I wonder if you'd be wise to slow the taper down to once a month now, especially as your dose is getting relatively low and your body will notice the change each time.
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