My experience on dosage reduction

[HamishPMR]

Having reduced from 20mg Prednisolone daily by 2.5mg every 4 weeks I then became more attentive of how I felt. Although NICE does not suggest reducing in 0.5mg stages, I decided, having read many useful posts on PMRGCAuk, to reduce slowly. I am now at 5.5mg daily and the average time per 1mg reduction has been 5 weeks. My plan now is to carry on but even more slowly, and then even more slowly as I approach ground zero. Perhaps a tip to ask your GP for plenty 1mg tablets so you can split them to acheive the dose you require, why not a quarter, 0.25mg, when you are close to zero?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Well done you!

Something some of us oldies have been banging on about for years - slowly really is the only sure way.

Perhaps there is us something in the saying about “ not telling your grandmother how to suck eggs”. Or as my mother used to say - “no point getting old if you don’t get artful with it!”

[Louisepenygraig in reply to DorsetLady]

I like that last saying!

[Louisepenygraig]

I agree. I think my GP wanted me to reduce quite quickly - 15 to 10 initially! I learnt the hard way that doesn't work! I'm halfway from 10.5 to 10 now and am hoping it will be OK. When I saw a rheumy in the summer I was back at 15 - he said to reduce by 1 mg a time down to 11, then go by halves. I have a pill cutter now which makes it easier. I have been wondering how feasible quarters would by but I guess they'd be quite small bits and I'd be in danger of losing them!

[Dewdrop456 in reply to Louisepenygraig]

My new pill cutter is disappointily useless , .I too wanted quarters but the tablets crumble.I cut the halfs with a knife at the moment.Its a shame as it would be helpful to be able to have proper quarters.Good luck to you.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Dewdrop456]

Doesn't matter - it is still LESS...

[Telian]

Congratulations- be proud!

[JulianJ]

I'm taking gastro resistant pred. Lets me drop in 0.5mg steps, will be a pain when I hit 2mg, but that's for later on.

[Ghshth3]

That is what I did. When I got to 1mg I started reducing by 0.25mg. It is much less painful that way if you are sensitive to any steroid reduction, which I was.

[Noosat]

Just something I noticed. I have reduced to 5mg in morning and 2,5 before bedtime. Last night, about 2.30p.m. I woke with thigh pain, not unbearable but definitely pain, I got up went to bathroom and then back to bed. I found after this movement that the pain had definitely modified to just a little discomfit. Has anyone else experienced this effect? I wonder if standing up and moving helped blood circulation wish helped moderate pain.

[yogabonnie]

Have you always taken the prednisone 2 x a day? I think most take it in the morning. perhaps that is part of it?