Dropping the mg's when and how much ?

[Barbaracole]

I am wondering if I was dropped too much was on 15mg to begin with and by February everything was looking good so have come down in last threee weeks or so to 6 mg. have been very disabled by this as have osteoathritus as well ; so legs and arms are out of it ; they are now putting me back up to 10 mg. Very glad to be on this site.

[Hidden]

Hi Barbaracole & Welcome 🌷

Do you mean you were on 15mg in February this year? If so that’s way, way, way too fast to 6mg

I’m glad you are being put back up to 10mg at least but a usual type reduction is 15mg -> 12.5mg -> 10mg then down by 1mg until you find the lowest dose that you remain comfortable on, it’s not a Race to Zero

See how you go on 10mg then perhaps talk to your Doctor, there are some good posts pinned to the left hand side of the Forum which l can forward to you to see if they help you understand the condition more.

Not everyone is around today as it’s a Bank Holiday in the U.K. so l think you’ll get more replies tomorrow or later today.

Kind Regards

MrsN

[Barbaracole in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for this !

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

The first link might help you understand your illness better, and how to cope. The second might be useful for reductions, certainly when you get to single figures.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Hidden in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks for sending the Links DL ~ been a bit busy on here this morning 😉

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Hidden]

No probs🌹

[piglette]

OMG you mean to say you dropped from 15mg in February to 6mg in April/May. I would be comatosed I think if I had reduced that fast. I am glad they are putting you up to 10mg, I just hope that it sorts you out. It really does not help long term to reduce too fast in my opinion. Was it your doctor’s idea to reduce so fast?

[Barbaracole in reply to piglette]

Yes but have been seeing different Doctor's in the practise. Will certainly guide this more myself seeing a Doctor tommorow. Thankyou so much .

[Barbaracole]

Stared off on 15mg last November ; then they stareted bringing me down Jan/ Feb fairly gradually but once hit 6mg bad news but they thought I had an infection !

[Hidden in reply to Barbaracole]

Basically a 3 month programme to mid range single figures. Wow...my eyes are watering. Three years in i am at 6mg. I got to 8mg after 5months the first time and ended up at 15mg again. Not the right phrase really (?), but it is a false economy healthwise.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

A reduction rate of more than 1mg per month is regarded as predictive of flares/relapse. Even the doctors admit that,

The median time to get to 5mg is IRO 18 months.

Originally I had 2 weeks each of 15/10/5 - and a massive flare immediately I stopped. It took me 4 years to get below 10mg again - is that a coincidence?

[Barbaracole in reply to PMRpro]

That sounds like me had a look at my calender and they were bringing me down every two weeks !

[HeronNS]

Definitely no more than 1 mg at a time, and at least a month at each dose below 10. one of the slow tapers, like DorsetLady's or Dead Slow Nearly Stop is very helpful. Gets you there in about the same time as an overnight drop but with much less likelihood of flares or withdrawal symptoms.