Pred taper or flare?

[Enfin]

Thank you all so much for your previous advice re weight gain etc. i feel much better for cutting out carbs - don’t think I’m getting the blood sugar swings. I’ve reduced from 20 to 17.5 as suggested and was only a bit achey for a week. But last couple of days more of the good ol’ stuff panful shoulders, burny thighs and knock out fatigue. ☹️

I don’t know what to do - whether I need to persevere at 17.5 (was hoping to go down to 15 next week), go back to 20, rest and wait and see, or just scream and go and kick something very hard! (Okay no would probably hurt my foot...)

Help!

[Soraya_PMR]

Those fizzy thighs! Gems aren’t they?

It’s a flarey-pred-tapery thing isn’t it? Whatever you want to call it, sounds like you’ve gone a bit low. 20mg for a few days then try 19 when the fizzing/burning/achy stuff has gone?

[fmkkm in reply to Soraya_PMR]

That’s about what I would do😎

[Enfin]

Sounds wise advice , thank you. I’ll go back to 20 or a few days.

I asked the pharmacist if he’d swap some of my 5mg for 1mg but apparently I need a new prescription for that! I hate having to go back to my GP again. Struggled to cut 5mg in half (with pill cutter) - anyone managed to cut into quarters without losing half to crumbs?

I’m feeling a bit Eeyorish this morning, a bit overwhelmed . I feel like a shopping list of disorders (pmr, bipolar, and other friends) . I know there are others far worse and in many ways I’m very lucky - just lost my Tigger.

How do you manage bad days? (Without chocolate)

Sorry to moan

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Enfin]

Hi,

You’ve been given good advice so won’t repeat.

Can you ring surgery and ask GP to write a ‘script for 1mg tablets without having to make an appointment?

You can succumb to just a couple of squares of chocolate if a really bad day - has been known 😉. Other than that, just curl up with a good book or a box set and let the world get by without you. One day won’t matter!

Hope tomorrow’s a better day for you.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You can have a bit of chocolate - just not too much!! I keep my carbs for the important things in life - lots of low carb veg and no bread means a square of 75% (or higher) chocolate is fine

Have you been celebrating feeling better and doing too much??? Pred just mops up the inflammation - the actual disease process is still chugging along in the background. making your muscles fragile and intolerant of acute exercise. That, and the fatigue, is something you have to learn to deal with to some extent.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk......

[Enfin in reply to PMRpro]

Ah, you’re absolutely right ... volunteered to sort tokens for Parkrun - didn’t realise that number of runners had gone up to 450! Thought I’d got away with it next day but day after ... So if case of overdoing it do you increase Pred or hope it goes away?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Enfin]

Rest and hope it goes away. Ordinary painkillers may help but it is usually something else, not more inflammation which is where the pred exerts its influence.

[powerwalk]

Right now I'm with you on the "scream and kick something" bit!!!! Other more sensible advice will take precedence of course!! Good luck.