10 mg not enough?

After this latest hike to correct too rapid a taper to 5 mg, it’s been a week and other than 1-2 good days , insufficient relief. Am I expecting too much? Thought about asking Rheumy for 15 with 1 mg drops each time. What does anyone suggest, and if it works how long should I wait til start taper? Thank you.

[Hidden]

Hi ipadmom, I think your body is crying out for a stable month or more, even at 15mg if Rheumy agrees. Sometimes it takes longer to work for people and you have been all over the pred place in the past 12months. If you stay at 15mg and there's no symptoms, or you are at least 70% better than you were before your best dose worked, then slowly taper by 1mg a month. This can be done using a dead slow method rather than subjecting your body to the drop to 14mg overnight. There are tapering schedules in the pinned post at the bottom of the page. Have a look at one or two. I will put a link up in case you can't find them.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Appreciate the input. Have saved the link to the dead slow method. Saw this referred to but didn’t know meaning. Learning learning!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Yes it's all about learning a new vocabulary. I think leArning about anything totally new is like learning a language. You wouldn't expect to be fluent in russian or japanese after a few weeks, same with medical conditions!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Oh, yes and I’m not proficient in languages. So admire a friend who speaks five. So will cut myself some slack. 🤗

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Always ask - someone will tell you!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The trouble is that when you overshoot and let in a flare it often takes more to get things under control. Don't know why, just is. But it is as good a reason as any to do all you can to avoid the situation!

Like Poopadoop, I would want to go to a dose that works and stick there for a month. It may not need to be 15mg - have you enough pred to do a few days at a bit more? Say 12.5mg at least?

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, have some 2.5 and should get more 5 mg tomorrow. Will ask dr for 1 mg. Would prefer 12.5 other than 15 if it’ll work. Then hopefully can adapt dead slow method. 🙏 what a blessing you all are. Have learned to ask here first before dr.

[navejasjoe]

I like the tapering that my wife's rheumatologist has directed for her. She had trouble when she got down to 10mg, so she had her do 5 days of 11mg and 2 days of 10mg. 2 months later she placed her on 4 days of 11 and 3 days of 10. Before even getting to 11, she was tapering at 0.5mg at a time, 3 months apart.

Joe

[Hidden in reply to navejasjoe]

Yes, that’s really slow and what I think I should do in some form. Will save your method for reference. See dr in 5 weeks and she’ll probably start a taper then. Thx.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Have you got this in your notes?

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Yes thank you. Will see what works best and is easier to follow. All these methods are preferable to what I was doing and getting in trouble. 😳

[navejasjoe]

You are welcome!