Tapering

[Musiclady18]

I have been on prednisone 15mg since June 2 was taking Pred in split dose 10 Mg in the am and then 5 mg with dinner. This has been the last week of school and so many dinner outings I’ve forgotten to take the 5 mgs at night and tonight is my 3rd night is that okay to start this as a taper or is that too fast, any suggestions??

[HeronNS]

It depends completely on how you feel. If you've forgotten that dose and haven't noticed any difference (i.e. your symptoms are still comfortably under control) why not start with this taper? But don't rush from now on, because it could be that 10 mg daily is your best dose at the moment. If it were me, and we are all different, and had found 10 mg did the trick, I'd stay there for about four weeks, then start one of the slow tapers like Dead Slow Nearly Stop. And I'd be very happy that I'd been able to shed those 5 mg so easily at the start!

On the other hand, if symptoms have begun to creep back, why not try taking 2.5 instead of the 5 you've been forgetting, and see if that's enough? It might be. But certainly once you're at 10 it is wise never to taper by more than 1 mg per month, and at really low levels many of us taper by .5 mg, and take longer than a month, but by then the side effects are really minimal. The lower you are the easier it is to overshoot the mark you are looking for, the lowest dose which manages the symptoms until PMR goes away.

[HeronNS in reply to HeronNS]

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I would say too fast. You might be okay today after 3 days (nights) but it can take a bit longer for the body to suddenly realise it’s “missing” that 5mg. You don’t want it to turn into a flare and have to go back up again.

As HeronNS suggests why not compromise with 12.5mg split whichever way you feel comfortable with.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is pretty fast - but on the other hand, if it has worked, take it and rejoice!!! Stay where you are for now and give it at least 4 weeks to be sure you are safe. If the dose you will need it less than 10mg it should be OK - part of the slow approach is to minimise steroid withdrawal pains and you would have noticed them by now. Now you need to give it time to be sure 10mg is still enough so be honest and if you start to feel any twinges of PMR-type discomfort Go back to 12.5mg to avoid a flare developing.

[Musiclady18]

Thanks PMRpro! Woke this am okay again!

[HeronNS in reply to Musiclady18]

I'm remembering my early days. I tapered to 10 so easily after about five weeks at 15 that I wondered at the time whether a starting dose of 10 might have been enough for me. But I dropped as per doctor's orders by 1 mg per week. At 9 mg the PMR symptoms began to resurface, so at that point I went back to 10 for a couple of weeks then started the DSNS taper which worked to get me to 3 by the end of first year on pred.

[Musiclady18]

Thanks for sharing we shall see!