Tapering Prednisone

[Summerrental]

I recently started tapering prednisone from 11.5 to 10.5. I am just starting 3 days new dose. This morning I woke with a slight pain in my right shoulder, not excruciating like when PMR started but concerned that inflammation is coming back or would this be pred. withdrawal. How long does pred. withdrawal last,

[SheffieldJane]

In my experience it can be 3-4 days. If you feel that it’s worsening, it is probably a sign that you have overshot your ideal dose and I’d get back to it and try 0.5 next time. Just a thought, if it remains in a single shoulder you may have something else going on. I had a frozen shoulder once and it was excruciating. See if pain killers help at all. If they do, the pain is unlikely to be PMR. You could see your GP if it continues in one shoulder.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

The idea of the slowed tapers is to reduce the likelihood of steroid withdrawal and at 0.5mg reductions as well it shouldn't be an issue - you should have noticed it with the first attempt at the new lower dose.

But as SJ says, if it is one shoulder - did you lie on it wrong? Or what were you doing in the last couple of days?

[stellafmdm in reply to PMRpro]

Rheumy says my PMR is atypical. It started on one side only and puzzled my GP (and me!) until I asked to see a rheumy who then gave me an injection. Lo and behold! all pain vanished within a very short time and Rheumy said it was PMR. Certainly an adequate dose of pred keeps it under control!! It does re-appear from time to time if I get too low but I know how to manage it now. I think we get used to the ways our body reacts to the reduction of pred. I expect we are all a bit different in some way! However my pain can still be on one side only though not always!

[SnazzyD]

I’d leave it a few days before worrying because it could easily be a sleeping mishap which ought to reduce over a few days. My withdrawal used to get me on about day 3 or 4 while on doses above 5mg and last a few days. Both those things were helped by Paracetamol.

[Hidden]

I hadn't tapered but slept funny the other night and my right shoulder killed and my hand was numb - i suspect I had my arm above my head. Something I can't do awake. The next day it was almost fine. Like others say. Try some pain relief and see what happens. 🌻