Taper Speed

[Pirnilla]

I am down at 3,75 mg now feeling fine concerning my PMR pain. I have some fatigue, pain in my hip which the GP believe is artheritis and mood swings.

How fast would you say I should do my taper the next couple of months. Having these problems I get a bit eager to be totally free but I know that slow tapering is the only way to succeed.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Considering you had to go back up to 5mg due to problems only 2 months ago - I would say as slowly as possible.

Can’t quite work out how much you reduce each time - looks like 1.25mg - is that correct? If so, I guess that’s because you are cutting a 5mg tablet into quarters. Can you not get 1mg tablets in Sweden?

If you can obtain 1mg tablets then they can be cut in half - which is what most do at this level. If you can only do 1.25mg a time then make the taper as slow as you can - either the DSNS version or I have an ultra long one for people with real difficulties or larger tablets.

[Pirnilla in reply to DorsetLady]

We can get capsules in 1 mg, not splitable and the smallest tablets are 2.5. So my next step could be from 3.75 to 3.5 or 3. I guess you are right, slow is the only way.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Pirnilla]

Yes, slow is the only way - it’s better for your PMR and for your adrenal glands - which is maybe what is causing the fatigue rather than the illness.

Personally I would go to 3.5mg rather than 3mg - 0.5mg might not sound at lot, but at these very low doses it sometimes the difference between success and failure. Some people find that even 0.25mg makes a difference.

If you can get a mixture of 1mg capsules and 2. 5mg tablets (cut as necessary to get 1.25mg as you have been) you can juggle them to get the best solution for you.

[jinasc in reply to Pirnilla]

Dorset Lady has said it all.................0.5mg per month.

Request a Synacthen Test from your medics.

Ragnar in who lives in Sweden and devised the first slow taper plan always said, no rush.

[GerriMc]

As slow as possible! I got down to 2 but struggling a bit then had a flare and had to go back to 5. I was down to 2 again and over the last couple of days, I’ve had the most awful headache and stiffness in my neck and shoulders. I’ve now gone back to 3 and at least the headache is better but I think I’d be more comfortable on 5 again. It’s so frustrating.

Let us know how you get on, and best of luck!

[HeronNS]

As slow as it takes. The lower the slower. I''m currently in the midst of taking about three months to taper from 1.5 to 1, having taken that long to get from 2 to 1.5. This after several attempts to taper in similar small steps, but faster. I'm doing each step of the Dead Slow plan twice. It's over three years since I got to 3 mg from 15, which took about a year I think, I'd have to look it up. A year after that I was at 1.5 for the first time, but tried to hurry things up, and flared, and have been hovering around 2-2.5 most of the past two years.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Plenty of people have been fine down to 1mg - but not at zero. Slow is the only way - and honesty thereafter about whether it us still there really.