When to stop your taper

[Notaddi]

Hello dear fellow sufferers,

I was diagnosed April 2017, have followed the slow taper advice and am now between 3 and 3.5 mg prednisone. However, I have been waking up with back pain and stiffness, which goes away after meds and moving around. But each day it gets more intense.This has been going on more than a week, perhaps two. My question is do I try to stick it out a bit longer, or go back up? And how much more would you advise?

Thanks in advance for your input and this forum.

Addie

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

If it's getting worse every day, and you can't attribute it to anything other than your PMR then don't let it go on any longer. it can only escalate.

Might be worth trying an increase to 5mg and see if that helps - you should know within a few days. If it does, I would stay there for a couple of week, you may then be able to drop back down to 4mg quite quickly, but from then on I would go back to 0.5mg and a slow taper.

At such low doses, as we are always saying, 0.5mg really does make a huge difference sometimes. plus you are only 2.5 years into PMR so it's probably still quite active.

If the increase to 5mg doesn't work, you may have to re-think, so come back and let us know.

[HeronNS]

You've given it long enough. Pred withdrawal gets better, not worse. The longer you wait the more likely it will be you'll have to take a larger dose to get it under control again.

However as DorsetLady suggests, can you attribute this to any other factor? Do other painkillers help? Because if they do it may not be PMR but something else, like a strain or osteoarthritis, or something like that, which is better treated with something other than pred, or even with physio if appropriate.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I'd say back to 4mg at least, you may need a few days at 5mg to clear things out. But no, don't leave it. It is unlikely to get better and if it gets too much worse it will be a lot harder to get sorted out.

[Notaddi]

I thought at first it might have something to do with getting ready for hurricane Dorian, but by now that should have cleared up. I think I will take your advice and go up a few mgs, and see if there’s any improvement . Then slowly .5mg at a time, as I go.

Thanks for your support.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Notaddi]

I do flare with weather and overdoing things but when both come together it can cause a real flare.

[piglette]

I have learnt from bitter experience that it is a total waste of time trying to stick it out if you have PMR pain. It is much better to increase the dose for a while and get the PMR under control before it takes you over!!

[Maisie1958]

I definitely agree with all of the above posts!

[Notaddi]

I’ve taken your advice and increased my dose back to 4. Think I’ll stay there for a couple of weeks before attempting a taper, .5 mg at a time.

Thanks everyone.

[Dream21]

When I have felt like that, I go back up. I wait for a month or two, then I try again once symptoms are stabilized.

[Notaddi in reply to Dream21]

Feeling sooo much better this morning, woke up pain free. Am at 4mg will stay there for couple of weeks and re-try my taper.

[Dream21 in reply to Notaddi]

So glad to hear!

[PeaceableDragon]

Hello Addie, I was diagnosed about the same time as you and have been following various tapering routines to taper over the past couple of years. I have noticed that as I reduced below 3mg, I needed to listen carefully to the response of my body and occasionally add an extra .5mg and sometimes a good 20-30 minute nap.

I wish you the best,

Peaceable Dragon

[Notaddi]

Thank you, I have been alternating between 3.5 and 3. And if I feel increasing stiffness across my back I go to 4mg. But mostly, I’m not feeling poorly. Occasional nap if needed. Please keep me informed of your progress.