So yesterday I picked up a script of prednisone. The instructions said to take 10ml one even days and 15ml on odd days.
Where did my rheumatologist get that schedule from?
I’m doing 6ml at night and 7.5 in the morning right now. I set my schedule to reduce by listening to all of you. So far I still have manageable burning in the bottom when I sit and shoulder pain for a few hours on less stressful days. But longer pain on days after stress of my job on the following days.
Should I tell the rheumatologist in not following his directions? And where did he come up with his plan to taper? Thanks
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singingloud
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Some seem to think this taper works, and for some it might...but most of us on here think its too much difference from one day to next - and body doesn't like it!
As his taper has the effect of being at 12.5mg per day, do you feel you could achieve that but sticking with your regime - maybe 5mg at night/7.5mg morning.
That way you've partially met his wishes of 12.5mg per day - just slightly differently!
Be interesting to see what his next plan is! Would suggest you leave telling him what you've done until you see if it works - then maybe suggest you follow your way rather than his. Good luck with that.
He wants you to take 12.5mg overall and either doesn't realise it is a lot simpler and less hard for the body to get a pill cutter (you aren't on enteric coated pred are you?) so you take the same dose every day or he mistakenly is under the impression that doing it like that will make it easier to get to 10mg.
But you haven't sorted out the symptoms properly yet - so you shouldn't be told to reduce that much anyway yet. Sounds like piriformis syndrome causing the pain in the bum - google it and see if there are some stretches you can manage which will help a bit.
Thanks. Today I see the physical therapist for the bulging discs in my lower back. I’ll see if she can help with it. But it’s the same burning I had when the pmr began.
Piriformis gave me leg pain like bulging discs. I think it was about 12months in and lasted 3 to 4 months. If I try and go up a steep rise for more than 30secs it makes itself known.
Don't think splitting the dose is a good idea. You are at 13.5. I would use the site recommendation of dead slow method. My wife used the dead slow method at lowering 2 mgs over a month period (at your level now). She did that until 8 mgs, then went to 1mgs per month. She is currently at 4mgs and holding until her cortisol reaches 16. Then she can attempt to get to about 3mgs and probably will stay there for ever. She has GCA and uses Actemra injections weekly.
If splitting the dose works better for you, then continue. But only you can work it out and decide whether to split and, if you split, how to split. You have to try the options, No-one else can tell you what works best for you.
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