Tapering Pred.

[passerdomesticus]

I have GCA and PMR .Started on 60mg Prednisolone in December 2018 and struggled to get down to 6mg last September and then had flare up with pains,loss of balance and visual disturbances.Back up to 15mg and then 20.At this point CRP 175 not got ESR!Still not well but up and down with Pred.Had injection of 120 mg Pred end of Jan. and put on 10 mg. Methotrexate & Folic acid.Aches and pains have very much reduced.Still on 15 mg of Pred.and would like to taper as slowly as possible.I didn’t get much advice from rheumatology nurse so would be very grateful for some guidance.Many thanks.

[Hidden]

Hi, that's a lot if up and downing. Have things settled now? If not I wouldn't suggest a taper. But if all okay this may help.. it's the dead slow nearly stop tapers. Good luck.

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[jinasc]

Diagnosed Dec 2018, now it is March 2020. It took me two years to get down to 20mg, I had two flares in between that time. Then we met Ragnar and devised a reduction plan.

DSNS and now there are more plans - and they are all on this site, except Tortoise and Hare. and you can choose which one.

No wonder you are struggling and yo-yoing does not help. It took me and a few others who post on here around 5 years for remission.

So look at the plans and try DSNS, if that does not suit, try another, till you find one that works for you and you can always tweak them. You are looking for the right dose to manage you symptoms, so as you reduce you will probably find that it takes longer but you have less problems.

Golden Rule Never take a drop of more than 10% at a time and follow a plan.

Take control of your GCA & PMR..........you know your own body best.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Frankly - to have allowed you to reduce from 60mg to 6mg in 9 months was asking for trouble. Most people started on 60mg would take 3 or 4 months to get to 30mg! Had they gone about it more sensibly then you might never have needed the methotrexate but if it has helped, fair enough.

Whatever dose of either you are on, you shouldn't even think of reducing at all until your blood markers have fallen a long long way and should be in normal range at the very least.

Have a look at this:

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

just for a much more reasonable approach.

Then tell us how your symptoms are - and how far that CRP has fallen so far, if indeed it has, If it has then we will tell you how we recommend going about it. But not until your symptoms and blood markers are low and stable.

But in the meantime have a bit read:

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

There are other versions - but all concentrate on SLOW!!!!

[alvertta]

Diagnosed October 2018. GCA. started at 60. Now on 13. My last reduction from 14 to 13 three weeks ago was tough. Next reduction will be 1/2 . My esr and sed have never gone above the acceptable range. Now with C19 no rush.