steroid mg's

For those of us that are still on high strength Pred, what mg are you taking per tablet. My sister in-law who lives in Spain and sometimes has to take them for her Rheumatoid Arthritis has been prescribed them at 30 mg per tablet...I've been having to swallow eight tablets at a time (5 mg's each), surely this is daft and would be so much easier to be prescribed 30 mg while on that mg.

[Koalajane]

I didn’t realise that they did 30mg tablets

[SheffieldJane]

30 mgs is news to me. It would make GCA doses seem easier. I am familiar with 10 mgs in the U.K. Take care!

[JanetRosslyn]

I have a selection: I am in the UK and have 1mg, 2.5mg, 5mg and 20mg tablets.

[Tahiri in reply to JanetRosslyn]

I got 8x5mg , got the 2.5 as they reduced and now on 9mg. Didn't know that they did 20mg tablets?

[JanetRosslyn in reply to Tahiri]

I was given the 20mg tablets by the hospital pharmacy - they are not enteric coated, but that's all they had. I don't know if 20mg coated are available elsewhere.

All my others are enteric-coated, from my local pharmacy.

[Tahiri in reply to JanetRosslyn]

Same . Now on one 5mg and 4 mg for GCA.

[Tahiri in reply to Tahiri]

I think I just replied to myself. Lol

[Hidden in reply to Tahiri]

We all do it sometime! You can edit it delete your message by clicking more and there you go....follow the edit/delete.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I was on 25mg at beginning of GCA - some 8 years ago.

The larger sizes are more expensive due to less being manufactured- economies of scale - so many pharmacies don’t stock as a matter of course.

I had to give my pharmacy notice when I was going to request repeat prescription so they could order.

Not sure I’d want to be in that situation at this moment in time !

[Tahiri in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes. I was doing so well and have never been on steroids until lately. Thank goodness they're down to 9mg but wrong time to be on immunosuppression.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Every country has its own range of choice.. Here it is 25mg. In most countries it is a problem to get anything smaller than 5mg and that comes with its own problems when you get to low doses.

The UK doesn't usually offer more than 5mg tablets, which they buy in such large quantities that they are cheap. Even 1mg may cost more than 5mg tablets in the UK simply because they are used so little. Wanting 25mg tablets usually means a special order and it is difficult to get them as well as them costing perhaps 2 or 3 times as much as the same dose in 5mg tablets. 10mg is the highest I have heard used commonly in the UK.

[Blearyeyed]

They give higher upto 25 mg to people on sustained higher doses for sometime for GCA.

As well as it being cheaper there is a logic to giving you smaller tablets .

It helps you to be able be flexible in tapering as you go along , or able to take a more accurate increase for a few days if you need a Stress Dose over a few days for a Flare.

Your sisters situation is possibly different , taking it for RA , she may be on a steady dose long term with few changes or tapers in her future for Life.

[Tahiri in reply to Blearyeyed]

New to GCA - only on steroids since October. Are flares common ?

[Hidden in reply to Tahiri]

Hi again! Yes flares can occur...sometimes from lowering pred too much or too fast. If symptoms return the Dr/rheumy should advise on taper, though we find some drs are a bit optimistic in the reduction so don't suffer in silence. Hopefully someone with GCA experience will help more but here's a link to start you off....but it is just an overview.

vasculitis.org.uk/about-vas...

[Daffodilia]

GP said stick to 5 mg to avoid confusion - started on 40 mg so 8 tabs at first - have 1 mg 2.5mg and 5 mg now - on 5.5 so using pill splitter on 1 mg for a half

[Andyrew1 in reply to Daffodilia]

Hi Daff,

Could you try 2.5mg and 3*1mg, and not have to bother with the splitter?

[Daffodilia in reply to Andyrew1]

Trying to preserve my stock of 1 mg and 2.5 mg and have loads of 5s. Have tried to reduce to 5 a couple of times but get bad pain and stiffness so may be back at 6 soon. Especially when GP busy with Coronavirus.

[Hidden]

Hope they don't run out of Pred...thinking I should order some more...it's the queuing at the chemist now. Thank goodness my daughter does this for us

[desertloft]

Wow... they should come in at least 20 to 25 mg' tablets. Believe it not, I live in Arizona (U.S.) an hour from the Mexico border and I cross the border to buy mine over the counter, otherwise I'd have to spend a life's wages to go to a doctor here in the U.S. As you know, we're a failed Empire that doesn't much care about its people. Prednisone is over the counter in many countries and always a lot less expensive. I know that's not necessarily an option for many in England, but the tablets in Mexico come in 5, 20 and 50 mg' tabs. Most of those have a line in them which makes it easier to 'half'. Best to all of you.

[KellyInTexas in reply to desertloft]

I’m in Texas. How are you crossing the border?

What is it called there? Prednisone?

Do you know if it’s possible to get Hydroxychloroquine?

[desertloft in reply to KellyInTexas]

Hi. It's Nogales Arizona to Nogales, Mexico. A simple 2 minute walk across a very uncrowded border and everything's right there. You can't bring a lot of drugs across, but you can bring Prednisone. Don't know about other drugs? It's doubtful that you can even cross now though due to COVID. Last time I was there was about a month ago. Almost every border to every country on the planet is closed at this point to foreigners.

[KellyInTexas in reply to desertloft]

I see, but how about now? Has Mexico closed borders- ( they may well find they need to protect from USA) and then the issue of US citizens crossing back into US since our border is closed.

This was really more the question....

Thank you for responding

[desertloft in reply to KellyInTexas]

I don't know if the borders are closed for walking across at this point, but Mexico probably shouldn't allow Americans to cross into their country because it's not safe, since this country is now the epicenter of the Coronavirus. The bottom line is that no one should be traveling anywhere, which is the case, literally, in all of Europe, pretty much the case in S. America, and will probably soon be the case globally, I'm thinking. Stay safe.

[Hidden in reply to desertloft]

We have a wonderful National Health System (NHS) that take care of us. Seniors pay for nothing. Prescriptions, medication, doctors appts, and surgery. Until all the gates were opened letting so many in everything worked well. However, today our dear NHS is struggling. Still doing an amazing job with the Virus though, but sadly, we're now seeing professionals dying from the virus. It is called either Prednisone or Prednisolone.

[Luciejc]

I also live in the US (New York City) also and have Medicare and health insurance also. In my medicine cabinet right now I have, 20, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1 mg tablets of Prednisone for my GCA. I have paid very little for my prescriptions. Actemra though is very, very expensive even with my insurance paying more than 1/2 the cost. I am hoping to be approved for assistance by the pharmaceutical company that makes it. If so, I will get it for free.

[pugrescue]

Here in Canada, 1, 5 & 25. I was astounded when dx with gca, started at 2 X 25mg (50) and when tapered to 45 the rheumy wouldn't even prescribe 5s and 25s, had to take 9 X 5mgs.

So when I asked rheumy later for 1mgs tabs to taper slowly later on, he said "its too complicated". Went to gp and got the 1mgs. She thought it was funny, not complicated. Down to 9mgs now

Not saying anything against my rheumy, he cancelled my phone apt Friday, took a COVID-19 test as he was showing symptoms. Will know tomorrow. Praying for a good outcome for him.

[Hidden in reply to pugrescue]

A lady lost her sight due to her doctor only putting her on 2 mg. At least we know what to look for and can increase and decrease ourselves.