Tapering struggles

[Alazarin]

I’m new here. On steroids for 2 yrs now. Struggling with getting down past 5mg. Any tips?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi, welcome,

first point - maybe you have got the level you actually need -so when you try and get below 5mg your illness says -whoa - too low!

How quickly are you try to reduce -i.e how often and at what dose? As your illness is only 2 years in -maybe you are trying too hard.

You are not reducing relentlessly to zero despite what you may have read or been told, you are trying to find the LOWEST dose that controls symptoms.

Just stay on 5mg for a little while longer, then try the following - reducing by 0.5mg per month and maybe use a slow taper similar to this - others are available see Tapering Plans in Pinned Posts

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Alazarin in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks I will ask Dr about half doses

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Really very little to add to DL's reply - except to underline her point that you have probably got to your objective for now. It doesn't mean you won't get lower - just not yet.

But more information of how you are going about reduction and your history would make it easier for us to make suggestions.

[Arflane97G]

Once I reached 5 mg I started reducing by 0.5mg. Have to say I found the drop to 4.5 mg hard but very recent drop to 4 mg has been relatively ok. By hard I mean return of awful fatigue ( afternoon naps are great if you are able to build them into your day) and stiffness in legs and arms so took painkillers for a couple of days. By end of month I felt much better. Take care

[Joydeck]

After 2 ½ years on pred, I'm down to 3 mg today.

Smooth sailing down to 7 mg where I spent a whole year. Again smooth sailing down to 2.5 mg, last Christmas, but was eventually forced back to 3.5. I have been generally pain-free and unaffected by PMR or pred, except for the healing of flesh wounds.

PMR symptoms seem very different at 7 or 3 mg. Above 7 mg, bilateral shoulder pain was sharp and unmistakable but now, below 3 mg, PMR pain seems diffuse and more easily overlooked until all hell breaks loose.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Joydeck]

I think that reflects that when you need 7mg the disease activity is higher than by the time you get to 3mg. But the dripping tap still fills the bucket eventually - just takes longer!