Best time to take prednisone?

[izzyart]

What time of day is best to take pred?...I am on 5 - 5 1/2 a day taking 4 1/2 - 5 in AM and 1 or 1/2 late in evening. I wake up with several body aches and pains, wondering if I should reverse the dosage.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Worth a bit of experimentation I would think. Normal instructions are to take all at once in the morning but for some people the effect doesn't last the full 24 hours and then splitting may extend the effect. I'd definitely think you need a bigger dollop at night for a good morning effect.

[Cross-stitcher]

From the very start of my PMR journey, I have felt it preferable to be pain-free in the mornings, so that I can get up, have a shower, get dressed, walk the dog and get a few jobs done without problems. After a restful afternoon, maybe with a nap, I can then normally manage an evening of supper, TV and reading before rolling into bed. Somehow, undressing seems less difficult than getting dressed! To facilitate feeling my best in the mornings, I have always taken all my Pred between 2am and 4am, at whatever time I wake up needing the bathroom. I don't take any food with it, just a full glass of water to make sure the tablets are flushed fully down into my stomach (I take Omeprazole in the mornings along with my other meds.) On the rare night when I don't wake up and I end up taking my Pred first thing, it can be 2-3 hours before I feel capable of doing much.

[ignatz in reply to Cross-stitcher]

Snap, X-stitcher.

I have the same arrangement. I now take all at night with water and wake up feeling reasonably well and able when on sufficient dose. Initially I was taking all in the morning as instructed by doctor. On tapering the symptoms came back and I spent the first few hours feeling creaky and brain-fogged- I now assume until the dose got into my system. I did start 50% night/ 50% morning which worked until taper. I found that all at night meant I woke and worked feeling well; aches may gradually appear by night but a glass of wine means that I am not bothered by being fuzzy-brained.

My symptoms gradually re-appear as I taper and I spend much of my time now feeling fairly awful but with sufficient brain-fog to be uncertain. Dead slow, not stopped & heading for 8mg yet again.

Experiment until you find what works for you, Izzyart.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ignatz]

If your symptoms are returning you have overshot your target: the lowest dose that gives you the same result as the starting dose did. You are never reducing relentlessly to zero come what may,