PMR creeping back on 1 mg

[Bobbikins]

My rheumatologist advised me to reduce to 1 mg from 2 mg for my PMR because of the Covid pandemic. Six weeks in to the new dose, I am Experiencing more pain and stiffness. It seems to be creeping back And all my appointments with the rheumatologist have been cancelled.

Wondering if I should go on 6 mg for a week and return to 2 mg?

[SheffieldJane]

I really wish our doctors would leave well alone. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It can’t make a jot of difference to your safety from Covid 19. Does going back to 2 mg not work? If not, your plan could do the trick.

[SnazzyD]

I know I’m not a doctor but, is a 1mg reduction going to make all the difference to whatever risk they are afraid of?? It’s not even in any guidelines for Covid. Now they have put you in a position of having to take even more. 6mg for a week, you probably need to to get things back under control.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Sounds like a plan. But why not try going back to 2mg first? You don;t appear to have got to a full-blown flare yet.

Though I do have to ask what they have between their ears to imagine that going from 2mg where you were well to 1mg (where you might not be) was going to make the slightest difference to you if you developed Covid - since you would them have the pred dose increased to cover the stress of the infection!

[Hidden]

🤦‍♀️ I agree with others comments. If 2mg was working then leave you alone. A 50% drop won't have helped anything.🌻

[Bobbikins]

Thank you to everybody who responded to my post. Much appreciated.

[cataline]

I'm currently on 7mg and when I spoke to my rheumatologist 2 weeks ago he said that he was advising all his patients on lower doses of pred NOT to reduce for the time being, that included me. I assumed the thinking behind this was to avoid flares and the subsequent need to increase to much higher dose. I agree with other replies here, try 2 mg for few days and see if it works before making huge jump.