Prednisone

[kenb]

Is it ok to take 20 mg of Prednisone and just stop? How long does it take to get hooked?

[Hidden]

I think we need more information. Take 20mg of pred for what, for how long and what do you mean by "hooked"? I see you had PMR 5 years ago is it still the same ...or have you been in remission?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You don't get "hooked" on pred - and how long you can take 20mg and stop depends on a lot of things.

[GOOD_GRIEF]

I am not a medic, but here's what I know:

Prednisone is a steroid prescribed by physicians to treat inflammatory conditions. If you were not given, or do not understand, the withdrawal instructions issued by your physician, get in touch with them.

Prednisone is not an addictive drug. It interferes with the normal function of adrenal glands, and therefore sudden and unsupervised withdrawal can be dangerous to the point of life threatening.

For those on a short course, it is unlikely that the adrenal glands will shut down completely, but adrenal insufficiency is no joke either. Follow the instructions. If your dose is higher that 20mg per day, you really must seek professional guidance.

For those on a long course- months or years - tapering can be a long process, including the restoration of normal adrenal function. There's a lot of information regarding withdrawing from a long course of prednisone treatment. Try a search in the box at the upper right corner of your computer screen.

[borednow]

Hooked? Following the wording of your question, you could always try going cold turkey and then you might find out if you're hooked or not. From what I've discovered about preds, dropping from 20mg to nil will do you no good at all. I wish you well.

[dancersize2]

Pred is prescribed at 25mg for three days for people suffering chest infections that don't clear with other methods. They can then stop without tapering. Otherwise, after long term use you must taper slowly to allow your body to adjust.

[kenb in reply to dancersize2]

Thank you so much. I was on Prednisone for several years and tapered off. PMR is a very unpredictable thing. I had a flare up and took 20 mg. It knocked it down, I just don't want it long term.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to kenb]

You don't need 20mg for long in PMR - you reduce the dose to identify the correct dose for you and it is usually 10mg or less. I'd prefer long term pred to long term PMR personally - and have had plenty of experience of both.

[OutdoorsyGal]

My understanding is that one week won’t stop your adrenal function, two might not, but if you’ve been on it over two weeks you MUST NOT stop abruptly. Your adrenal glands go on vacation while prednisone is doing their job for them. If you just stop you will get very sick.

In some places, people wear med-alert bracelets or carry “blue cards” that alert medical personnel that they must not be taken off prednisone, as stopping abruptly can be life-threatening.

[Nap1]

Really need more information. It’s just taking 20 mg of prednisone won’t hurt you but it probably won’t help either