Tapering again!

[AnniesRyder5]

I’m currently on 6mg having tapered 1mg per month

My query / is the goal to achieve a maintenance dosage of eg 5mg per month to keep symptoms at bay or is the goal to reach 0 (assuming no flare up)

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

The aim is to find the LOWEST dose (whatever that may be) that gives you the same relief as the original dose did.

You are not reducing relentlessly to zero (or any dose come to that) - but you do hope that when you reach zero your illness has gone into remission.

Doesn't always work like that!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If there is no flare up you may be lucky and get to zero and stay there. The goal is to find the lowest dose that gives the same result as the starting dose did, you shouldn't feel worse at the end of a reduction step than you did at the beginning of it. So where you get left varies - you have done really well to get to 6mg, but you could get stuck at 5mg or at 1mg. Or even zero! But remember, some people are fine at 1mg but they need that 1mg, zero is a step too far. The last few mg may take as long as the previous 10 - but at that level there is no hurry, you can afford to be careful.