Should have known better: Would love some advice... - PMRGCAuk

PMRGCAuk

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Should have known better

kimsaunsc profile image
11 Replies

Would love some advice after thinking I could reduce from 10 to 8 without a problem! Since diagnosis in May ( after starting at 12 and ending up at 32 ) my tapering has gone very nicely. Each reduction was followed by a few days of fatigue but no new pains. Had been splitting my dose between am and pm. When I reduced to 8 I started taking at 2 am. A week or so later my PMR pain is starting back in shoulders. I know I know- should have listened to all the advice I have read here and not made the last reduction of 20%! Following the Rheumatologist advice has set me back. (Why do I think the Dr knows best? My hubby is a Dr and he he doesn’t always know best 😁) Have taken an additional 2 this morning to get me to 10 today.

Do you think I should try the ten for a week and see if that is enough? Or do I need to go up further to nip the inflammation more quickly?

Thank you!!!

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kimsaunsc profile image
kimsaunsc
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11 Replies
PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

Difficult to say - you may have caught it quickly enough but all you probably need is 13mg for a few days and drop back to 10mg. Even the reduction schedules you find in the medical literature say 1mg at a time from 10mg!!! Not just us ...

kimsaunsc profile image
kimsaunsc in reply toPMRpro

Well perhaps she has not read all the current literature. She still says I am atypical be use of my age !!! Hope the medical community will catch up with the real community soon.

Thanks

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply tokimsaunsc

How old are you?

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer in reply toPMRpro

Mid 50s. Another doctor behind the times.

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer

Ditto to PMRpro's comments.

As you're in US, does that mean you can only get 2mg tablets? or can you get 1mg on prescription?

If so I would request them, and then reduce by only 1mg in future...if not available then so long as the tablets are the plain white variety they can be cut - pill cutters available in pharmacies or online.

Just as an aside - 12mg is a low dose to start on - which is probably why you had to increase.

kimsaunsc profile image
kimsaunsc in reply toDorsetLady

The Medrol does not come in 1 mg but I should be able to split it.

Meggsy profile image
Meggsy

I couldn’t even do 1 mg from 10. I tried 9mg twice to no avail, so have tapered by 0.5mg since. Presently 3mg.

kimsaunsc profile image
kimsaunsc in reply toMeggsy

How long has it taken you to get to 3? And did you reduce .5 mg each time? Thanks

Meggsy profile image
Meggsy

Yes, I tapered by .5 from 10mg. It was mostly monthly till I got to 5. I stayed there for about 3 months as I had family staying, followed by a 450km drive there and back to visit my youngest son’s family, came home and picked up a nasty coughing virus which hung around for a month. From 5mg I have tapered by .5mg but have stayed for 6 or 7 weeks each time. Presently on 3 for 7 weeks and thinking about dropping down again soon. The lower I go, the slower I go.

kimsaunsc profile image
kimsaunsc in reply toMeggsy

Great advice! Thanks so much for sharing your plan.

Meggsy profile image
Meggsy in reply tokimsaunsc

It’s not really a definite plan, I just go by how I feel. I’m feeling quite comfortable on 3mg at the moment and have always been a little apprehensive about dropping down once I was under 5mg. I guess I will have to take the plunge soon with 🤞.

I hope things settle for you soon. 🌻

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