Added five

[Blackcatlover]

I have three more days of adding 5mg to my 4 mg dose of prednisone because of a flare. I’m feeling much better, just minor pains in arms. My flare pain was a 10 now down to a 2. Will have added The 5mg for ten days. How should I get back to my 4mg of Prednisone where I felt fine. Flared when I tried to reduce to 3.5mg using the DSNS method. Should the reduction be gradual?

[SheffieldJane]

I have successfully returned straight to the dose I was last comfortable at, before I did the drop too many. As your symptoms are still niggling, what about straight to 5 ? So much of this is intuition and knowing your own body.

[Blackcatlover in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks SheffieldJane. I think five would be a good compromise. I would like to drop to 7mg for a week and then go to 5mg and stay there for rest of the winter. Do you think that makes sense.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Blackcatlover]

Give it a try......you won’t know until you do.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Blackcatlover]

I think that is a very good plan.

[Iwillwin123]

I have dropped straight down to original dose everytime after a flare. If you are worried , then maybe drop down to 4.5 and hold it steady fir 3-4 weeks. After that start DSNS tapering , but keep the oscillating dose for longer than normal ...... This is my suggestion

[Blackcatlover in reply to Iwillwin123]

Thanks Iwillwin123. I’m afraid to do even that. My flares leave me in incredible pain. Wish I was braver but still a little afraid to flare again. I will be content to get to five and stay there for awhile. Love your “handle”. Shows me you are very strong! Thanks.

[Charlie1boy]

Hi,I was interested to read your replies so far.

I am no medic, but, if I was in your shoes, I would tend to proceed down a bit more slowly - probably because, when it comes to PMR, I am always mega careful with tapering down. Maybe I am just too pessimistic.

Having said that, I would go to an intermediary 7.5mg for a week or so, and if that felt really ok, and you felt the symptoms were under control, then try 5mg. Thereafter, again if all is ok, back to your DSNS TAPER.

All this after six years experience with PMR, and no flares so far!

Good luck, and best wishes

Paddy

[Blackcatlover in reply to Charlie1boy]

You have done incredibly well. I am so impressed. Thanks for your reply. I think I’ve pretty much decided to do as you suggest but just be content to stay at 5mg for the winter. A few more days at 9mg and then a drop to 7mg for a week and then to 5mg. Hope this works. Thanks

[Charlie1boy in reply to Blackcatlover]

Yes, I feel you have made a good decision. Many of us us prefer not to taper so much over winter; best to leave it to Spring, when hopefully we might get better weather. I'm at 1 mg for now, and will certainly be waiting for the better weather before trying a half mg.Good luck!

Paddy.

PS: we have a black cat!!!

[Blackcatlover in reply to Charlie1boy]

Thanks Paddy. My black cat Super Mario thinks I’m the other cat. He races off and I chase after him and he hides in a tube and flies out catching me on the back of my thigh. We do this at least five times a day. He’ll either kill me or keep me young.

[Charlie1boy in reply to Blackcatlover]

That made my wife and I laugh! Ours is a real character, but mainly enjoys tormenting our black lab!

[Blackcatlover in reply to Charlie1boy]

I think I’m Mario’s black lab.🥴

[Marie1479 in reply to Charlie1boy]

Yep, my rheumatologist suggested the same thing drop from 10 mg to 7.5 and then 5 mg for at least three weeks to a month

[Charlie1boy in reply to Marie1479]

👍

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You shouldn't need to after only 10 days - but don't go back to 4mg, go to 5mg and taper from there just in case. Unless you are really sure the 4mg was really enough.

[Blackcatlover in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks I will go to 5mg and be happy to stay there for the winter.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Blackcatlover]

Have answered above in thread.

[Meggsy in reply to PMRpro]

I recently increased from 3 to 8 after an unsuccessful attempt to taper to 2.5. I dropped from there to 5 then to 4. This wasn’t comfortable so have decided to stay at 5 for a couple more weeks - already been there 1 week. It will be 3 years of pred next month, so another two weeks won’t make much difference in the scheme of things. All the best.

[Meggsy in reply to PMRpro]

Sorry PMRpro, my reply was meant for Blackcatlover.

[yogabonnie]

I had a flare at 2 and had to go to 7 to stop it and then could not drop at all other than slowly slowly slowly I am now down to 4.5 after 8 months! tried for 4 but pain came back. I think I will stick with 4.5 until after my covid vaccines and start to taper again in the summer. Fingers crossed . I might sit at 2mg for a year if need be!

[SheffieldJane in reply to yogabonnie]

That sounds sensible Yogabonnie. 🌷

[HeronNS]

Good advice here, but only you will know what's working for you as it appears that even in handling flares we are all different. And even for individuals flares are not always the same. Over the past few years I've had a couple of slight flares which have been dealt with in short order by a few days at a higher dose then stepping down over a week or two to the previous dose, or slightly above. However, current one is a different animal and after a couple or three weeks I've gone from 10 to 8, although I did try going lower. At 6.5 it all came back.

You say your flare pain is down to 2. Is that where you were before the flare? If this is just a niggle, fine, but if it is measureably more than you are used to I'd advise more caution with reduction. Judging only from my own recent experience I think it's important that the pain be gone, back to where you have been, more important than getting close to your former more agreeable dose. (I confess it has pained me to have to admit this to myself!)

[Blackcatlover in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks HeronNS for your good advice. I think I’m back to feeling the same as I did before the flare but very tired. A flare really takes everything out of you. I think I’ll drop to 7mg for a week because I’m a chicken and then go to 5mg and stay there for the winter. Be well.

[HeronNS in reply to Blackcatlover]

Sounds like a good plan. 🍀