Dosage

[Pangolin43]

Hi all,

Could anyone on this lovely forum tell me if 15mg of Pred is a moderate or low dose and what kind of side effects to expect?

Thank you 😍

[PMRpro Ambassador]

15mg is considered a moderate dose, over 20mg is high.

Side effects are impossible to predict. There are over 80 listed adverse effects - what I can say is no-one develops them all, some have few or even none.

I have no identifiable adverse effects even after over 11 years on pred. I did have some for a time on one particular type of steroid but not on prednisolone or prednisone. Weight gain is greatly feared by many but it is not inevitable: cut your intake of carbohydrates drastically, especially processed carbs and added sugar, and you can reduce the weight gain and even lose weight while on pred. That also reduces the risk of developing steroid-induced diabetes. I didn't have a bone density problem at the start - after 11 years of pred my dexascan had hardly changed - and I never took alendronic acid, calcium and vit D supplements have been plenty.

Most of the potential adverse effects can be mitigated or even avoided when you know how.

[Pangolin43 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for you detailed reply. Are Prednisone and prednisolone the same thing?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pangolin43]

No, prednisone must be processed by the liver to produce prednisolone which is the active form. That means prednisone takes a bit longer to work but the doses are equivalent - 5mg prednisone does the same as 5mg prednisolone.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Depends where you’re looking from!

Having started on 80mg I view it as a low dose, but that’s just me.

On a more serious note - my view would be -

Anything below 7.5mg is low

Between 7.5mg to 25mg is medium dose

25- 60mg high dose

60mg and above, very high dose

Others may have different opinions.

Side effects at that dose vary from person to person, but common ones MAY include round face, general weight gain, increased blood pressure, increased blood sugars, blurred vision, anxiety - but not necessarily and all can be controlled.

You might like to have a look at this for a bit more general info - healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Pangolin43 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you Dorset Lady. Very useful. 😀

[Tarym]

Also on 15mg Pred, tapering slowly. We’re all different, my main noticeable side effect is muscle weakness, now I’m aware of it I make sure I pace myself and accept I’m not as strong as I was! All manageable. Get more tired than usual some days and feel a bit muzzy headed for a couple of hours after I take them. Some hair loss and a good growth of ‘peach fuzz’ on my face which can be hidden by my much longer, lockdown hair style! On the positive side, no pain, no weight gain, I sleep better than I have done for years, and my swollen finger joints have reduced in size.

[Pangolin43]

Thank you Tarim. Is there a way you can build more strength in your muscles? 😀

[Tarym]

Generally I find it’s better to avoid over straining them rather than suffering a pulled muscle for weeks afterwards. Had a tendon pop in my arm in January and that has taken ages to calm down. Will be patient and hope that as I reduce Pred strength will improve.