Flare GCA at 3.5 mg pred - should I temporarily increase dose ? Split it ? What timings ?

[Iwillwin123]

I currently take 3.5 mg at 9.00 AM morning with breakfast .

Since last 2 days I have severe back stiffness on waking up and goes away by 11.00 AM ( probably due to action by the 9.00 AM pred ??? )

Now my questions are

1) Shall I increase dose for a week by 5 mg -to hit the flare

2) If yes then should I split the dose ?

3) If yes then what are ideal times and split doses to take it ?

4) Once I drop down back to 3.5 mg what is best time to take the steady dose ?

5) is it better to NOT take the dropped down and steady dose of 3.5 mg at night ?

Keeping in mind the adrenal gland wake up ?

TIA

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Are you sure the back pain isn’t due to anything else?

Have you just reduced to 3.5mg, or been on it some time?

If you are sure it is PMR, then a few days at 5mg might solve the issue.

It might be sensible to drop back down to 4 mg rather than 3.5mg....

and wouldn’t change the timings nor split the dose.

[SheffieldJane]

You could try taking the Pred at 7 am with yoghurt or banana, in bed, and then get up at 9am and see if all is well. You never know. However, the other suggestions are valid, possibly getting moving is helping your back too. Arthritic pain can emerge on the low doses unfortunately.

[Hidden]

This is interesting as I am down to 3.5 taken at 7.30 am with yogurt. I now seem to have a permanent stiff neck, aching elbows, swollen and painful hands, bursitis in both knees and something peculiar going on with my left foot, in short my body's a wreck! But I'm not sure it's PMR as paracetamol seems to help. I wondering if this is it for the rest of my life, I'm 77. 3 years ago I was running about like a 3 year old so my conclusion is PMR or steroids bring on more problems.