Hi
Have recently taken my last daily 5mg of Prednisolone, 10 days ago.My Rheumatologist requested that I have repeat ESR & CRP blood tests in July but hasn’t specified a date on request form.Was thinking of getting blood tests done next Wednesday.Is 2 weeks sufficient timescale since coming off Prednisolone?
Has you Rheumy decided it is not PMR?
Please be careful, stopping steroids abruptly after taking them for longer than 10 days is not a good idea.
Your adrenal glands will possibly and I emphasize possibly not up to speed and the last thing you need is adrenals to go wrong. Fingers and everything else crossed for you.
In my humble, no medical training etc, 2 weeks is not too early.
Yes Rheumatologist now thinks it isn’t PMR as my inflammation markers have dropped .Has indicated it’s more likely to have been a viral infection of some kind.Began Prednisolone on 15mg during April dropping to 10mg through May and ending with 5mg through June.
Will go ahead and have repeat blood tests next week and await the outcome of the results.Many thanks for your reply.
You would HOPE that the inflammation markers would drop on pred! Not much point being on pred for PMR if they don't. As long as you are on enough pred to manage the inflammation the markers will fall - it's if they don't you have to think again.
No way of knowing - in some people the blood markers lag a long way behind symptoms - and symptoms are often far more meaningful. All you can do is try - or wait a bit longer to see if symptoms return. When I went from 5mg to zero doing something similar, the pain was back within 6 hours of missing the first 5mg dose. I'd had the minor miracle in 6 hours after the first dose though.
You seem to have stretched out the reduction protocol you mentioned earlier, you were to reduce to 5mg at the end of May? If you feel unwell at any point with anything suggestive of adrenal problems don't hesitate to get medical advice. Call 999 if necessary.
Sorry I originally began taking 15mg of Prednisolone through April then 10mg through May and ended with 5mg through June.
Will go ahead and have repeat blood tests next week.
Many thanks for your reply and all your help and advice.Much appreciated.
Did you mean 5mg, or point 5mg? To go from 5 to zero in one foul swoop is not something I would do - it took me almost three years to get from 5mg to zero. If it was point 5, then ok, otherwise I guess you need to be very careful for the reasons already outlined.
Good luck whatever.
Paddy
Rheumatologist has decided it isn’t PMR hence the monthly drops in taking Prednisolone. Started with 15mg in April dropping to 10mg in May and 5mg through June.
Many thanks for your reply.
Hi, Just hope it all works out ok for you.Paddy
Agree with others that to stop from 5mg to nil, is risky. My PMR has lasted 11 years, and cannot get below 10mg, even when dropping 0.5mg on a tapering dose. Do have your bloods checked, and if you can get an ESR (erythrocytes sedimentation rate) done, even better
Hi for a start you should not be coming off 5mg daily just like that you need to taper them slowly over weeks.
Do you have a diagnosis of PMR?
The blood tests will indicate what your inflammatory markers are doing.
