4mg and sticking!

[Queenie1901]

I have not posted on here since the end of last year but have continued to read daily for support and advice. Great forum. I took the advice in Nov 2020 and followed the DSNS tapering method from 8.5 mg and got down to 4 mg in Aug 2021. There I stopped knowing I was taking a two week holiday (in UK) at the beginning of September and did not want to go down another tapering step at the same time. I am still at 4mg now and trying trying to work out whether morning aches and stiffness are much the same as I have always had since 9mg and always fade by the afternoon, or are the result of exercise such as walking and swimming which if I am honest were probably a little more than the "gentle" I had intended, or are the signs of having sat a too low a dose even though it was only a 0.5 mg taper from 4.5mg to 4mg back in July/Aug. It doesn't get worse ( only a bit stiffer the day after more exercise than normal) but doesn't go away either. Apart from that the fatigue is less debilitating just more like general tiredness. And I feel more like normal (whatever normal is!) than I have for a long time. I don't feel I can continue tapering at the moment. But as with all the posts I read I agonise over whether it is too low. I guess I am stuck here for a bit longer then? Maybe writing this has ordered my thoughts but always relieved to read similar experiences. Thank you too all forum members who share. So many times your comments are a perfect fit!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I suspect that is the process of your adrenal glands starting to work normally again - that too can cause stiffness and aches. The change in the nature of the fatigue is telling I think.

[Queenie1901 in reply to PMRpro]

Ah ok. That is very encouraging. I will stay where I am at the moment and monitor it. Manyvthanks for your swift reply.

[Whitner in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMR pro. I didn't realize that the start up of the adrenal glands could cause some aches. I am down to 6 mg and am noticing that those things that ached before and separate from PMR are coming back. Sure was nice while it lasted to be really pain free! I have never been on a lower dose so I am excited to see if I can get to zero. Good for you Florrie4 for getting to 4 mg. Hopefully we'll both be able to get down to zero or at least 1 or 2 mg? I think that would be great!