Accidental double-dose of Prednisone in one day?

[Greytree]

I take 15mg each morning but tonight took it a second time (brain fog). Do I take the full dose again in the morning? Have been on 15mg since began it in early Nov, except for two weeks when doc tapered me to 10 and I flared. Pred scares me but I’m going to try to sleep. 11pm here.

[SnazzyD]

We’ve all done that at some point. Carry on as normal. You could ask a pharmacist tomorrow if you want reassurance if a doctor is out of the question. You might feel a bit lively and sleepless, possibly even have a better day. If you consider people routinely have to have daily doses of 60mg and above for GCA a one off 30mg isn’t going to break the bank. Docs also commonly give higher doses than that for chest infections and it’s not close to that. You might have a restless night but hopefully it’ll be Pred fizz and not worry.

[Greytree in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks so much! That helps my mind/nerves. Good thought, too, about the option of talking to a pharmacist about this - and future issues.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Yes go back to normal, but you may find you have a better day! And good luck overnight - you’ll either be awake all night or sleep like a log - let’s hope it’s the latter! ….and get yourself a dosette box- pharmacy or online - so you don’t do it again…

[Greytree in reply to DorsetLady]

I slept five hours but only because I was able to leave a message here late last night and know there would be support and suggestions in the morning. That would becbefore I was faced with the decision of taking a third dose of 15mg of Pred in 16 hours or two doses and then none for 24 hours (if my math is right). Embarrassingly, I have a dosette box - two. One has Pred for morning and the other Estradiol for evening. My mind was pre-occupied and my body went into auto pilot in the bathroom, grabbed the wrong box, swallowed. I immediately realized they error and went into panic mode! It wasn’t pretty. Will rethink the boxes and layout on sink! I am grateful for this site and your and all responses to me and to others.

[Sharitone]

Would you better off with one of those dosette boxes that have separate, labelled compartments for morning and night? I just googled it and found you can buy them with up to 4 compartments per day. Mind you, for me to take my evening meds reliably, they would have to come with a persistent alarm sound, that repeats every 5 minutes 'Are you sure you really did take it and didn't just turn the alarm off?'

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Sharitone]

Just got a booklet through today which has a wristband with an alarm for tablet times!

My son’s best friend used to call similar booklets (as per weekend paper supplements) “full of things you don’t need at a price you can’t afford” .

But that was when he was a spritely teenager - now he’s a 50 year old headteacher with 3 children he might think differently😳

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sharitone]

I use the alarms on my phone - since I have to take tablets at 5 different times and no-one makes a daily box with more than 4 spaces.

[Broseley in reply to PMRpro]

I use the phone alarms, but sometimes I don't hear it, if I'm upstairs for example, sometimes it doesn't sound at all and sometimes I dismiss it on the phone and still forget to take the pills!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Broseley]

Oh yes - I'm quite capable of switching the alarm off and and not taking the tablet!

[Greytree]

Sounds like the kind of box I need - with bells, whistle, fog horn attached! Thanks. I will google this morn and find a single box that’s more foolproof for my state of mind and body. 😀

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Greytree]

See my reply to Sharitone

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Greytree]

Can I also just mention that even for a day, keeping tablets out of their blister packs or containers in the bathroom isn't a good idea.

[Greytree in reply to PMRpro]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Nextoneplease in reply to PMRpro]

Is that because they degrade, Pro? Or that they’re too available for mistakes to be made?

I take meds seven times a day so count them all out a couple of weeks in advance, into two 4 sectioned boxes of different colours. It’s worked so far….apart from one occasion when I took the pred late.

Does that sound okay to you? I carry the boxes around inside a zipped purse, inside a zipped pouch, themselves inside a day bag btw, and put the bag up high, out of reach of grandchildren 😳x

Sometimes I feel too much of my life is taken up with counting pills, keeping them safe, and remembering to take them!!!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nextoneplease]

In the bathroom or kitchen are both advised against - humidity can be high and surprising how much warmer they can be than, say, the bedroom (my bedroom is the coldest room in the house!!)Most original packaging is the ideal air-tight container, some bottles even have dessicator packs in the lid.

I do mine daily - while taking the before bed set of pills I do the others or the next day and don't find it is too long - the original packs are all in a ziplock bag next to the bed as I don't have to worry about small people or dogs ...

[Greytree in reply to PMRpro]

My pills are in one plastic Rx bottle. No dessec component. No blister packs. I have to split some of the uncoated tablet-form pills and take a whole and a half each morning. I have spread them in a dosette box for the week ahead. Do you think that's not good? As to safety to pets and others, the only living creatures in my house are the zillions of microbes, rarely seen spiders, mites etc. found in homes (and which it's probably best most people don't know about. But I have a great book recommendation for anyone who's not squeamish and might like to know about such things!)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Greytree]

Most things are fine - especially those the pharmacy dispenses in screw top bottles. But that is perhaps the main reason for being careful where you keep them.

[Greytree in reply to PMRpro]

Oh, good. I get it.

[Nextoneplease in reply to PMRpro]

Useful info Pro 😊 I keep the original packs in the bedroom (also kept cold), and the Dossetts in a bag on a shelf in the hall, so humidity not an issue really. I don’t think I could do them daily - I like to have a counted-out supply in case I have to rush off somewhere and am less likely to forget something. Makes me feel organised, anyway!

Will think about your system though, in case a halfway house might be better x

[piglette]

If it were me I would just carry on as normal and enjoy the extra pred! I usually miss a dose which is much more painful.

[Greytree in reply to piglette]

Less pain is good! (-:

[piglette in reply to Greytree]

Don’t ever forget to take them, that is pain!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

No pain is better / hope it’s achievable idc.

[Greytree in reply to DorsetLady]

A big Yes to that.