Forgetting your meds!!!

[grannyouch]

Does anyone know what I should do because I STUPIDLY forgot to take my preds one morning. Only found out the next day when that day's compartment was still full. I've recently been on 9.5 and reducing to 8.5 on the dead slow method. My 3rd time doing this. The next day I took 11.5 as I still felt achey and so weak. Now I'm taking 9.5 but also still trying to reduce as normal. Is this wrong. I'm really struggling with the doses and not being able to reduce successfully after approx 6 years. My GPS have not been helpful and no joy with the rheumatology dept. 🥺

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you are suffering having missed on day, I'd take a few days of maybe 12mg until you feel OK before going back to 9.5mg.. And by the sound of it, you aren't ready to reduce a whole mg at a time, and possibly not ready to reduce at all.

I've had PMR for almost 18 years, been on pred for heading for 13 years. I can't get down from 15mg - OK, I've had a lot of stress in the last 2 years but even before that I was on 12mg and couldn't get lower. PMR isn't a short-lived thing, it can go on for years and people struggle to reduce for a long time. That's the way it is. I mentioned on another thread today, one of the top PMR people in the UK gave a talk on Friday to the Scottish charity AGM where she mentioned "The 2 year PMR myth". Some of us have it for a lot longer. And even more people can't reduce 1mg at a time or at the speed the doctors think we should.

[grannyouch in reply to PMRpro]

It’s so comforting to have your wisdom and experience on this forum. Thank you for answering so quickly. This is the third time I’ve been reducing to- I think- Dorset lady’s slow mentor but I thought since it was only a day I missed it would be ok. I’ll try what I suggested though I do feel a lot better now. So sorry you’ve had it for such a long time. It’s just very depressing that this wretched illness doesn’t burn itself out quickly for everyone.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to grannyouch]

Some people can miss a single dose without it really upsetting the apple cart - but it usually is OK if you are well above your lowest effective dose. The closer you get to that, the easier it is to have a wobble, If you are on the borderline - you can't miss a dose without feeling it

[grannyouch in reply to PMRpro]

So true! I couldn’t understand why I felt so ill after a longer than usual walk with my dog.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to grannyouch]

And that too will have made it worse - you have to build up slowly to longer than usual walks! Not decide you are going todo it NOW!

[grannyouch]

Aha! But that was because we got lost in the woods!!! I usually do half an hour but this was more like two hrs in the end!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to grannyouch]

No wonder it knocked you about -and I bet you got a bit stressed as well -even if you didn’t think so at the time.

[grannyouch in reply to DorsetLady]

Too true- although mostly I just felt a complete idiot! Felt like I’d been run over by a truck!!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to grannyouch]

Complete idiot! Tell me about it 😂🤣.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to grannyouch]

Because you were probably concerned - worried. It wasn't just the physical overdoing it, it was the need for adrenal supposrt that wasn't there.

[grannyouch]

I’m surprised I fessed up!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to grannyouch]

Your secret’s safe with us!

[grannyouch in reply to DorsetLady]

🤣🤣🤣

[Jackoh]

Happened to so many of us !! 😘xx

[grannyouch in reply to Jackoh]

🤭🥰

[Alebeau]

If you have a cell phone put some alarms in there. I finally did this after missing 3 times. I even have an extra alarm for my evening dose in case I miss the first one. Haven't missed a dose since.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Alebeau]

How disciplined!!!! I have 5 daily doses - the morning and night ones are easy. The evening one should be easy - unless my usual routine dinner time is disturbed. The 9.30am and 4pm ones are a minefiled though so alarms are set. I still manage to switch it off and not take the tablet ...

[Capprice in reply to PMRpro]

🤣 hahaha

[herdysheep]

I am usually very organised. Pill dispensers etc. Recently found a tablet next day which I must have dropped and not taken. Made a heck of a difference to how I felt - just got down to 4 1/2. Then to add to the dozy walter bit, have missed several days over a week of bp meds and statins! I am obviously going to pot even more than I thought. You are not alone!!

[Rajuguide]

Really I surprise , how you are able to fight with taking of prednisone that too near 9 mg dose from last 6 years , really you are having struggling spirit ,my wife with in 9 month have fed up and lost hope ,as she can not reduce from 10 mg I pray for your early recovery .

[grannyouch in reply to Rajuguide]

Thank you so much for your kind comments. Tell your wife she WILL get better. It just takes time! And patience! I do despair sometimes and I’m sure there are many people on this forum who struggle badly. We need to educate doctors and even rheumatologists I think. I actually got down to 4.5 but have had 3 flare ups which I think may be partly due to all the stress of covid and feeling isolated. I do hope your wife will feel better soon and tell her NOT TO GIVE UP!!! X

[MaritimeMags]

I missed my Pred dose one day this week; first time in four years. My sister is extremely ill and I had been up three consecutive nights at her home this week, looking after her. In fact. I thought she was in ‘the Departure Lounge’, so to speak. Much improved now though.Missing my Pred for one day did not seem to make that much difference - I was surprised. I am wondering if worrying about my sister took my mind off my own ailments. Losing sleep, though, was not good. 🙂

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MaritimeMags]

Hugs - know where you are. Though I don't think I ever forgot my pred!!!! I did have a night without it once - while in hospital unexpectedly and they couldn't manage to sort it ... THAT wasn't nice

[HeronNS]

I bet there's hardly a person on the forum who hasn't missed a dose at least once. We usually say, never again! (I've missed several times, for different reasons, probably only twice by forgetting. I never forget now because I set everything out before I go to bed, then wake up at 2 am to take it. Once I dropped most of the dose in the dark, but didn't see it until the morning. I had woken up feeling rough, so not all in my head.)

[grannyouch]

Thank you Al so much for all your stories- it helps so much that we’re all in the same boat and peoples courage in dealing with this illness and more never fails to inspire me. Love you all!