Taper 5.5 to 5 with a little pain. Continue?

[spacevoyager]

I am slow tapering 5.5 to 5 mg Pred. My question is about the aches I am feeling. Not too bad when I take tylenol. Maybe about 10% of what I was originally feeling. Is this something to worry about or should I continue the slow taper?

I also have the return of the arthritis pain in my hand, which I had before but I understand that the Pred is no longer cushioning that so that's okay. I also have been experiencing fatigue but that's understandable too with the taper.

Started on Pred July 2021. Down from 20 mg to 5.5 now.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

We usually feel that any aches that can be dealt with with tylenol/paracetamol is very unlikely to be PMR-related. It does often deal with steroid-withdrawal pain and probably adrenal insufficiency aches as well.

Half of patients take over 18 months to get to 5mg - so you have done really well. How slowly are you tapering? 1/2mg every 6 to 8 weeks is probably about right at present - if you can do that without any worsening problems I'd say you are on the right track.

[spacevoyager in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. That sounds about right. I am also trying stretching exercises. I think the "pain" is because these muscles have been underused and not stretching. The taper is am doing is 5, 5.5, 5.5, 5.5, 5, 5.5 then 5, 5.5, 5, 5.5, 5.5, 5....etc. I am doing 6 weeks like that till I get to 5. I guess it is the "biggest" taper, in that it is a full 10% lower. I will see how it goes.

[piglette]

Personally if I have any PMR type pain I STOP reducing my dose. If you are having fatigue you can probably blame that on your adrenal glands having to wake up!

[ChinaWuntoo]

I also am on the very slow taper from 5.5 to 5 (after two years and six months) and nearing the end of that cycle, looking forward (I think) to the next slow taper to 4.5

Fatigue is awful, also dizziness and swooning.

But I am content to put up with that as I don't want to go back up again.

I do get quite severe PMR type pain in my buttocks and less severe pain in one shoulder early in the morning when I wake up and this stays until I start moving around when it more-or-less disappears. This may or may not be a type of flare, I don't know, but I'm content to put up with it unless it gets worse.