Here we go again. Back to 10mg

[ifeelold]

Just had a relapse last week. I was down to 3.5. I tried 4, then 5,then 8. Extreme pain in the mornings getting out of bed and getting dressed. finally called my doctor.

He suggested splitting my dose 5mg morning, 5mg night. Its working well. pain is down all day. now i need to figure how to reduce.

Any suggestions?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Stay on increased dose for 7-10days after then on it depends on whether you want to stay on split doses or back to just one.

If you want to get back to one -then decide which one -and decrease the other -say 2.5mg first drop -stay a couple of weeks, try then try dropping second 2.5mg -so you are on 5mg. Stay there for a couple of weeks, then to 4mg.

If you want to stay on split doses -then drop 1mg from morning/1.5mg evening and follow above timings- when on 5mg - doses will be 3mg morning/2mg evening….

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[ifeelold in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you. I was wondering if 2 mg would be too much at once. but yes i want to get back to where i was .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to ifeelold]

Not in a flare situation... sometimes you can drop straight back down to just above dose where you had issues, but I think it better to try 2 steps... just in case.

Different to a "normal" taper....

[ifeelold in reply to DorsetLady]

thank you.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

And at a guess you would have improved had you gone straight to 10mg. if you flared going from 4 to 3.5mg then you needed to go to 8.5 or 9mg to use the flare approach DL mentions. It almost never works creeping up a mg at a time.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

agree about the creeping!

[Wallysma]

That is what happened to me....I had no real direction except reduce by X on this date...and so on. When I called doc to say hings were bad I was told to go up 2 mgs. BAD IDEA. I wasted weeks.and week a riding that roller coater. So you have to go up enough hngs can get worse....not just unresolved...but worse. I learned this when I came here.

good luck...feel better.