Silly Mistake

[Carathedog]

Hi,

I’ve been gradually reducing my preds, was down to 6mg, decided to try 5.5, after being on 6 for about a month. All was going well, I tend to take my dose along with a nerve painkiller around 5/6am. I had mistakenly put a one in my box, instead of a five, which I only noticed after two nights.

Had the worst night ever last night, terrible pains, especially in my legs, ankles and feet, am now back on six, and feeling better already.

Wish they could use different colours for different strengths.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Many have done similar... if boxes are similar then use a marker pen to note the difference doses...

Guess you have a dosette box, so when you sort that out, choose a quiet time when you aren't going to be distracted...

[Carathedog in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you, yes, guess that’s what happened

[PMRpro Ambassador]

What we often suggest is to write the dose on the packet with a thick black marker pen!

[piglette]

The trouble is as they are uncoated it is easier to just produce white ones. The enteric coated ones have pretty colours, red, brown and yellow!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

And the colourings used bring their own problems with them!

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Fluorescent ones would be nice

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

So you can find them in the dark having dropped one?

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly!

[Carathedog in reply to piglette]

Ah fluorescent ones, that would be great 👍

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Carathedog]

Strikes me potentially worse than blue Smarties ...

[piglette in reply to Carathedog]

Flashing fluorescent ones even!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

You're just an exhibitionist ...

[Carathedog in reply to PMRpro]

😂😂

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Wot me??

[Bcol in reply to piglette]

What is equally irritating is that the tablets change in size depending on which make you get. So you get used to one manufacturers sizes and then for a later prescription the chemist is using a different source/supplier and they are different. The 5mg ones aren't always bigger than the 1mg ones. My present 1mg are so small it's virtually impossible to cut them.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

I have that problem with the bisoprolol I get - the cheaper alternative would be to cut a tablet for the 1 1/2 tablet dose but I can barely pick them up never mind cut the darn things!!!

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

Same problem with my Rosuvastatin, at least I don't have to cut them, but they are minute. Their only saving grace is that they are bright pink (at the moment) so at least visible.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

I think all my tablets are white! The pred is very pale yellow, darker for 5mg. through pale for yellow and almost white for 1mg - even side by side you can barely see the difference and the writing on the flat surface is miniscule!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to PMRpro]

At least you have two of these 👀 …🤣😂

[Tiggy70]

Hi, I use dosette boxes and prepare 3 weeks worth of tablets in advance (I’m currently taking 7 prescription medications). When preparing the steroids I remove the 1’s from the foil. The fives I cut around the tablets keeping them in the foil. It’s a bit fiddly taking the 5 out of the foil but it’s a mindfulness thing and it stops me from confusing them! 🌺

[Pandora2 in reply to Tiggy70]

good idea!,👍

[ifeelold]

Ive recently done the same thing. replace a 5mg with a 1mg accidently.. i'm still recovering. up to 15 again just trying to get my pain under control.

[Carathedog in reply to ifeelold]

How long is it taking you, and what were you on when you made the mistake x

[ifeelold in reply to Carathedog]

I was down to 3.5 mg october 15. began to have increased pain. made the mistake of going up by 1, then another 1, and another 1 mg, a few days later when i was on 6 and was still in pain i went to 10 and made an appointment with my doctor. he said stay at 10 a few days and then try to go down 1. didn't work. i'm 3 days at 15 and in extreme knee, back, and shoulder pain... Something is not right... seeing my doctor in 2 hours. 8 out of 10 pain...

Can anyone out there give me some advice for when i go to the doctor.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ifeelold]

Did you have any other symptoms beside PMR-type ones? Are the symptoms now typical PMR - i.e. muscular rather than joints themselves?