How early should I take pred in the morning?

[sferios]

Hi everyone,

I've been taking my pred around 7am every morning. However, for the past month I've been going to sleep earlier (9 pm) and waking up earlier (5 am).

So . . . Should I take my prednisone earlier?

To clarify, I'm down to 7.5 mg (8 and 7 on alternating days) and I want to wake up my adrenals as best as I can. Will it help this process if I take the pred at 5 am instead of waiting until 7 am?

A similar question... some nights I don't sleep well, and I am awake at 4am. Is it better to take the pred as soon as I wake up no matter what time that is? Or always take it at the same time no matter when I wake up?

Thanks!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is best to take it regularly at about the same time. Is the 7am timing working well for the PMR?

The inflammatory substances are shed in the body about 4-4.30am. The ideal time to deal with that is to take plain prednisone at 2am, then the pred level is at its maximum for 4am and the inflammation never gets a hold. This is also an ideal time to take pred with regard to adrenal function - the half life of pred is about 3 to 4 hours, all pred is out of the body after 5 1/2 half lives or a maximum of about 20 hours. The trigger for the body to produce its own cortisol is a low level about midnight - which that achieves. That said, the level of pred at midnight is pretty low at these doses even if you take it at 7am - but if you are always awake at 5am, it would be even better.

Does that all make sense?

[sferios in reply to PMRpro]

That does make sense. Thank you. I think I will continue to take it at 7am. (Sometimes I do manage to sleep in until 6:30.)

As for the PMR (or whatever inflammation was causing the myalgia), I haven't had symptoms in many months. Both my rhuemys think I actually never had PMR, but rather a new type of "mRNA vaccine induced myalgia." (Of course, I realize they could be wrong, and I could get symptoms at any time while tapering, so I am being cautious.)

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to sferios]

PMR isn't the disease - it is the name to a set of symptoms that are triggered by something, not always the same thing, that sends the immune system wild and deranged so it attacks your body in error. mRNA vaccine or flu vaccine, shingles vaccine, illness, stress, whatever it was caused YOUR PMR symptons - the result is the same, and as I said before, they are just trying to sound clever,

[sferios in reply to PMRpro]

Holy cow! I remember you saying this before (PMR is not a disease), but I think I just now finally understood it.

But if that's the case, then the set of symptoms we call PMR could vary tremendously between people. It could also resolve at extraordinarily different rates between between people.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to sferios]

Your comments are spot on... that's what makes it difficult when doctors think "one size fits all!"

Unfortunately all too common as we know from comments on here.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to sferios]

Exactly ...