Extra pred worked: So.....yesterday (Fri 20th Oct... - PMRGCAuk

PMRGCAuk

20,342 members38,113 posts

Extra pred worked

Kendrew profile image
91 Replies

So.....yesterday (Fri 20th Oct) my son and now DIL, were married.

I took an extra 2mgs of prednisolone the day before & yesterday, and had the most incredible day. I was even on the dance floor strutting my stuff at 11.45pm!

Just an extra 2mgs (and careful 'pacing') allowed me to embrace every moment without stiffness or pain and enjoy all the celebrations of the day to the fullest.

The rheumatologist was not happy about me doing this but the consequences of doing so gifted me one of the happiest days of my life full of joy & love and a day I'll never forget.

It pays to listen to that little voice inside sometimes.

Written by
Kendrew profile image
Kendrew
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
91 Replies
DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer

Good news, and lovely to hear you had such a fantastic day…🌸

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to DorsetLady

Thankyou

Evercurious profile image
Evercurious

I like your strong “ little” voice! A day full of joy is wonderful.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Evercurious

Thankyou

Greensleeves profile image
Greensleeves

Congratulations to your gorgeous son and daughter in law dear Kendrew .

You’ve done so well, I’m so happy you made it through, even far better than expected ❤️.

Love and hugs to you all ❤️ xx

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Greensleeves

Thankyou ❤

Pangolin43 profile image
Pangolin43

Good for you Kendrew. I agree about the inner voice 😀

Charlie1boy profile image
Charlie1boy

Fantastic! Really pleased for you. I know you have been looking forward to that day for a long time.

I am a big believer in taking a small amount of extra pred for such occasions; in my case, it was usually for flying, but also any possibly stressful social evants

Well done. 👍

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Charlie1boy

Thankyou ❤

yogabonnie profile image
yogabonnie

I cannot love this post enough! Congratulations 🎉🍾 and bravo to you❤️

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to yogabonnie

Thankyou yogabonnie. ❤

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

Good, And stuff a rheumy who can't think out of the box.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to PMRpro

Here, here.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Kendrew

Reading the rest of the comments - what on earth makes her think that 4mg extra over 2 days is the end of the world?

SnazzyD profile image
SnazzyD

Hooray! I’m sorry, but my first impulse is to stick 2 fingers to them. It isn’t as if you bumped up 10mg for weeks is it? Perhaps they haven’t been in position to make the choice between a life affirming gift and a few mg for a few days knowing it isn’t supported.

Merryfield profile image
Merryfield

Congratulations and what a beautiful memory you will have thanks to the 2 mgs.

SheffieldJane profile image
SheffieldJane

So glad this little gamble worked so well!

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to SheffieldJane

Illustrates beautifully how sometimes small changes can make a big difference! ❤

Bcol profile image
Bcol

Fabulous news, so pleased it all went so well. Think you already know my views about your Rheumy!! Xx

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Bcol

Yes. Thankyou ❤

Cat33 profile image
Cat33

That's a fantastic post so pleased for you Good for you to decide to take just that little bit more and have such an amazing day

What a shame your rheumatologist couldn't see what that day has meant to you Would he or she have preferred you to report back that you were in lots of pain and didn't enjoy the day 🤨

Memories to keep for life now x

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Cat33

Absolutely.

herdysheep profile image
herdysheep

Oh well done in your thoughts and planning. So glad it paid off. As ever, quality of life is all. Nothing can take away the memories but something might have stopped you having them. Brilliant

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to herdysheep

My thoughts completely. As probably one of the most special days in my life, I was always going to do whatever I could to embrace it to the fullest.

Jackoh profile image
Jackoh

Yes you were so right! QOL trumps!! X

X 💐

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Jackoh

👍

MamaBeagle profile image
MamaBeagle

So pleased you had a wonderful day...and a good "bop" I'm sure the endorphins that released gave you a real buzz!

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to MamaBeagle

❤ Thankyou

RachelJDH profile image
RachelJDH

I am so thrilled for you. These unique events in our lives should be enjoyed. 🤩👍

Meggsy profile image
Meggsy

That’s wonderful! Now you can sit back and relax. 🌻

prunus profile image
prunus

Great to know you had a wonderful day.

5lupins profile image
5lupins

lovely to hear you had such a beautiful day. The memories will stay with you forever. 🌸🌸🌸

Mfaepink1973 profile image
Mfaepink1973

Fabulous and well done you! I’m so glad you had such a happy day and were able to enjoy it to the max thanks to 2 extra mg of pred

greengages profile image
greengages

That’s fabulous news Kendrew, because you listened to your intuition you now have wonderful memories of the day. Wishing them both the very best of health and happiness 🙏

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to greengages

Thankyou ❤

MDT1 profile image
MDT1

What a wonderful post to start my day. Well done for owning your treatment and listening to your body- we DO know ourselves better than the docs!! Oh, and congratulations 🎊 ❤️

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to MDT1

Thankyou...and yes!.. we do!

Ridge profile image
Ridge

Your post is an inspiration and I’m so so glad you took matters in hand to make sure you were able to enjoy such a special day. Your enjoyment gives all your family such pleasure too.

As I enter my 5th year of this PMR journey your post and a friend’s attitude re pred has finally highlighted the fact that we have the means by which to make sure special occasions and holidays are managed and not spoilt. Of course we all want off pred and it’s side effects. We don’t need GPS or Rheumys to be ridged. Mine aren’t, the ridged person was me!!

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Ridge

I completely agree. I was definitely feeling compromised as to whether I should or shouldn't follow my gut instinct but I felt that all the advice & knowledge I've gained here really pointed to only one thing..... that increasing by 2mgs for a short period would have a way bigger advantage than disadvantage.

Poshdog profile image
Poshdog

How wonderful - what a lovely post to wake up to, well done xx

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Poshdog

Thankyou ❤

Stills profile image
Stills

Happy for you x

Koalajane profile image
Koalajane

I am so glad you had such a wonderful day and even managed to dance x

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Koalajane

Me too...I love dancing . My son had a special dance with me to a Maria Carey song he loved as a little boy and I used to dance to with him on my hip. He'd organised it specially. I was so touched.Haha!... I definitely didn't have him sat on my hip this time though!!

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kendrew

Just as long as you didn’t sit on his either 😳…

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to DorsetLady

😄 🤣 No!

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kendrew

Pleased to hear it, that may have been a tad too far..😏... but so glad you had such a lovely time...good memories.

powerwalk profile image
powerwalk in reply to Kendrew

Thats so sweet, brought tears to my eyes. Xxx when occasion happens my son is always straight over to me for music/dance as we both share such a passion for music. Rare now as he lives abroad. But you never forget.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to powerwalk

Special moments make happy memories. 😊

Oscardoggy profile image
Oscardoggy

What an uplifting post this is. Glad you had a great time. My son is getting married soon and rather than looking forward to it I have been stressing, asking myself " how will I possibly manage the whole day" This post has answered my question. I think this is the way to go and will definitely take extra. I am currently on 7 mgs and have been 'stuck' for almost 12 months. What was your original dose and did you go straight back to your original dose after the 2 days?

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Oscardoggy

On the run up to the wedding I really paced myself and ensured I was eating healthily and resting as much as possible

I was on 3mgs, so on the day before the wedding I increased the dose by 2mgs up to 5mgs daily. I've taken 5mgs for a total of 3dys and today I'll reduce by ½mg daily till I'm back down to my 3mgs again.

Oscardoggy profile image
Oscardoggy in reply to Kendrew

Thank you so much for that. I will increase and look forward to the day.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Oscardoggy

Hope you have the same successful outcome and a wonderful day too.

Viv54 profile image
Viv54

Good for you, !!

Missus835 profile image
Missus835

Oh Kendrew I'm so glad to hear this great news. Kudos to you listening to that inner voice. Well done you and stuff that rheumy.🌹

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Missus835

😄 Thankyou

Decsgran profile image
Decsgran

So pleased you had such a brilliant day!

crazylady57 profile image
crazylady57

Good on you kendrew I know they don't like it, but sometimes you have to weigh it up. I took extra when I went to Turkey this year. After having acute sciatica since January, plus my RA, I needed a good time. It worked. Enjoyed every minute, back to my normal dose now.

Sophiestree profile image
Sophiestree

that's lovely to hear. So pleased. 👏👏👏

Orangecakes profile image
Orangecakes

Happy for you that you had such an enjoyable and memorable day. Yes, agree listen to your inner voice. Well done. 🙂

Paulagcl profile image
Paulagcl

From what I've been seeing on this site, a lot of people do that. Sounds like you had a wonderful day!!!

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Paulagcl

One of the best days of my life.

Nightingales profile image
Nightingales

Congratulations and well done for taking charge of your physical and mental health needs. How unempathetic your drs was. Do they not understand how much we need these good moments in our lives?

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Nightingales

They don't have to live with the condition do they! Might change their perspective on things if they did!

Paulagcl profile image
Paulagcl

So many replies to this, all of us applauding you! The drs themselves haven't dealt with this in their own body. The best day of your life is worth everything! We have just one life!!!

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Paulagcl

We're all facing different challenges with this condition..... some more serious than others. I just wanted to show that it can in some circumstances be possible to manage a situation like this and enjoy yourself.

It's not necessarily a foregone conclusion that you won't be able to enjoy yourself.

singingloud profile image
singingloud

Bravo!

Viveka profile image
Viveka

So pleased you had a wonderful day. Why would your rheumy possibly object to such a minimal increase. 6mg over 3 days then a small amount extra as you taper back. In the scheme of things it is absolutely nothing, but helped you so much. What was their objection - if they deigned to express it. If they couldn't come up with a valid reason (that would convince the forum) they are another pseudo-doc.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Viveka

You don't even need to taper with such a short increase!

Viveka profile image
Viveka in reply to PMRpro

Absolutely, but I think K said she was going to stage going back down a bit.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Viveka

Just shows it pays not to tell rheumies everything!!!

Viveka profile image
Viveka in reply to PMRpro

They live in a different world. I had a reasonable scepticism of docs before GCA experiences but thought they got it right more often than wrong, but now I double check everything they say.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Viveka

Some of them do indeed!! Even my superb guy, possibly one of the most knowledgeable about PMR in the world besides Sarah Mackie, has his moments!!! SM suggested to me recently she might be a bad rheumy - if only she knew some of the truly bad ones!!!

Viveka profile image
Viveka in reply to PMRpro

That type of humility is the basis for a great rheumy. Not being an arrogant s*** should be a criterion for being accepted on medical school. Our illness is so complicated, even the best make mistakes. RH took me down the wrong path for a while, but he sorted it quickly when we realised.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Viveka

Couldn't agree more!!! And the other mark is when they get it wrong and admit it. What did Rod miss?

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Viveka

The argument was vague and included a 'lecture' on,- tapering off pred asap.

Well that's nothing new!!

- concern over the length of time I've been on pred.

Again, not enough understanding of life with PMR/GCA

- a refusal to possibly believe that I actually know what I'm talking about!

Rheumatologists and GP's seem to dislike patients who self-advocate

Viveka profile image
Viveka in reply to Kendrew

As I thought. Unable to do the simple math that in the scheme of things 6mg extra is SFA. Is probably incapable of independent thought. Possibly poorly trained robot. Find a new one?

I feel very vitriolic and would love to swear, but I think HU will block me.

BtW, K, you answered a question I was going to ask re: christmas night out, so thanks. A shade extra to keep the show on the road, I think.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply to Kendrew

Can you pm me the name? Having a discussion with SM about what to do to try and improve things. Keeping patients away from that sort of rheumy would be a start!!!!!

Fries profile image
Fries

That is such good news! So happy to hear that you enjoyed your day - I am sure it did you far more good! I don't understand some of the medics. It should be a mutual decision between the rheumatologist and yourself. Then you should have the final decision - sometimes you may have to disobey / ignore the Rheumatologist's advice. After all it was only for a few days and it worked! Such an important occasion. You always regret the things you don't do in life. It was worth the risk. Well done you and all who have advised you. After a roller coaster ride myself since June. Sometimes one step forward two steps back . Reaching depair, depression etc. I am hoping I have turned a corner (fingers tightly crossed). Good luck to you and all who suffer. I will update in the future if indeed I have turned the corner or not.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Fries

Fingers crossed for you. This takes time so keep on going.

123-go profile image
123-go

Your post has just come into my inbox (Daily Digest)! You already know how delighted I am that the beautiful day-and evening-you’d been looking forward to for weeks and months went so well. Lots of love xxx

Tiggy70 profile image
Tiggy70

So pleased to hear you had a wonderful day and have all those treasured memories. You’ve given hope to us all that with the right preparation we can enjoy those special days x🌸

sidra1968 profile image
sidra1968

Wonderful news!

AmberAliona profile image
AmberAliona

I’m surprised at your Rheumy. Mine encourages me to do as much as possible as well as “re jigging” my Pred on occasion.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to AmberAliona

I'm not that surprised to be honest. Xx

annieg1890 profile image
annieg1890

Totally with you on this.. i.moved house this weekend and couldn't have done it without a couple of mg's on the side 😅

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to annieg1890

👍

Gossiplady profile image
Gossiplady

Well done Kendrew! I am so pleased for you. As you say, the little voice is the most important part of our daily lives.

Kendrew profile image
Kendrew in reply to Gossiplady

❤ absolutely.

Anic profile image
Anic

Congrats to the newly weds and well done to you. Its a good strategy to know, thank you.

Hunter134 profile image
Hunter134

Congratulations to your son and new Dil.I would have done the same thing you did at such a memorable time.Good for you❤️‍🩹💖

You may also like...

Extra pred smidge ok?

back from a two day trip that was fairly hectic. Any harm (or good) in taking an extra milligram or...

A little extra pred in certain circumstances.

take an extra mg while flying as travel days are extra strenuous. I also took an extra mg the...

EXTRA GCA (pred side effects)

course last he whole day and spoils things for myself and my husband. What I mean by extra! is that...

Weight gain: Pred or extra food?

On Pred 15mg for 2 weeks - early days but need to know about putting on weight. I just lost 2 stone...

Extra pred for early morning swim

the Autumn Equinox! My question is should I take extra pred and earlier to deal with this? I am...