Update on split dose

[Richard170356]

Thanks for the numerous replies to my last post. Picked up a lot of useful information and tried the split dose which improved things a lot. After a week on holiday where I was able to function pretty much as normal I have now reduced to 9mg a day and feel minor discomfort but nothing I would describe as pain. Is this the normal thing with tapering or should I be on a higher dose? I have a twenty week wait for Rheumatology appointment according to hospital in Norwich website so I’m not holding my breath for that. I will try and get appointment with my GP but in meantime would appreciate any advice from the very helpful people on here.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

After a week on holiday where I was able to function pretty much as normal

There maybe lies your answer…. and how long after holiday before you reduced? Lovely as holidays can be, they are still a change in normal day to day living so can upset the applecart - even just a little.

Sometime you get steroid withdrawal for a few days after a reduction… but if it comes on after a week or so it might be just a bit too low a dose. So again how long after reduction did this minor discomfort start?

Might be sensible to return to 10mg for couple of weeks, and then reduce by only 0.5mg a time…

It is early days as well, so no rush….

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As DL says - your stiffness now could be because you haven't recovered from your holiday exertions!!

You are tapering the dose to identify the lowest effective dose - you find that by finding the dose that isn't quite enough - and returning to the last dose where you were good. A little bit of stiffness in the morning is probably OK providing it goes when the next pred dose kicks in but any more than that is not and absolutely not if that discomfort increase over time - which means you need at least a month between drops and preferably longer. Never try to force a dose drop - it will only end in a flare, tears and yoyoing the dose.