thoughts on tapering: Hi , I was diagnosed with PMR... - PMRGCAuk

PMRGCAuk

21,213 members40,224 posts

thoughts on tapering

Fishtacoqueen profile image
9 Replies

Hi , I was diagnosed with PMR in May 2023. I responded to 15 mg prednisone very quickly and have been following a typical monthly reduction of 1 mg. I have had no PMR pain although I seem to be having right shoulder pain which , I believe , is unrelated. The way I have been tapering is by reducing by 1/4 mg. Every week rather than jumping by a whole mg. So far it seems to be working for me and I am currently at 4 3/4 mg.

Does anyone see any problems with this method?

Maybe I have just been lucky up until now. I also think my PMR may have been triggered by Covid vaccines..which may be a reason I am able to (so far) reduce without much issue.

any thoughts or ideas ??

Thanks for all the great advice and insights I have gained from this site. You are all amazing.

Best of the season to you all🎄

Written by
Fishtacoqueen profile image
Fishtacoqueen
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
9 Replies
PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

None at all - if it is working! That is the test! I think @HeronNS did something similar at the start and it worked well for her.

I think I would consider now going to 1/4mg every 2 weeks perhaps - the lower you get, the closer you are to the dose you are seeking - the lowest effective dose - that is, if your PMR hasn't already gone away! I in 5 are said to be able to stop pred in a year or less so it is possible. Really you need more than a week to be sure the new dose is enough and when you just keep going, you may suddenly find symptoms reappearing and you don;t really know where it went pearshaped.

You have been very very luck to get from 15 to under 5 in under 9 months - did your PMR start after having the Covid jab. it happens and those patients do seem to get a short version.

SnazzyD profile image
SnazzyD

I went for the smaller more frequent drops too. One person’s successful taper is another’s high road to pain because every disease trajectory is different. If it works for you there’s nothing wrong is there?

SheffieldJane profile image
SheffieldJane

If it works for you, then carry on. 🍀

Grammy80 profile image
Grammy80

The tortoise wins the prize in this game. Good for you, patience pays off.❣️

Bcol profile image
Bcol

All sounds good at the moment, so no real need/reason to change. However, the last few mg usually seem to be the hardest to get through, so may be worth slowing things down a little , perhaps 0.5mg every four weeks and see how things go. My 1.0mg tablets are so small I'm not sure I could cut them into 4!

Timek profile image
Timek

This is interesting as mine started after covid jab...icing on cake after being under pressure for a while! Ive been on 15mg pred for 8 wks and worked well. Yesterday dr stared tapering...12mg from today. Now wondering if thats too swift? Any help/ advice welcome. Or should I go with it and see what happens?

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply toTimek

That is a fairly typical taper used by medics though 15/12,5/10 is more common.. It may or may not be too fast - depends on the person. If it works, good, you get down the pred quickly. If it doesn't, go back to 15, let it settle down and do smaller steps, 1mg at a time. And don't let them rush you, 1mg every 3 weeks is quite fast enough!

LabradorH profile image
LabradorH

I agree with your idea of 1/4 mg. decreases. I have found that below 1 mg. I have needed to slow the 1/4 mg. drop to about every 3 weeks. That’s in my experience this fall. Yes, best of the season 🌲 to all.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

Please take your email down - they should not be put on open forum.

You can send it to someone using the chat function which is private messages just for the person/s they are sent to,

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

Tapering Detail

I have a question regarding tapering. I was diagnosed with PMR quickly by my GP in June 2022. I am...
LabradorH profile image

PMR for 2.5 years tapering

Hi, I'm 70 and have pmr for two and 1/2 years. I started with 20 mg of pred and tapered too fast...
jes46 profile image

Tapering

How gently should I taper? Last Fall I was started on 15 mg and tapered 5mg a week and was a...
Jane424 profile image

Big flare up while tapering slowly or...

Hello dear support group.It's a great comfort to be able to read about other's problems with...

Tapering the Preds!!!!

I was diagnosed with PMR in November last year ( had it longer than that though) and have been on a...
66Mac profile image

Moderation team

SophieMB profile image
SophieMBPartner

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.