Swap from 4mg pred

[AnniesRyder5]

dear all

I have been prescribed 10 mg hydrocortisone swapping from 4mg pred as from yesterday.

things are a bit of a struggle anyway as I’m 3weeks post total reverse shoulder replacement - in a sling for another 3 weeks when more intensive physio will start.

I experienced a bit of a crisis a week ago when my GP doubled the dosage to 8mg for 4 days.

Ironically I’ve since read that with such major surgery the doctor should have increased the pred dosage as a matter of course.

I am apparently being booked in for SSTest at some point.

At this stage I have no idea whether I should expect to have the hydrocortisone tapered as with prednisolone.

I just want to know what to expect.

Many thanks in advance

Ann

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Can’t help on the swap of meds - sorry… but yes it would have been sensible to adjust them with operation.

Just wanted to wish you the best for recovery… been there [well not actually as 1st covid lockdown came into force the week the physio proper should have started]… so it was self help. Never did get any formal physio nor 6-week checkup..

[AnniesRyder5 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Not sure I would be happy about having my medication messed about with so soon after surgery since if you do still have PMR HC won't control the inflammation anything like as well as the pred does - it wears off much faster. That is the feature that means that your adrenal function is more likely to return with HC than with pred.

I'm not sure what endocrinologists do - it may well be a case that if the synacthen test looks OK they taper the HC dose but I don't know.

All the best for your post-surgery recovery.

[AnniesRyder5 in reply to PMRpro]

thank you - trouble is it’s such a grey area with no definitive information- everyone is different with other ailments doing their mischief. I feel I don’t know enough but nor do the actual medical people.

[Carrollee]

Hi. When I was put on hydrocortisone from 4mg of pred I was given 10mg in the morning 5mg at lunch and 5mg late pm. I was told that for every 1mg of pred 5mg of HC was needed to replace it. So I am a bit confused by you just having 10mg 🤷🏼‍♀️ or have I misunderstood.

[AnniesRyder5 in reply to Carrollee]

Hi Carrollee

Yes I’ve been prescribed the same amount

How long were you on it?

[Carrollee in reply to AnniesRyder5]

I have tried it twice and each time the PMR came back so I was back up on the predto 8mg with all the reducing probs. Back to 4mg again and going to go very slowly down on the pred to find out what level the pmr is actually being controlled at. If your pmr has gone altogether it’s not a bad drug to be on, just a pain taking it 3 times a day.

All the best 🤗