Staying on low dose for ever?

[Temoral]

Hi Everyone, I am on 3mg/2.75mg taper. Could anyone tell me what the advantages of tapering below 5mg, as opposed to just staying on 4 or 5 indefinitely where you feel better....tapering vs QOL really. Had synth test and adrenal function was good when I was on 3mg. So very fatigued and headachey..and a bit miserable , and then feeling guilty as I am better than many others....is it worth it?

[agingfeminist]

I so sympathsise with you. I remember so fondly how much better I felt on 5mg than on lower doses...now on 1 mg and adreanls definitely perking up...people on here say it can take 6mths to a year after you stop pred to be back to nomral adrenal function.

There are other side effects of the pred...many do get stuck at 5mg but if you can perhaps aim very slowly for a lower dose....

I have steroid induced muscle myopathy and am told maybe when I get off them it will slowly improve.

If the PMR allows you to reduce it seems a good idea...the pred (even at 5mg) does have a negative impact (for some of us) on all sorts of things....but do reduce very slowly using one of the schedules recommended here.

[Temoral in reply to agingfeminist]

Thanks...I know it's a case of slow and sure wins the race.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you are struggling at 3mg it is a good dose to rest at for a while and give your body a chance to catch up. Return of cortisol production by the adrenals isn't a light switch moment - it is a slow and sometimes wobbly process that may take many months at each stage of reduction and even up to a year after you are successfully off pred altogether. But while I am likely to be at 5mg for life, it would be nice to aim for something less. But not at the expense of quality of life.

[Temoral in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro....I know I need to pace myself, even tho my syth test gave a very healthy reading...which of course meant the Rheumy saw the green light for tapering...and after a discussion he agreed to me taking my time. The old advice of repeating each stage for extra weeks is where I need to go, and sit a little longer at 3mg.