Tapering Guidelines

[tonyevans48]

Currently on 25mg Pred. Where can the best 'official' tapering guidelines be found. Seeing GP in a weeks time and would like to be prepared.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

This is the original go to one, and is on the charity's webpage - and which most others are based on -

pmrgca.org.uk/wp-content/up...

This is a different approach which has proved useful for many -

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

..and this is from NICE - which is taken from the originals -

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/poly...

But to be honest the ‘official’ tapers don’t suit everyone, and the ‘best’ one, is what works for you and your PMR

[Rugger]

You can find a full range of tapers here steroidtaper.azurewebsites....

This was designed by Sandra, who had PMR.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rugger]

Think author meant the tapering stages as suggested in Rheumatology papers rather than the hands on tapering plans/regimes we recommend on here ... but I could be wrong.

[Rugger in reply to DorsetLady]

I did think that myself, but thought it might be a useful link. The plans include all versions of the BSR / BHPR taper guidelines, as well as Quick & Kirwan's regime, DSNS and your very own DL's plan! 🌹

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Rugger]

I know it does... had chats with Sandra back in the day!😊

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There are no official Guidelines, just suggestions based on the literature - and that includes the NICE so-called guidelines that are written by a medical writer on the basis of what they found in the literature.

There are much more recent Recommendations which were arrived at by consensus by a very large group of rheumatologists and published in 2015

ard.bmj.com/content/74/10/1799

These are suggestions for a basis, but every single one I have ever seen includes the caveat that not all patients will do well on these and may benefit from adjustments for the INDIVIDUAL patient. And that is crucial. Unfortunately it is a codicil most doctors ignore for some reason - probably because that would slow the taper and mean the patient is likely to be on pred longer.