Tapering at low dose

[Booch]

I am on Pred over a year tapering from 40 mg to 1. I've followed 10% rule and done fairly well. Few days after taper I get nausea and dizziness and fatigue. I would like to taper from 1 to .75. Only way I can see doing it is cut 1 in half then half again.

Both of my Dr's (gp and rheumy) want me to go to .50 but I am worried. We know more than them.

[SnazzyD]

My doctors were bemused by my reticence towards reducing in jumps they saw as logical. Whether it was psychological or not I noticed 0.25 drop but then at some point I didn’t. I spent a year fiddling about with bits of 1mg’s to get from 1 to zero.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As you’ve reduced from 40mg to 1mg within a year… I wouldn’t be in any rush to be going any lower for time being. The symptoms you describe might be steroid withdrawal, but at such low doses more likely to be adrenals… so stick where you are for now, and give them time to get their act together. Push too hard right now and you may end up with an adrenal crisis so for the sake of a month or two or three, why risk it?

On that subject, and illness-wise many have found that 1mg suited them very nicely but 0.5mg and even 0.75mg didn’t.

The only way to get a 0.25mg dose is to cut 1mg tablets into quarters - and many have done that…

[Booch in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you. I am. having knee replacement 8/27 and my doctor hoped I'd be off it by then. I had Pred since 6/12/23 at 40 so it is a little over a year. Thank you so much. I'll just stay here for a while....

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Booch]

Not sure why some doctors are so twitchy about operations/and low doses of Pred.

Many on here have had replacements on higher -below 5mg is most surgeons preference

Good luck with knee -have you seen this - apologies if I’ve sent it before-

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk....

[Booch in reply to DorsetLady]

THANK YOU. I never saw that! very helpful and encouraging!

[Whippetygirl in reply to DorsetLady]

I had spinal surgery on 10ths no problems.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Whippetygirl]

Good to hear..

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Booch]

I really don't think that 1mg is a problem in that respect - there are people on the forum who have had ops at 10mg and more. And anyway, as a long term steroid patient, the anaesthetist should have you on corticosteroids during the op.