Advice re flu jabs

[VickySponge]

What is the thinking about steroid doses when you are booked for a flu jab. I have mine on Monday!! I am currently tapering from 20mg to 10mg with the taper down by 2.5mg every 3 weeks. I drop to 17.5mg this Friday.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

I never tapered just before a significant event -but as it was such a long time ago cannot remember what I did about flu vaccines.

Probably depends whether you consider a vaccine to be a significant event or not.

But I’d probably let the reduction slide for another week.

Others may disagree.

[Kendrew]

I've never increased my steroid dose whenever I've had a vaccination, but I've never been tapering at the same time.

As DL suggested, had I been tapering or about to begin a taper, I would probably delay for a week just to be sure I'd done what I could to potentially avoid any adverse effects.

[VickySponge in reply to Kendrew]

This confirms my thinking too.

[Bcol]

I've never had a problem with jabs, but if they had coincided with a taper I'd have put the taper back a week.

[piglette]

Personally I make sure things go OK with one thing before embarking on anything else.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

You keep taking them as normal. You cannot just stop or even reduce wildly because you have a vaccine coming up. You CAN stop methotrexate for 2 weeks after any vaccine to improve the immune response - but not pred.

I would never change 2 things at once - so wouldn't taper whilst in the process of having a jab either.

[Grammy80]

Prior to this flare I am in, I've never changed anything. Also, I've never had much of a reaction to any vaccine. However, after listening to some of the input from todays monthly support group, I've decided to postpone any vaccines while on 60mg daily. It just isn't worth the risk because.....I just don't need to worry about it. 💞

[Lickle]

I just tapered from 7mg down to 5mg in only 2 weeks and had the RSV vaccine during the same week. If anything it was that following my own feelings that reduced me so quickly. I'm in tune with my body through a certain healing meditation and I woke the other day with a feeling of euphoria as if nothing could go wrong that day and to just relax. So I did, and took a chance to taper another 1mg and 4 days in am feeling ok.

I'm not rushing it but will do another healing meditation before the flu jab booked for a week hence and see how I feel and may try another taper of 0.5 to 1mg and see how it goes. I actually felt quite elated when the last one worked. If that works I'll book the Covid jab next!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Lickle]

Be careful though - if the underlying autoimmune disorder is still active then it can take time for it to register that this isn't enough and not all of the daily inflammation is being cleared out/mopped up, whatever you want to call it. When you are tapering at that speed you may end up in a flare and not having a clue where it went wrong.

[Lickle in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks as always PMRpro, Yes I agree, and I do watch carefully the areas of my body that are inclined to show inflammation & stiffness, having been through the flare a few weeks back. It's like I'm giving the adrenal gland a nudge, to do it's work on the first couple of days. I won't reduce anymore now, the aim being for 3 to 4 weeks until the next reduction.

However, the self-healing meditations that I do, can guide me earlier. I can't explain how to you, but it involves downloading certain colours, but when those turn up on their own later it can show me I'm ready.