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Can Pred be used like aspirin in times of stress?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Lee-Colorado
Lee-Colorado

may I use prednisone like aspirin?

I am 70, male, GCA, 4mg with a CRP 1.5 and am currently tapering using the "Dead Slow Method" discussed in this blog. I HATE pills and only use them when necessary. During my life time I have used aspirin only when I have had injuries or other sever aches and pains.

I now find myself using pred in that manner, let me explain. in the last 4 months I have had three episodes of temple pain. The episodes wer once in England when I contracted a sever cold, once after 5 days of painting the barn and just Sunday while going through the cleansing prep for a colonoscopy. When these events occurred, I doubled my normal daily dose for that day and continued on. 

In effect, I am using prednisone like I have used aspirin. I pulled the following data from my prednisone prescription data. Has anyone heard or know of an objection to my use of prednisone?

Patients with known or suspected renal insufficiency, including those already receiving replacement therapy require an increase in dosage or reinstitution of therapy prior to, during and for a time following exposure to stress. 

 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Oregonjohn-UK
    Oregonjohn-UK Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    In one way we do take Mr Fred like aspirin, upping if required or staying on a dose because of circumstances or stress.  This is why I personally stayed at doses for longer periods - to control the symptoms - before commencing any reduction.  If I feel - reading my body - that things are not 'right' I stop and stay at that dose for a week or so.  I have upped only to be told by my GP my SED was up because of something else - we are all different and have to find the best way of 'controlling' our symptoms.

    Best of Luck - John (74)

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy Lee-Colorado

    Posted

    I think the big difference between taking pred and aspirin is that you can just stop taking aspirin without ill effects. Depending on your pred dose and how long you have been taking it, just stopping taking pred could be disastrous.
    • Lee-Colorado
      Lee-Colorado ptolemy

      Posted

      You are correct and I should have been more clear. I usually double the dose of pred for a day, take it real easy and then drop back to my previous level the next day. I listen to my body.

      I now do this because I had a flare and lost vision in May of 2014. I had been bothered by temple pain and dizziness for a few days. After the flair I was ordered to go back to 60mg and I am now at 4mg. Thank G_d for my vision! Do you realize that one's chances of getting PMR/GCA today is 1 in 10(-7)?

    • lodgerUK_NE
      lodgerUK_NE Lee-Colorado

      Posted

      Do you realise by missing one day you are running the risk of another flare and more complications.

      How long have you had GCA and what level of Pred where you on when you lost vision and did that vision come back.

      I had GCA for 5 years and it has been in remission now for nearly 5 years.   I did not mess around with my pred and I had two flares in the first 18 months, the first going back up to 60mg and the second back up to 40mg.

      Please re-think your method of taking your pred.

      Also if you have had GCA for longer than two years, there are certain tests you should have had.  Please can you answer.

    • Lee-Colorado
      Lee-Colorado lodgerUK_NE

      Posted

      November 2013 diagnosed -60mg

      May 2014 relapse during 20-17.5mg taper went back to 60mg.

      entry titled "GCA Relapse" under my user-id

      i keep monthly spread sheet with comments since Nov 2013..

      here are the details of that entry.

      GCA RelapsePosted over a year agoHello, I just suffered a GCA relapse only this time it affected my left eye instead of my right eye. I had previously downlined an article called "BSR and BHPR Guidelines for the management of giant cell arteritis" and I have posted the relapse extracts below. In the past five weeks I had dropped from 20 mg to 17.5 mg and three weeks later I dropped another 2.5 mg. My rhumatoligist follows the taper guidelines posted in the document listed above. When I dropped to 17.5 mg I had headaches and had a CRP test performed, the reading was in normal guidelines. After dropping from 17.5 to 15 I had temple aches but no other symptoms. On Monday the 28, I visited my ruhmatologist on a normally scheduled visit and had the a blood test and CRP performed. I noticed on a business trip at 10.5k ft. altitude that my heart was beating 100 BPM. On 5/3 I temporarily lost vision in my right eye while in Atlanta, GA. and following the relapse recommendations I went to 60 mg and I am rapidly tapering down to 20.

      Looking at relapse recommendations, I should probably have stayed at 20 mg when I had headaches but I do follow Doctor's orders. Why am I blogging this? I. Would like to see if anyone has had a similar experience and what their Dr.'s recommendation was when this happened.

      Relapse Recommendations:

      BSR and BHPR Guidelines for the management of giant cell arteritis: treat with the previous higher glucocorti- costeroid dosage.

      Headache and jaw claudication: treat with 60mg prednisolone.

      >>>>>>>>>>>> diary >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

      Flew to Atlanta - still slight temple ache from drop tp 15 mg prednisone - Glass of white wine in the evening.

      5/3/2014

      Woke up with blurry vision in left eye - felt like temple and eye was swollen took 15mg of prednisone. Binged on sweets cake, rolls, etc in forenoon at reception.

      3 pm - almost total vision loss in left eye - took 30 mg of prednisone

      (Did serious physical work that took a lot of concentration - lost vision in left eye for 20 minutes)

      11 pm - had slightly constipated bowel movement : lost 15% of vision field in left eye. Took 10 mg prednisone

      5/4/2014

      7 am Slight vision focus problem - 20 mg of prednisone 

      1:30 pm vision ok, heart rate on 15mg was 90 BPM now back at standard 64.

      3 pm took 20 mg. It takes 1.5 hrs to take effect and my eyes are feeling weak.

       

    • Lee-Colorado
      Lee-Colorado

      Posted

      It should say "on 5/3 I temporarily lost vision in my left eye" instead of right eye.
    • lodgerUK_NE
      lodgerUK_NE Lee-Colorado

      Posted

      Thank you for the detailed explanation.

      I am now at a loss, not being a medical person but I can tell you my experience and what I  found out was that yo-yoing the dose was a no no. Now this is a personal experience and we are all different.  I have met over the past 8 years

      I had GCA only and did not have PMR.

      It took me  two years to get down to 10mg.  During that time, once I had to go back to 60mg and then reduce slowly, I got to 7.5mg and then had to go back to 40mg and start all over. It took two years to get down to 10mg and then nearly three years to get down to 2mg. Finally coming of pred 5 years down the line  (still in remission 4 years and counting).

      At the end of two years, which you are coming up to in Nov this year, they arranged, as per the BSR Guidelines a test to see if the Aorta and Pulmonary artery was OK. They were.

      I never had a problem with my vision once I started on the 60mg of pred and 75mg of soluble aspirin.  (the latter I continued to take till I developed A/F after six months of being off pred and in remission.)

      I  saw an Opthalmologist Consultant, whom my Rheumatologist sent to me when I was first diagnosed with GCA, then  six monthly checks with an fully trained optician during those five years. 

      Were you recommended to spilt  your dose, like you record in the 5/4/2014 para? 

      I always took my dose as early as possible in the morning (when I woke up say at 5 or 6am with a cuppa and a jam sandwich) and then snuggled down for a couple of hours to give the pred time to work.

      It is likely that none of the above will answer your question - re treating pred like aspirin, but I would recommend you ask for the Aorta and Pulmonary check.

      .

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