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Prednisone and/or prednisolone

Posted , 4 users are following.

philoso4
philoso4

Has anyone been taking prednisolone and changed to prednisone? If so, what was the regimen to make the change? Also, was there a noticeable difference in direct effects or side effects?

0 likes, 24 replies

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  • ptolemy
    ptolemy philoso4

    Posted

    I just took prednisolone one day and prednisone the next.
    • philoso4
      philoso4 ptolemy

      Posted

      Thanks, ptolemy. When you transitioned what was your dosage of Prednisolone? Did you notice any difference?
    • philoso4
      philoso4 ptolemy

      Posted

      And noticed no difference in your stiffness or pain between prednisolone and prednisone?
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy philoso4

      Posted

      I found reduction easier, but the tablets were quite new ones with special coating. 
  • ptolemy
    ptolemy philoso4

    Posted

    Why are you having to change? Prednisone gets converted to prednisolone by the liver. 
    • philoso4
      philoso4 ptolemy

      Posted

      My medrol (methylprednisolone) is not available in 1mg tablets and prednisone is. So slow reductions are more difficult with medrol.

      Do you mind telling me what your current dosage of prednisone is? My medrol is 8mg - equivalent to 10mg prednisone.

    • linfran
      linfran philoso4

      Posted

      sorry, I now realise you were asking Ptolemy, not me.
    • philoso4
      philoso4 linfran

      Posted

      Not a problem. For information, if anyone is interested, I'm active with some stiffness but hardly any pain unless I really do heavy lifting or such.

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy philoso4

      Posted

      I have had a lot of side effects from the steroids, they did seem to reduce when I swapped though, but that may have been due to reduction. I had taken virtually no drugs throughout my life before pred, I had never even had paracetamol or an anti biotic. I wonder if that is why I had so many side effects.
  • linfran
    linfran philoso4

    Posted

    Do we know why some people are prescribed Prednisolone rather than Prednisone? I know the difference is connected with what the liver does but wonder how the decision is made in the first pls e.
    • philoso4
      philoso4 linfran

      Posted

      I do not know the answer. My primary physician started me with medrol but a rheumatologist wants me to change. His only reason seems to be the availability of 1mg tablets for prednisone.
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy linfran

      Posted

      It does seem to be related to where you live to a certain extent.  UK offer prednisolone and the US prednisone in general for PMR.  Maybe it is also related to price negotiation with the different drug companies. 
    • philoso4
      philoso4 ptolemy

      Posted

      I'm in US, so medrol was apparently an unusual choice.

    • linfran
      linfran ptolemy

      Posted

      That's interesting. All I know is that the liver doesn't have to convert anything with the Prednisolone. The job's been done. 

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy linfran

      Posted

      That is what my brother said, prednisolone saves my liver, so I can have an extra glass of wine! Perhaps I should not have changed!!
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