Burst of energy?

Brilliant. I hope the rejuvenation was long lived!

It was a junior hospital doctor who asked if I was on a statin. My GP then suggested I stop them in an effort to see if they were causing the PMR. As I said, the jury's still out on that. I'm now down to 12mgs Prednisolone. You ask if I see a difference, all I can say is I'd forgotten what it was to feel well, which I do now whatever the reason. Keep up the tennis!

 

So glad you feel much better. As for the Simvastatin, one of the side effects as listed in the patient notification is Polymyalgia Rheumatica! I mean, who would actually choose to swallow something that can actually be to blame? 

I was actually told about simvastatin problems with steroids by someone who worked for Pfizer the manufacturer, so I assumed he knew more than most!

That's interesting. Was the reference to Simvastatin causing problems that  meant people having to go on steroids or advice against being on statins and steroids at the same time? Or even possibly both?

 

He was talking about being on steroids and simvastatin at the same time. As an employee I suppose he is not going to criticise it too much though.

Thanks. My GP told me no one is started on Simvastatin these days, the statin of choice being Atorvastatin. I was on Simvastatin for 15 years not for having high cholesterol but hypertension as an added safeguard. I will resist returning to it.

I wonder if the fact that the price of Atorvastatin dropped by 93% at the end of the patent had anything to do with it! Or am I being cynical. 

We'll blow me down. I didn't know that. Yes, there's our answer.

I do have a query. I've gone from 15mgs Pred to 12mgs, due to taper to 10 in a couple of weeks. At what point do my adrenals play up? I've read that uf functioning normally, they produce 7.5 mgs Cortisol daily.

 

When you get to around 7.5mg of pred your adrenal glands will have to think about coming back from holiday. It does make people more tired. They reckon at around 5mg you should stay on that dose for a few months to ensure that further reductions go smoothly. 

I hope your reduction to 10mg goes well, the rule of thumb is not to reduce more than 10% at any one time. 

I had to do that going from 15 to 12. GP says Prednisolone doesn't come in halves. Thanks very much for all your advice.

There are 2.5 mg tabs. I have them

What type of tablets do you have? The uncoated ones can be cut. Some people even cut the 1mg into quarters! My rheumie started me on 20mg and only gave me 5mg tablets, he did not tell me there were any others. He wanted me to reduce to 15mg then 10mg. It was a disaster. 

In the words of Victor Meldew, I don't believe it. I've just looked at the pills and the 5s at least are scored so obviously I could have gone from 15 to 12.5. I hadn't even looked because GP said they didn't come in halves. I'll be pointing that out next time.

thank you Sheilamac. The 5s are scored and obviously could become 2.5. I hadn't checked as GP had prescribed 12. It's pretty hopeless really.

Looks like yours are uncoated. Mine were coated so I could not cut them. One does wonder about some doctors. You should be able to get smaller ones than 5mg I would have thought.

I've checked. The 5s are scored but the 1s aren't. 

Are they white and labelled uncoated? 

I have warning for you linfran! You are dropping pred VERY fast and you have only been on it for a month - I hate to say it but I don't think it's going to work in your best interest!

Please do some more reading/research and get your head around how long and how slow you have to take and reduce pred when treating PMR!

With PMR you can't just take a few pills and get better - it doesn't work like that. You have a chronic illness, one that will take at LEAST a year - more likely longer - for you to recover - some people still have it 10 years later.

 

Hi FlipDover, I'm following the template from my GP. I have done an awful lot of research into PMR, believe me. I understood that the general idea is to be on the lowest dose for the shortest time but that if symptoms recur at any stage, you should return to the dose at which you were symptom free. I'm sure I have yet to reach that and realise I am no way out of the woods. 

Thank you for your advice though. 

Hi linfran, my rheumie got me to reduce 5mg from 20mg after three weeks as per Rheumatological guidelines. I think in my case that was too much, too fast, particularly as my ESR was still up in the nineties. I think as a rule of thumb it is suggested to reduce to 12.5mg from 15mg after six weeks and then to 10mg after another six weeks. A friend of mine reduced from 15mg to 10mg after a week with no problems. If it works for you carry on.

I need to apologise  - I was really unwell yesterday and shouldn't have been allowed to talk to anyone! lol

 

You didn't need to apologise but apologies accepted. Better day today for you, let's hope.