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How long can you increase the pred dose and then reduce to previous dose safely?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Reeceregan
Reeceregan

Hi all,

Have managed to reduce from 50mg (GCA and PMR) to 8mg, Unfortunately I have had my first Prolia injection 8.2.18 for severe osteoporosis and after about 10 days started to get the old shoulder\hip pain and sore arms and leg, etc, However the side effects of Prolia can be the same as PMR symptoms so in order to work out whether I wa now having pred withdrawals, PMR/GCA flare from going too low, on new drug side effects, I incresaed pred to 15 mg two days ago with very little relief. Can I now go straight back to my original 8mg after two days on 15 or should I give it a bit longer on 15 then reduce slower e.g.1mg a month. . PS: I’ve been using the DSNS method to get to 8mg and have been on 8 for about 5 weeks as I wasnt game to drop till I worked out what was causing the relapse...which I suspect is Prolia. 

0 likes, 32 replies

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  • Reeceregan
    Reeceregan

    Posted

    Thank you very very much everyone for your invaluable knowledge and help. I really don’t know how I’d get through all this without you. Dealing with PMR/GCA was going well but this knocked that on the head. I’m in a slight state of shock at the moment after digesting this and yes Anhaga, I honestly don’t think either my primary doctor nor my rheumatologist are aware of this factor ( of what happens when you go off it) because I asked them both that question before I started and both of them said you go off it, it stays in your system for roughly another 18 months , then thats it, you’re much more  improved.  Obviously, there are things I have to do along the way to help myself and most of those I had  already been doing before my Dexa showed my -4 t score, and of course I’ve changed my exercise regime for more suitable resistance exercise and I now use a weighted vest, ankle and arm weights. I’ve really been a very good girl in my past as far as a healthy lifestyle goes...it didn’t do me much good it seems. Oh well...I still wake up every morning above ground, got to be thankful for that. 
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Reeceregan

      Posted

      I thought I'd lived a healthy life, too.  In retrospect I think what saved me from worse results was the nature of my work as I was going through menopause.  This was when I got my job in the library.  I started out as a book shelver.  Although I also got another job within a year as a readers' advisor I continued to shelve books as well for seven years.  This meant lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, stretching for ten or more hours a week.  Even at the time I thought this was a good activity for me, and I also took a good calcium supplement.  

      It would be interesting to know if the rebound effects from discontinuing denosumab can be slowed down or eliminated by these means.  If they can be it would be great because then people could benefit from the medication without having to worry about what might happen when they come off it.  

    • Reeceregan
      Reeceregan Anhaga

      Posted

      My job for the last 18 years required me to go up and down a long flight of stairs into my office...where I sat for minimum 8 hours but those stairs were a killer. Especially when I badly sprained an ankle and had to do it on crutches. One would think my muscles and bone density just from that would have at least helped! And my diet was full of dairy because I love all milk and cheeses etc. and although I don’t eat fish I have always taken fish oil capsules, extra calcium as I got older ...to ward off osteoporosis...you can see how that worked for me. The only thing I didn’t take prior to PMR/GCA last year and osteoporosis diagnosis was D3 and K2. Oh well...

      ​

    • EileenH
      EileenH Reeceregan

      Posted

      For me I put it down to being overweight all my life having helped...
    • Reeceregan
      Reeceregan EileenH

      Posted

      Hahahah   I  love your sense of humour...I remember you telling me that once before on another discussion, 😂

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Reeceregan

      Posted

      Could have been low Vitamin D, although one will never know.  I do wish our respective medical systems would place the emphasis on maintaining good health rather than trying to put us together after we're broken.  Did a doctor ever tell you when a young woman how you should look after your bones?  Me neither.

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