How often do you increase a dose for a few days?
Posted , 12 users are following.
another question, please bear with me. how often do you find it necessary to pop up your pred dose for a few days? once a year? every few months? more often? just curious, as ive struggled ever since my winter bout with bronchtiis that i posted a lot about. im currently at 5, started there in january. but it seems like as time goes on, im getting more intolerant of the least bit of increased activity. also i have severe allergies--right now trees and grass pollen are at the highest they can go. my stiffness and soreness is prevalent in the mornings, lessening by mid afternoon--it takes a long time evidently for me to absorb pred--uncoated. and im not one of the "lucky ones"--ive never ever been pain free with pmr.
any thoughts? im hoping to see what other people do--yes, i know about "you need what you need", im trying to find out how often others find it necessary to increase for a few days without putting themselves in a yo-yo situation. by the way, for reference, i just imcreased for a few days after easter, the baking and all day gathering did me in. i also increased in february due to the bronchtisis. thank you.
0 likes, 13 replies
BettyE Twopies
Posted
I had two episodes of PMR, first lasted three years and the second for five.
First episode
Started on 30 mgs. and all ok until I got down to 10
back to 12.5 for 6 days then all ok until:
at 4.5 went back to 6 for 11 days all ok until:
at 4 went back to5 for 10 weeks ( GP's direction ) all ok until:
1.75 went back to 3 for 2 weeks. Then progressed to zero and all well for 5 years.
Second episode
Started on 15 (Same GP said we'd be" less aggressive" this time. )
All ok until 8 when I reacted to Allendronic Acid, was given penicillin in case it was a chest infection. Even worse reaction so back to 20 on hospital instructions for 7 days
All ok until down to 4. Told to go back to 10 but couldn't tolerate side effects so back to 4 and proceeded to zero with no more trouble.
This was six years ago and still all well!!
Twopies BettyE
Posted
interesting--thanks. glad all is well now, just what i like to hear.
Joydeck Twopies
Posted
You write, "I've never ever been pain free with PMR." How dreadful. Would your pain level reduce were you to increase pred for a week by, say, a couple of mg?
I am <u>entirely</u> pain-free unless I taper too quickly, forget a dose or, as I did earlier this month, muddle up some other white fragment with pred. When that happens, I increase pred a few mg and taper back to the original dose in a week or two. Then I am again pain-free.
Twopies Joydeck
Posted
I was not pain free with the starting dose--always stiff and sore. im currently at 5--so even if i popped it all the way up to starting dose, id still be stiff and sore. its better as the day wears on--currently im on split dose, but doesnt matter--for me, neither way seems to be best . ive read many times that some of us just arent pain free. some days are worse than others--as i posted previously, ive increased a couple times this spring--spring is a misersble time for me with allergies--they seem to exacerbate my pmr--which got me to wondering how often others find it necessary to increase their pred for a few days.
ptolemy Joydeck
Posted
Joy you are very lucky. Most people are never 100% pain free. They reckon if you can get at least 70% relief from the pred that is good news.
Twopies ptolemy
Posted
yes. i had consult with rheumy 2 months after starting pred. he said, "oh, youve got it bad then," as i still had considerable soreness in my left arm and i was stiff and sore all over. it eases in the afternoon but never goes away.
Joydeck ptolemy
Posted
I read on the forum of many who <u>are</u> pain-free. Good luck <i>is</i> a <font color=”#0000CD″>blessing</font>.
Joydeck Twopies
Posted
For the first two months, I too had pain, but splitting the dose gave me 24 hours relief instead of just 9 hours, beginning late in the afternoon. You seem much the same.
I'm back on a single dose now but, at 10 mg, I was splitting 40:60, with most in the evening. What is your current split?
Twopies Joydeck
Posted
5 mg, 3-2 split, 3 morning, 2 evening. ive also tried 4-1. doesnt matter. i wasnt pain free at the starting dose--some of us just arent.
Joydeck Twopies
Posted
Have you tried, say, 2-4, – with most in the evening?
Twopies Joydeck
Posted
No--ive always needed that morning boost of pred to get me going. a 2-3 split is something ive read about on the forums but havent considered. thanks for the reminder.
Joydeck Twopies
Posted
You'd know inside a week whether 2mg : 4mg is any better, and nothing lost either way. (Someone, on the forum, even takes their entire dose in the evening.)
Joydeck Twopies
Posted
I should add that I have [u]not[/u] experienced a flare in my two years of PMR.