My Prednisone reduction story
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I was diagnosed with PMR in October 2017. Started 20mg pred for 30 days. Pain gone in 2 days. Dr put me on 15mg pain came back in 3 days. Went back to 20mg no help, went to 30mg took 20 days for pain to go away. Dr put me back to 20mg and all ok for 30 days. Dr put me on 17.5mg, 3 days all pain came back. Stayed on 17.5 until 3/20/18. I called my Dr and told him I will adjust my Prednisone myself and I went to 25mg pain went away today. Should I do the dsns method now or try going back to 20mg and do dsns from that point? Doctors are not good at lowering pred.
0 likes, 5 replies
EileenH MR._BELLA
Posted
I would try going via 22.5mg and since you have had problems getting to/below 17.5mg below I wouldn't do that size of step down after 20mg. But stick where you are for a few days and be sure you feel well before trying a lower dose.
But I still think that if you can't get below 17.5mg your doctor needs to have another think about the diagnosis. Needing an unusually high starting dose and then being unable to reduce at this level is a typical finding when it isn't "just" PMR - it may be GCA or large vessel vasculitis or it could be an inflammatory arthritis. But PMR should have settled more easily even with having messed you about with too big a reduction to start with.
Michdonn MR._BELLA
Posted
Joydeck MR._BELLA
Posted
daniel08939 MR._BELLA
Posted
I have had pmr on two separate occasions 2010 -2013 & 2017 - present. I am now on 2 mg and I have rarely had a flare-up. I believe the best reduction method is 1/2 mg every 30 days. My current experience with prednispone reductions is as follows:
Date dose duration(days)
5/6/17 10 20
5/26/17 9 10
6/5/17 8 20
6/25/17 7 30
7/26/17 6 30
8/26/17 5 60
10/26/17 4.5 30
11/26/17 4.0 30
12/26/17 3.5 30
1/26/18 3.0 32
2/26/18 2.5 30
3/26/18 2.0 30
4/26/18 1.5 30
5/26/18 1.0 30
6/26/18 0.5 30
7/26/18 0.0
If my future reductions are successful and I have no reason to believe they will not, I will be off prednisone end of July. I started prednisone in February of 2017. The total time will be 18 months. Last time it took 3 years. After the three years I was symptom free and no prednisone for three years. Maybe the prednisone regime is only 18 months because it is a second time I had the disease.
Anhaga daniel08939
Posted