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PMR. Prednisone, Dosing From The Beginnng

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kathy67492
kathy67492

would appreciate any comments about the effectiveness of staying on the 10m of prednisone for one full year. It is too late for me.

I was diagnosed in March of 2014 and in reviewing my pretty precise notes I see that I have basically yo-yoed my way thru the last 2+ years, combatting the odd-ball reactions, i.e., rash, etc and flares. My most recent dose was 7-1/2m for 12 weeks...wherein I "managed", but, in hindsight was in more pain than I should have been...unless I just sat on the couch all day. I have stopped the flare with 9m the last 3 weeks and feel as good as I did on the initial first dose. My rheumatologist will not be happy. I am thinking that the 10m for one year might be the magic bullet that helps contain the inflammation and speeds recovery...??

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  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust kathy67492

    Posted

    We are told by our Drs to get off pred as quickly as possible - thereby setting ourselves up for failure. If the disease is still active then trying to reduce below the dose that makes life bearable just doesn't make sense.

    I often wonder why they bother giving us pred at all if all they want to do is take us off it again! (other than it makes the symptons go away and they look and feel like heroes!)

    Trying to lower the dose too quickly and introducing other drugs to help the process actually makes us sicker in the long term.

     

    • kathy67492
      kathy67492 FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      Well said! If I just occupied myself with taking the prednisone stead of weaning off of it, I would be better off!
    • EileenH
      EileenH kathy67492

      Posted

      Not to mention the fact that getting into a yoyo pattern with the pred dose seems to make subsequent reductions harder - no idea why, it is just so. Getting on with it slowly and steadily works much better in the long run and probably ends up with a lower total dose (which is what they panic about) than if you reduce, flare, increase, reduce, flare ad nauseum. Plus you feel better overall...
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