PMR, Prednisone Taper
Posted , 8 users are following.
I am 2+ years into PMR and thru ups and downs have learned the hard work of tapering slowly (Eileen's method). I tapered from 7-1/2m to 7m just over two weeks ago and I am having pain, issues, so I have decided to stay at 7-1/2 a while longer (I had been at 7-1/2 for 6 weeks). So when I went to my written ledger to record my dose and progress I noticed that back in March-May 2015 I had spent 43 days on 7m!!! BUT, my records indicated that those 43 days were somewhat miserable. So, I must go for the pain free dose, longer, rather than get distracted by tapering...correct?
This prednisone has scrambled my brain! Thank you for any comments.
0 likes, 7 replies
Sheilamac_Fife kathy67492
Posted
Oh the brain!!... I do understand. I am very tired of my denseness! I'm at 6mg tapering to 5.5 and had really hoped that would be starting to improve but I'm still doing, thinking and saying stupid things! X
EileenH kathy67492
Posted
What happened to send you back to a higher dose so you had to taper again? Was the flare last year difficult to contain?
This is also the point at which your body has to start to wake up and at lower doses will have to make its own cortisol - and that alone can lead to discomfort and problems if you try to reduce further. There's no hurry - spend a couple of months or even more at the doses now. Just every so often try another 1/2mg drop because if you don't you will never know if the PMR has gone or faded even further so you can mange with an even lower dose.
kathy67492 EileenH
Posted
Oregonjohn-UK kathy67492
Posted
Mrs.Mac-Canada kathy67492
Posted
Everything that has been said rings true for me as well. I'm 3 yrs. in (39+ months but who's counting😛) and, after 3 flares I'm at 6.25 and reducing very very slowly (slower than DSNS) and once I get to the lower dose I stay there till I feel good and have no pain. I am one of the lucky ones that only has stiffness when managed properly.
I don't know if you've had one but you might want to have an adrenal function test. At 7.5 it may not be kicking in yet but it would be a good baseline for future decreases that cause you trouble.
Thinking of pred as our friend and not the enemy takes some of the urgency of decreasing away. Stay at the dose that keeps you feeling well and, as Eileen says, try to decrease every once in a while to see if the PMR is still around.
Good luck👍
Diana🌸
Anhaga kathy67492
Posted
EileenH Anhaga
Posted