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Pred Reduce From 60mg to 40mg

Posted , 5 users are following.

somersetsue
somersetsue

I was put on 60mg pred for a month for the sake of my eye sight (GCA suspected). I'm told that following improved blood tests ESR 27 CRP 3 that I can now reduce from 60mg daily to 40 mg daily. Is the 20mg daily drop a bit too harsh???? It is further suggested that following another month I reduce by 5mg every one to two weeks until I get to 10mg but not to drop below 10mg for first 6 months.

Anyone have any knowledge?

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • EileenH
    EileenH somersetsue

    Posted

    Recent research has shown that in GCA there is still disease activity present after 6 months at doses of over 20mg even though the blood tests and symptoms suggest all is well. The implication is that higher for longer might be better.

    I certainly wouldn't be trying a 20mg drop overnight and I feel the reduction at the rate they are suggesting is far too fast for a patient with GCA. Unless of course it wasn't GCA. But there is no way to show that at present unless you had a positive temporal artery biopsy. The low blood results merely show the inflammation is being controlled at your current dose of pred. It doesn't mean it has gone away altogether.

    • davidmelville
      davidmelville EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen, I think it was you who gave me the slow Prednisolone reduction details. 1 new - 6 old, 1 new - 5 old, etc I have forgotten where it went after 1 new - 1 old. Please could you remind me.

    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey davidmelville

      Posted

      David, Eileen is not around at the moment but I'm sure she won't mind me posting the following:

      "1 day new dose, 6 days old dose

      1 day new dose, 5 days old dose

      1 day new dose, 4 days old dose

      1 day new dose, 3 days old dose

      1 day new dose, 2 days old dose

      1 day new dose, 1 day old dose

      1 day old dose, 2 days new dose

      1 day old dose, 3 days new dose

      1 day old dose, 4 days new dose

      1 day old dose, 5 days new dose

      1 day old dose, 6 days new dose"

      Hopefully you will successfully reach1mg daily.  I was particularly sensitive to Pred withdrawal from 5mgs and below that I did it in 0.5mg decrements - a snail's pace but it worked and I reached zero Pred coming up 2 years ago.

      Good luck!

       

  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey somersetsue

    Posted

    somersetsue, although I started on 40mg and successfully reduced to 30mg after just 2 weeks, we are all different in our response to the illness and the treatment.  I think if you were started on 60 then a reduction firstly to 50 would be wiser and less of a shock for the body.  If that proves successful, then perhaps you could try dropping another 10mg after a further two weeks.  My blood tests were repeated before each and every reduction at this stage, and proved a very useful guide for me.   Although my vision remained somewhat blurry throughout at the high steroid levels, I never had a return of the head or jaw pain.  It is very much a case of trying it and seeing how you feel at this stage rather than planning reductions too far ahead.
  • mimie
    mimie somersetsue

    Posted

    I was diagnosed with PMR last year. My doctor prescribed me 40 mg and reduced it to 2.5 mg in a month. I had a relapse and she again prescribed me pred for a month same dose. This went on for 4 months and eventually I started with pred 10 mg and was on this dose for 4 months. Now I am taking 5 mg for about a month and am doing ok. You should try to increase your vitamin D and calcium intake. Also magnesium will be of some help. You can alsoo see if u want to take iron. Also try to take fresh turmeric, fresh ginger and beets. This will help you come down with dosage. Also some yoga, meditation, stretching is a great help.
    • somersetsue
      somersetsue mimie

      Posted

      very helpful thank you. I also have MS and try to control that with diet and supplements, quite successfully. I take 3,000 iu Vit D3 daily, magnesium, Calcium and a few others, interestingly, I had reduced my Omega3 supplements from 4 a day to 1 a day during the past year or so, Omega 3 is an ati inflammatory and then I go and get GCA, thinking I will put it back up to 4. I think your body sometimes tells you what you need, I've taken to eating lots of watercress (iron) and beetroot, not sure what that's rich in, I love ginger, add it to food and drink lemon and ginger tea, not sure where to add turmeric any suggestions welcomed.
    • mimie
      mimie somersetsue

      Posted

      You can take it raw. Fresg young ginger and fresh turmeric is a blessing.You can see the effects of turmeric in half an hour. I blend turmeric ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, beets and mixed greens or u can cut slices into your salad.
  • mimie
    mimie somersetsue

    Posted

    Fresh turmeric removes stiffness and pain instantly.
    • somersetsue
      somersetsue mimie

      Posted

      Where do I find fresh turmeric, never seen any fresh. Think I'd leave the garlic out though, it hangs aound me!
    • mimie
      mimie somersetsue

      Posted

      I am in United States so any organic food store or health store might have it. Indian groceries carry fresh turmeric. You want to get orange color root not white turmeric.
  • mimie
    mimie somersetsue

    Posted

    try taking antiinflammatory foods. Do some stretching and light exercise. it will help lower your pred dose.
  • EileenH
    EileenH somersetsue

    Posted

    Whilst I won't disagree with the concept that foods with a natural anti-inflammatory action and light exercise might help the symptoms of PMR, there is no evidence that diet can work alone and exercise can make the symptoms worse if you overdo things which is all too easy to do. PMR leads to an acute inability of the muscles to tolerate exercise, meaning it takes them far longer to repair the tiny tears that exercise causes and the repair of which is what we call "training".

    There are no miraculous cures - whatever you may see on the internet.

    • mimie
      mimie EileenH

      Posted

      Light exercise, yoga and stretching will keep your muscles moving with less aches. I do light exercise, yoga and some stretching for 20-30 minutes. It has helped me with my stiffness and pain. I feel less stiff in the evening when I follow these routines.
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