Pred Taper

A sed rate of 35 is above normal. I would hope your rate would be within normal range before you reduce your steroid. In other words, you still have inflammation. Best of luck, Ann11195 🎆

Mary, i love your attitude, 'takes care of the wrincles'  i am guessing we are all very identifiable from the round face!  Good luck - I am doing the dead slow method, this weeek i am on 6 (the old dose) tomorrow i take 5.5 (the new dose.  There is a formula you can access; if i can locate the link i will be happy to forward it to you...

 

My doctor has her shortcomings, but I like her attitude towards PMR which is to treat my symptoms, not my bloodwork.  If you have aches, then you need to treat that.  I think blood markers are useful confirmation of what may or may not be going on, but so many people have serious symptoms and yet their blood may show no sign of imflammation.  I am sure the reverse can also be true.  You said you felt achy.  That, not the blood markers, is what alerts you to the fact that you need a little more pred.  I wouldn't increase my pred if I felt really well but markers were up.  They could be up for another reason  - a mild cold, perhaps?  Pred is just too serious a medication to take more of than necessary,  And by the same token you need to take enough when it is necessary. I agree with Ann, it sounds to me as though you shouldn't be reducing just now, because your symptoms are not quite under control enough.  Reduction may just lead to a flare.  

Woww our sed rate is not that bad compare to mine 89. 

My doctor call me right away. I am in antibiótics guessing is an infection.

i will have another blood test on MondAy to see how is the sed ráte.

apart from pAin do you had Any other symtoms 

Hi, Mary:  I am not sure why you started at such a high dose.  I agree with the others- treat the individual patient's symptoms, not the blood tests or standard timetable.  "Supposedly" is the key word in the assumption that 15 mg is the magic number for everyone.

I needed 20 to 25 mg for 4 months, then was able to decrease quickly (a few months) to 10 mg.

After a decrease, I sometimes have a recurrence of pain. In a day or two, it gets better (and I stay at the new, lower dose) or it gets worse (and I return to the old dose for at least a few weeks.) While we don't want to "yo-yo" all around, a cautious reduction and a quick return if pain returns has been working for me.

Hi mary

I started at 20mg in September 2015 and my 1st reduction started in November over 7 weeks to go to 17.5mg and I had a hard time in weeks 3-7

.

I am now reducing after I leveled but only by .5mg not even 1mg. Rule of thum no more than 10% but your body knows.

If in pain I would say either to much or to fast or both.

I hope my story puts things in perspective yet we are all unique.

Mariane

Are you sure it was the second day? It is possible to have symptoms that are similar to PMR just because of the change in dose, steroid withdrawal. They do usually start immediately whie a flare takes longer to appear - but it is worth bearing in mind. Try just reducing 1mg at a time and see if that is bette - but there is no reason not to try that 1mg a month.

Though if your sed rate is still high and falling I would say you could probably do with sticking where you are until it has reached a stable and, preferably normal, level. I don't say treat the blood work - but the residual inflammation sometimes takes a while to clear out. Every morning a new dose of cytokines, the inflammatory substances, is shed in the body. The dose you are looking for is to manage that - but if there is still inflammation lurking the new lot may take it high enough to feel uncomfortable with a lower dose. Does that make sense? I know what I mean but don't know how to explain it without a picture!

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316

..the link i mentioned a few days ago - good luck, i am down to 5.5 but of course want to rush down to 2; am trying to be prudent.