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Reducing Preds

Posted , 16 users are following.

liz12234
liz12234

I want to reduce my dosage from12mg to 11.5 is anyone successful in cutting that little 1mg pill, also i am quite stiff first thing in the morning so want to take my pills much earlier but dont like yoghurt, any other suggestions please.

0 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • pam7653
    pam7653 liz12234

    Posted

    If you are still stiff in the morning maybe hold off reducing for a bit. Seriously I bit those 1 mg in half. smile

    You can get a pill cutter too. I've done both!

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy pam7653

      Posted

      Brilliant idea, using your teeth, I love it. 
  • Sheilamac_Fife
    Sheilamac_Fife liz12234

    Posted

    Sounds like you need to stay at 12mg for a few weeks longer to get the inflammation under control. When you do decide to come down use the dead slow nearly stop method and you will gradually over a few weeks reach your target dose but fool your body into thinking it is getting more Prednisolone than it is. So preventing a flare. It works for lots of us.
  • Oregonjohn-UK
    Oregonjohn-UK liz12234

    Posted

    I've been reducing by 0.5 mg and I don't cut the 1 mg as I have found it very unreliable.  I cut the 5 mg and add 1 mg's to this. Taking the 12 to 11.5 this wound be 1 x 5, half of a 5 plus 4 x 1 mg.QED
    • jean39702
      jean39702 Oregonjohn-UK

      Posted

      What a great idea!  Can't believe I never thought of that!!!   Blame it on 'steroid brain'.
  • gail2910-US-MI
    gail2910-US-MI liz12234

    Posted

    I have experienced no difficulty breaking the 1 mg with my fingers. Just snapping them along the line. It is not always super precise but I figure a little more one day, a little less another is good. Agree with consensus to go slow on taper.
    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK gail2910-US-MI

      Posted

      Gail - What line on the 1 mg?   I've had at least 6 different manufactures of preds and none have a cut line on them - the 5 mg do!
    • EileenH
      EileenH gail2910-US-MI

      Posted

      In the USA PREDNISONE has a score on one side to allow for breaking the tablet whatever dose is supplied (1,5, 20mg) except for Rayos which has a special coating for delayed release of the prednisone and must not be cut. Prednisone is rarely used in the UK.

      In the UK PREDNISOLONE  has a score on one side for 5mg tablets but NOT for 1mg tablets. It is presumably expected that 1mg dosage is the smallest anyone would require and breaking a 5mg tablet provides 2.5mg doses. Liquid pred can be obtained for children - and that is easy to measure.

      They are to all intents and purposes the same drug - prednisone is metabolised in the liver to make prednisolone which is the active form of the substance. Prednisolone therefore works a bit faster, puts less of a strain on the liver and is more reliable if the patient has any liver problems.

      Claims have been made that any tablet that does not have a score line should not be broken as the substance is not evenly distributed - manufacturers say this is rubbish as the same technique is used to produce the tablets whatever the dosage. Certainly, here in Italy they tell you to halve tablets rather than them dispense a wide variety of posologies. I can't say I have noticed a problem.

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK gail2910-US-MI

      Posted

      Sorry Gail - Eileen post below has answered the query.  I use Prednisolone not prednisone.  I live in the UK.
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