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Starting dose

Posted , 9 users are following.

margaret22251
margaret22251

four years ago I was started on 10mg pred because I was border line the doc said. Now I am  trying to reduce from ten again lowest I got to was 3mg six months ago but because of a flare back to ten.

so folks it proves the starting dose to my way of thinking is 15mg surely, maybe if I had started on this dose I may have been lower by now.

enjoy your day all of you, hope it's pain free

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • r.d.s26296
    r.d.s26296 margaret22251

    Posted

    It's usually medicated ( Prednisone) according to weight ( and I think severity ) 

    Most people start at 25mg. 

    Seems a flare up can happen when reducing. Possibly withdrawal symptoms too. 

    Feel better , and thanks for the intel. 

    👍

    • EileenH
      EileenH r.d.s26296

      Posted

      The weight bit is up to a maximum and generally for GCA where a much higher dose is used. Years ago they used to tend to start with 30mg but then it was decided that that was probably more than was needed and exposing patients to an unnecessary amount of pred since a couple of small studies suggested 15mg was plenty to achieve a good result in up to a month. Though who wants to wait a month they cried!!!  It is only since 2015 that the recommended starting dose has gone back up to "the lowest effective dose in the range 12.5-25mg" and even now 25mg is the exception rather than the rule.

      I started with 15mg and was almost pain-free in under 6 hours - but the rheumy still wouldn't have it was PMR!

  • Silver49
    Silver49 margaret22251

    Posted

    I started on 20mgs almost 3.5 years ago. I looked back at my journey and I was 1.5mgs about a year ago. I am presently on 3mgs and now reducing to 2.5 using the DSNS method. It's a rollercoaster and I suspect not many have a smooth journey. Life is like that and I have learnt to just go with the flow as they say. We don't have a broken limb which has a fairly straightforward time line. Life gets in the way of our journey with different stresses and the PMR journey  is definitely  affected by this as I have learnt. 

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga margaret22251

    Posted

    Do you really need to go back to your starting point each time?  If you were okay at, say, seven, or something like that, why not go back there, or maybe 1 mg more than that, to eight, perhaps if seven was your best lowest dose?  If, however, your pain starts to get worse the moment you taper from 10, and never gets better, then I agree, 10 has been too low and the inflammation has never been properly cleared out.    
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