Stuck on 7mg

Thiis is difficult I tend to think of PMR as a thing !! and this thing is either in a bit of remission and lets you go lower or it doesent !!

The only way I seem to be getting down now is in .5mg at a time and taking 8 weeks ( I think !!) on each one I do say 3.5,3.5,3 for 2 weeks then 3.5,3 for 2 weeks then 3.5,3 for 2 weeks then 3 for 2 weeks until I think of my next reduction

Before I had my blip at the beginning of the year I realise I was struggling on 4mg went up to 5mg thinking that will do it but wasnt pain free until up to 15mg It taught me the lesson of realising that though my first bout of PMR was a sprint this is a Marathon !!

I tried to read all about Adrenal glands when I was having problems early last year ( as realised these must be the problems Didnt even know where they were !!) but there doesent seem to an awful lot on them except on American websites Unless Eileen knows more !! I also got the impression that nobody does anything about them unless you have complete failure Addisons disease ( I think ) I can remember cutting out caffeine was first on the lists of does

Perhaps you do just need time and say sitck where you are for a month and then try again Ive felt a bit washed out this last week because of cough and had to miss my exercise class yesterday but hope to do my first Nordic walking class tomorrow !! Blood tests on Thursday and then Dr next week so will see where I am

best wishes and I know how you feel just try and think 7 is better than 15

Mrs G

I'm not sure if the reduction method I'm using would help. My Consultant uses what she calls the stealth method! A tiny reduction each week and hoping the body won't notice. At the moment I reduce by just 1mg over 7 weeks so when I drop from say 5mgs to 4mgs (which is what I'm doing at the moment) I do 5/5/5/4/5/5/5 then the next week I drop to 4mgs twice 5/5/4/5/5/4/5 and so on through seven weeks. Perhaps if you tried that but with just a half mg drop it might work, or even do week one twice, then week two twice, it would take twice as long obviously but I'm sure, like me, the speed's not that important. I've got two more weeks to get to 4mgs and then I might just do a half mg drop (why oh why did they never put the half symbol on a keyboard!) to keep the percentage drop down as 4mg to 3mg is a 25% drop and I don't really want to chance it. I do hope you manage to get a bit lower than 7mg. I'm not aiming to get off the pred (although that would be very nice!) but to get as low as I comfortably can and live a normal life. I hope you're feeling well.

Kind regards

Lizzie Ellen

PS: Just seen that Mrs G has beat me to it! But we're obviously reading from the same hymn sheet and I can't waste all this typing so will send it anyway (and will take some hints from Mrs G who's one step ahead of me in more ways that one :lol

There is an article on Steroids and Adrenal Glands written by a Patient and medically checked for correctness on the website www.pmr-gca-northeast.org.uk, follow the link on Useful Medical Information.

The article is too long to reproduce on this site.

According to my consultant, 7.5 is around the normal dose of cortisol (steroid) that our bodies make daily prior to being knocked back by the artifical steroids, so it would appear that those adrenal glands probably get very confused at that stage! :?

It sounds as though you are doing the right thing (if anything is right for any one of us :wink: ) by reducing very slowly in half mgs similar to the Ragnar method. Whilst some people manage to reduce down through the doses and remain pain-free (I think Lizzie is one of those) I can honestly say that I was never COMPLETELY pain-free when coming down the doses (relied on ESR/CRP markers) until about 4 months ago when it turned out that remaining pain in one arm was not actual PMR inflammation but muscle pain caused by the steroids having weakened the muscle. It would seem, therefore, that I could have reduced the steroids faster if I had known the difference! :roll: I have raised ESR levels at the moment because of the throat infection and resultant inflammatory response of swollen salivary glands in my neck and mouth - both the GP and myself are crossing fingers that this infection doesn't rock the boat as far as the PMR/GCA is concerned .

What sort of pain levels are you feeling, Pam? I hope it isn't the sort of pain that is stopping you enjoying your life. I believe there is a test that tells you the state of your adrenal glands and perhaps you could ask your Dr about this if you remain unable to move from 7.5. I don't know how long you have been stuck at this dose but it might just mean that you need to stick it out for longer - I remember the consultant made me stay on 5mgs for many months at one time, and it worked.

Very best wishes and love,

MrsO

No I don't have pain as such. My shoulders ache in a dull sort of way some times, more than my legs do these days. Not much energy - and very variable from day to day. I would say it's tolerable all round. A lot of repetitive action isn't good e.g. I was chopping a lot of vegetables at the weekend for visitors which didn't do much for my shoulders!

I suppose I was really thinking more generally when I asked about kickstarting the body's adrenals - the so-called \"wonder foods\" for example. Or conversely what is bad - like coffee perhaps.

Feel better for slightly warmer weather like most of I guess Roll on spring.

Pam

When I was around the 7mg dose and the consultant told me that this was about the same dose of natural steroid that your body makes daily, I did a bit of research and came up with the following which I have tried to stick to:

BAD FOR ADRENAL FUNCTION

Diet high in processed carbs and sugar, too much caffeine, alcohol (sorry :cry: , drugs and cigarettes - these all accelerate adrenal fatigue.

GOOD FOR ADRENAL FUNCTION

Vit C is good for adrenals as they use this vitamin more than any other gland.

Blackcurrant is considered a balancer for the adrenals.

Fish, fruit, veg and nuts.

Anything high in potassium will increase adrenal function, such as cauliflower, wheatgerm, almonds, parsley, avocados, sunflower seeds and raisins.

EXERCISE is another way to strengthen the adrenals, the most beneficial being walking and martial arts! - all help to reduce stress.

As far as the wheatgerm is concerned, I add this to my daily cereal.

Hope this helps, Pam.

MrsO

I giggled a bit at the martial arts - and then remembered TaiChi is one, so not all karate chops!

Pam