Taper Pak 1.8 mg.
Posted , 5 users are following.
After being on prednisone for almost two years my pain management doc prescribed a taper pak, 1.8 mg. I've never done meth but that's how I felt. I had so much energy it was amazing. Then I hit the wall. I was diagnosed with PMR 2 years ago. I now am dizzy & with extreme fatigue. I am not sure if I am having a flare or what's going on. The pain is so severe I am now walking full time with a cane. The pain goes from my hip down my leg to the outside of my knee (this a burning pain). I am also experiencing pain in my inner thighs. None of the pain is new to me as I've had it before stopping the taper pak.
Wondering if any of you have experienced any of these symptoms. The pain management doc said I was allergic to the taper pak prednisone. He said it would last a week, its now been 2 weeks. As long as I've been on prednisone I doubt that I am allergic.
Curious to hear from you.
Irene
0 likes, 5 replies
EileenH irene_88946
Edited
Think your pain doc is in cloud cuckoo land!!! That dose is strange, 1.8mg is a very low dose, are you sure that's what it said? Especially if you developed steroid wings on it - and if you have been on pred for 2 years it takes more than a week to taper off pred altogether so what was the purpose? What is your usual dose of pred?
Now I could be wrong - but the pain you describe is very typical for trochanteric bursitis
irene_88946 EileenH
Posted
Eileen,
My pain management doc is a little quirky. LOL The description on the Pak "TaperDex" 27 tabs. On day 1 & 2 I took 12 tablets, Day 3 - 5 tabs, Day 4 - 4 tabs, Day 5 -3 tabs, Day 6 - 2 tabs & Day 7 - 1 tab each tablet contained 1.8 mg. He felt like this pak would get me off the steroids. I haven't had some of the strange head games that I've had trying to taper from 10 mg. to 5 mg. I did the slow taper prior to taking the taper pak. I was down at that time to 5 mg. Each time I tried to taper the prednisone I would get a flare of the PMR, I hope this helps to explain how the pak works. I don 't feel like I am having some of the symptoms I've had when trying to taper slowly.
You are right on I do have trochanteric bursitis in my hip. I also have bone spurs in my hip. I also have ilotibial band syndrome. The syndrome has reared its ugly head again. Along with herinated disc & bulging disc in my lower back. In other words I am mess!!
Thank you for response.
EileenH irene_88946
Posted
Obviously knows NOTHING about polymyalgia rheumatica does he? It is a chronic disorder - would he expect an RA patient to get off their DMARD by using such a pak? I think not - and pred is the DMARD for PMR.
irene_88946 EileenH
Edited
I haven't been on here for a while. I broke my foot just before Christmas. I've been in a boot all this time 'til this past Monday. I had a flare after breaking my foot. I had a script for the 1.5 mg. for 26 days. I finished the pak & haven't had any further episodes of PMR. However, after walking with a walker for a couple weeks I had pain all over my body from using muscles I haven't used in a while. It was more like fibro flare rather than PMR. Now I have severe pain & swelling in my knee on the same side of the broken foot. It's a sharp shooting & burning pain. After putting so much weight on right hip I've flared up the my back & hip.
I am waiting on the Doc to send a referral for a MRI of my lumbar region, right hip & left knee.
Wish me luck I am hoping I am not going to have any more flares from the PMR. Hoping all of you are doing well.
irene_88946 EileenH
Posted
Eileen I made a mistake the pak was 1.5 mg. for 27 days. It seemed to work until I broke my foot. See my post .