Hi everyone, well i think the enbrel is starting to work so i am trying to wean from 7.5mg of pred. the question i have is i get the shakes weanever i lower just one dose by 1mg. it must be blood sugars? dose anyone else have this problem when weaning? it is scary,i get dizzy,and shakey and short of breath. How could such a small amount cause this? i have been on prednisone for ?6months. any info would be great! oh yea i also have increased joint symptoms fatiuge anytime i try to decrease it.
kel
Hi Kel, am so happy that you're doing better with Enbrel. Try cutting 1mg. tabs in 1/2 and wean 1/2 mg. at a time. Also, when was the last time you had your blood sugar checked? If it's been awhile you might talk with your doctor and have them order the labs.
Maybe you should wait a few more weeks to give the Enbrel a chance to work at it's fullest before you start to taper. I'd call my RD and chat with them about the problem with tapering. Lindy
Hi, I've just been through this myself. 10 days since last pred. I know that anxious, achy feeling. If your doc doesn't care you can put 'going down' off for a while. I've been on it since March 1st 07. started at 15,,mgs. I tried several times to cut back but failed because of the same reasons you talk about. I managed to go from 15 to 10 one at a time, then 10mgs. to 5mgs , 1mg at a time, but the last 5 made me wild. My doctor hasn't pushed me to 'get off', he said 5 would be okay, but I wanted off! So far so good, and I waited until after the Remicade to go from 5 to 4 to 3-2-1, and then off 10 days ago. This all took weeks! Everytime I'd got the Remicade, mtx pills, I'd....try again.
So I know how you feel and good luck with this. I'm not sure I feel better without it, but we all know we must not have it if we can possibly do without! Lynda
d
Hi Kel, I get the same things occasionally,I think the "tremors" are from the prednisone. Also, when I get tired, I get shaky hands, and I experience the short of breath and dizziness. I guess it is the nature of the beast. Try to get more rest, if you can.thanks all
kel
Hi, You are welcome Kel, I heard that the mtx helps my Remicade work better! Good enough reason for me. I've been on mtx for 15 years starting with 10mgs and less, so I guess I'm used to it. I don't worry about taking it and have no ill effects (some minor fatigue), thanks for the encouragement about the prednisone. I will take it again if I have to, but only for a short spurt, and then off again!! I hope others have taken enbrel and can give you hope of feeling better longer. I get 3 weeks from the Remicade and am hoping this month it will 'last longer' until the 19th which will be 4 weeks, some people go 8 weeks!! That would be good. We'll see, as I made an appointment for the 11th. with him just in case my foot starts hurting again. He'll be the first to know! Good luck on the pred, it is great to be rid of the moon face, weight gain from water retention and knowing we are doing the best for our bodies. take care,those are hugely powerful little buggers! LyndaI've tapered over the last year 1mg. at a time.......it's sooooo slow but the effective way of tapering. I got down to 7.5 mg. and I had to up to 15 mg. after knee surgery. I'm now down to 8mg. and hopefully I'll be off by Christmas. Take it easy and slow. Lindy