Prednisone--how much/how often? | Arthritis Information

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How much prednisone do you take each day and do you take it every day or just for flares?  Also, do you spread your dosage out throughout the day or take it all at once.

 
Just curious because my dr prescribed it for flare ups.  10mg/day.  It helped after about 4 days for about 2 days and now I'm having a flare up again.  Not sure if its just not enough or what.  Thought I'd try and get in touch with him next week but wanted to see what typical usage is first.

Thanks!
Rachel
Initially my dose of prednisone was started with MTX at 10 mgs., couple of days later I was in worse pain. Increased to 20 mgs, couple of days later- worse pain. Increased to 30mgs- a little relief. Increased to 40 mgs. split up 30 mgs. AM, 10 mgs at dinner- Euphoria! Total turn around! Stayed on that for 1 month.
 
I have been tapering with good result and I am down to 10 mgs in the AM.
hi sunam...  i started on pred 13yrs ago  7.5mg daily which i stayed on untill 2yrs ago
when my dmrds were stopped. then i was taking 12.5mg  up to 20mg daily for 1 year
untill mtx was restarted then got back to 10mg .. for 1yr.. now my only
treatment is pred once again.  20mg for 1 day and 10mg   six days..
i allso had steroid injects in the joints and many depomedrol injects for
all overrelief.. i now have reactions to the injections..
i take calcichew and fosamax..
Boney

edited to say i wonder why your doc is upping your pred and
not looking at the plaquinelle..
Boney2008-04-11 15:33:056 years with RA and have never taken pred...hope to keep it that way.  Currently I'm doing fine with Humira and Arava...and ibuprofen for flare ups.
 
Alan
Have taken Prednisone for the better part of my life (since i was 11) for asthma and now for RA. I go up and down between 10mg to 24 mg, right now I am taking 20 because of an RA flare. I just feel blessed that it even exists. don't take it...never have i nthe 23+ years with RA.   I do have a pred pack in my possession just in case....but I've haven't broken into it.  I have enough problems without adding pred side effects to the mixThe whole idea is, for most people,  to use the least possible for as short as possible. If your new to this, you probably want to work out an action plan with your doctor. It is incredibily useful stuff, but it needs to be used carefully. You also want to taper off it. I don't take it either. I tried it once and just reading the print-out from the dr was enough to make me say "What the heck?" I tried it once and I hated how I felt. The first two days, I couldn't sleep, my eyes were bugged out, my head was pounding, I was sweating and had goose bumps at the same time.Then the pain was back and I couldn't keep my eyes open to save my life.  It was awful. I haven't taken it since that was almost 3 years ago when my ra started. My doc knows not to give it to me>It's not for me. Many people take it but I have found that I am always that little percent who for some insane reason have the reactions to.Been on pred for 3 yrs now.  10mg for 1.5yrs and 5mg for the 1.5.  Sometimes i go up to 10mg for flairs, it helps me move but doesn't get rid of the flairs for about 4 weeks or so.
 
5mg is barely moveable.  The naproxen and arava help but still no glorious medication for me.
 
My doctors don't care, they wanted me to be on no pred, but stuck in bed and needing help was not the way i wanted to live since other meds weren't working for me.
 
Pred is the wonder drug of choice for me because i have too, but 3yrs, so far no damage (they said they would call last week if i did).
augh. I take 7.5 and 10mg on alternate days, but I've just come off taking 25-50mg a day for the last two months. _popupControl(); Thanks guys for the info!  I may give the dr a call next week.
 
edited to say i wonder why your doc is upping your pred and
not looking at the plaquinelle..
 
He hasn't upped it but I was wondering what typical protocol is before I talked to him.  His initial prescription was to take 10 mg for 2-3 days during flare ups.  After the 4th day, I felt great and stopped taking it and within 2 days, I was back to the flare.  Not sure what to do.   I'd love to keep the meds to a minimum but would also love to be pain free.  I guess this is the game, eh?
I take 7.5 mg of prednisone daily. Just make sure you take your calcium supplement. When I was on a higher does I had to take a perscription Calcium supplement( brain fog on the name) . But this seems to work greatno dmrds have worked well enough for me to stop pred..
but from what i read here the biologics are no different
often requiring mtx to work properly and even pred in the mix..
Boney



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