It started with me barely been able to move. This is never good. Approximate Equivalent dose (mg) Half-life (Biologic) hours Short-Acting Intermediate-Acting Long-Acting
I was in so, so much pain and so stiff, I did wonder how I was going to get through getting Neve ready for school. It felt impossible this morning.
Then, I knew I had to get myself in the car, drive 20 minutes to an appointment with my GP that I could NOT in any way miss.
Eventually, after shuffling around as best I could I manage to get kid ready for school, packed lunch with her help, got her in school uniform, and she ate breakfast. Whew! We did it.
Then I knew I somehow had to get myself in clean clothes...a major challenge this morning. I am in agony, stiff, sore and to make it all worse...it is cold. ARGH!!!
Must get to doctor's appointment. Must.
I find clothes, put myself in front of my only heater and manage very sheepishly to get dressed. Whew! That was awful.
I wonder how I am going to survive this drive, in this much pain so me, who NEVER, EVER takes my fast acting pain relief when I am driving, popped two oxycodone just to be able to get my poor body in the car and in there. Fabulous!
I manage to shuffle into the car, survive the drive, get to the surgery. Yes, I made it. And thank goodness I did. My GP takes one look and me and tells me she thinks we have weaned me off my Pred too fast in two big of a dosage. I finished weaning yesterday.
She puts me back on the full 50mg and tells me to stay on it until this flare settles. So home I shuffle again, feeling slightly better as I know now I am heading home and that's where I need to be.
I eat and take the Pred. Then I go to sleep for a couple of hours in my recliner and when I wake up...I am not in nearly as much pain and I can move somewhat. Ahhh, thank goodness! I will get through this. So I am still not great but I am now not this morning, after one 50mg dose of Pred. Have another in the morning and things should improve again.
I honestly did not think I was going to get through this morning but I did, piece by piece.
I am now going to bed. At least, I can move now. Tomorrow has to be better.
Thanks for listening. I really needed a vent. I don't do it often.
Good Morning Cordy, yes, you made it through the day. It was a struggle, but you made it. You did what you had to do. It's such a disappointment when you have to restart Pred. You think you're done with it and then WHAM RA is back. Sometimes there isn't anything we can do but start Pred. again and go through the whole process. Sure hope Rituxin kicks in soon. Keep us updated. Lindy Darn! 50 mgs of prednisone!
when things get bad a depo medrol injection is given for all over relief
rather than high doses of pred..
Boney...
I initially began at 30mg. of pred. and it took 2-1/2 years to wean off of it.
First rheumy tried weaning me off too fast and at that point I would cry because I even had to breath. "My heart goes out to you Cordelia. " Gentle Cyber Hugs *
treatment i see you mention a long lasting steroid.. i am most interested in this
please can you give more info..
Boney
Here is a chart that I was shown by someone else. I am taking dexamethasone.
Glucocorticoid
Cortisone
25
8-12
Hydrocortisone
20
8-12
Methylprednisolone
4
18-36
Prednisolone
5
18-36
Prednisone
5
18-36
Triamcinolone
4
18-36
Betamethasone
0.6 - 0.75
36-54
Dexamethasone
0.75
36-54
between pred and dexamethasone. and half life in the body is near double.
there has to be a reason why pred seems to be used more. reading the posts it is
allways pred. or medrol packs used though i have never heard of the merdol packs
being used here in the uk. medrol injecton is used. going to scour the web to see
what the difference is between these steroids.
i have been on pred 13yrs and put very little weight on.. i did gain weight on mtx.
my pred dosage has been fairly low 7.5mg up to 20mg i dont think i could tolerate 90mg
i hope your docs can find some releif for you
Boney
((((((((((((((((((((((((((cordy)))))))))))))))))))))))))))
50 mg, that's a high dose and by the sound of it, you need it.
I'd be interested in what your dose rate is. How long on that dose.
By the sound of it from what you say here, you are at where I began and I do not want to revisit that time again.
Not good at all. Hope things a better today.
Rocckyd, thanks for all that Prednisone information.
Although I have been dxed three years, my experience of Pred is very limited. It only started even working on me recently in the last couple of months. My RD believes it is because the Rituxan is controlling the disease better than it ever was. Before that I have had 120mg depo medrol injections twice with no effect whatsoever. They had also tried tablet courses of Pred over a few weeks and they did nothing also. But now due to the Rituxan, Pred is now working and my RD wants it used to help control flares that often for me can go on for months or even years once triggered. What they have been giving me is short, sharp, high doses - 50mg for 5 days and then 25mg for 7 days then off. This worked the last time we did it but this time, I flared again when dropping to 50mg.
Considering all I go through...Pred really scares me the most due to what I have seen of the bad side effects of long term use particularly osteoporosis but when I can't move like yesterday morning and with once 50mg dose of Pred by the afternoon, I can and am functioning much better...whether I like it or not, I think we had no choice but to use the Pred.
I am starting to think it was a lot easy when it just didn't work for me so it wasn't an option. Lol.
And, Rocckyd...I so understand your description of little person grab and hug, especially from behind. Lol. They don't mean to hurt us but ouch just there body energy hitting yours can hurt. I know you are a single parent of one child too. It has definitely got easier in the last two years. Neve is now six and I have had to always encourage her independence. She can now just about do anything, including make most of her lunch, with direction if needed. Just your son, getting older will help. You should notice a marked difference in the next couple of years.
Bodak, so this time I started to flare three weeks ago, I went on 50mg of Pred for 7 days, I then reduced it to 25mg for two days but flared up again so went back up to the 50mg for another two days, then down to 7 days of 25mg. Half way through the week of 25mg, I started to flare badly until I couldn't move yesterday morning. Yesterday was supposed to be my first day again without it but as the GP said, "But you can't move, Cordy, we are going back on." Dah! So now I am on 50mg again until I really settle, no time frame...then she has a plan to take me down another way slowly that I hopefully won't reflare on. ARGH!!!
Joonie, yeah, I had been doing really good...quite settled with severe RA is an achievement alone. I hate the flaring crud too. It is so unpredictable and makes life challenging.
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