Prednisone... | Arthritis Information

For those of you that started out on prednisone alone, can you tell me how long it took to get some relief and what was your starting dose?  Did you feel relief within hours or days?  Thanks.I did not get relief on pred alone. Took 10 and then 20 mgs per day. They still didn't have a DX of RA. Then they said RA and added MTX. I took MTX and 20 mgs of pred for 2 months with 0 relief and off the charts pain. Then they jacked up the pred to 40 mgs. and over night I was a new woman. [QUOTE=pksmdrag]For those of you that started out on prednisone alone, can you tell me how long it took to get some relief and what was your starting dose?  Did you feel relief within hours or days?  Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I've never taken prednisone, but I've taken methylprednisolone (brand-name Medrol, commonly sold as a "Medrol Dose-pak") several times to get me through an acute flare.  Each time I've used it, I have begun to feel relief within 12 hours.
Very fast acting drug for me. I basically had to crawl into the doc office to get my RX. Thats how bad my feet and knees hurt. Then I went home and took 15mg's and went to sleep. I woke up about 12 hours later and was pain free. It was amazing.Hi it took no time at all, I found almost immediate relief, 50mg reducing by 5mg per week until under 10mg then by 2.5mg, I never got below 10mg, would send me straight back to where I came from, still on it 9 years later, what a wonder drug, but awful side effects so if you can get off of it, please do.  Regards Janie.  PS WELCOME TO AI. I have taken 5mg every day for years but when I have a flare they up it to anywhere from 40 to 50 mg per day and taper down by 5 every week.  Major flare last week, started with only 20 mg and feeling better in two days.  Really wish I didnt have to take it at all but no choice.  I would like my chubby cheeks and neck to go away sometime in my lifetime!I started on 10mg and felt much better within about 8 hours. By the next day, I felt GREAT!!! Unfortunately, my rheumy kept happily refilling my prescription, and never encouraged me to begin weening. After about two years, my adrenal glands had pretty much shut down and I couldn't get off the stuff. Every time I tried to get below 5mg, I flared horribly and began exhibiting symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. In December of 2007 (About 10 months after I began taking Humira), I decided to give weening another shot, hoping that the Humira was controlling my inflammation enough that I could slowly kick-start my adrenals back to life. I reduced my dose by 1/2 mg every month until I was down to 2 mg, at which time I began experiencing the familiar symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. However, the symptoms always went away after a couple of days, and I continued to ween, except at a rate of 1/2 mg every 2 months. When I reached 1/2 mg, I still experienced some discomfort, so, my next reduction was to 1/4 mg. I'm taking my last dose today, and tomorrow I'll be prednisone free after 15 months of weening, and 3 1/2 years total on the drug ... HALLELUJAH!!!

Prednisone is wonderful stuff, but if possible, don't allow yourself to stay on it for a long period of time without occasionally weening, and allowing your adrenal glands to recover. In the future, I won't hesitate to use prednisone in short bursts if I absolutely need it, but I'm determined to NEVER allow my body to become habituated to it again.
went to the dr yesterday  not for RA, but because I just cant get my asthma under control.  also thrush also to see what she thinks I need to do about wretched Cardiologist//