How much pred is bad? | Arthritis Information

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I have been slowly weaning off of 10 mg pred since the beginning of May.  No problems weaning till I het the 3 -2 mg stage and then bam!I have been stuck at 3mg now for about 4 weeks.  I am stiff and in pain but can get through it. 

I have read about all of the side effects but I get so confused because the articles are often mentioning much higher doses.  Is there a strength where there are no side effects or do they just take longer to kick in since I am at a lower dose?  Any info would be appreciated.  I see my Doc in 2 weeks and he wants to evaluate at that time.

Poof,  I had to go down 1 mg. every couple weeks to get off it.  I was on it 1.5 years, high as 25, 15 regular basis.   I was tempted to just stay at five because that was a real stuck place for me.  Kept having to go back up to it.  I wonder if anyone does not how much the dosage matters.  I do know, I felt a real difference when I was off it completely.  The food cravings and mood swings went completely away.  Maybe stay at three for awhile until you are comfortable there and try to go down one or even 1/2.

Good luck.

Poof, first congrats to getting to such a low level. Treat yourself to something nice. You deserve it.

7.5 is the magic number that's stated as not having determental side effects. But there are some people that can't take it at all. So, I imagine it varies.

Try going down by 1/2 mg ever other day. I'm tapering down from a much higher dose and that helps me. I have got stuck for a month while other things were being resolved. Then, I could start going down again.

Give yourself kudos for what you've done and don't give up. I would be estactic (and my doc, too) if I could get that low.

I have been told that under 10mg is where you want to be if you HAVE to
be on it. I have been on pred for years and have been anywhere from
2mg to 90mg. I am currently on 5mg and seem to be doing pretty good
side effect wise. I would talk with your doctor and voice your concerns.

BeckyIt's ALL bad!!

Anyone else who has OP gotten better once of the pred?

Susan

Crunchy,  Thanks for agreeing with me.  I HATE PRED.  I refuse to go back on it, it was so hard to get off it and I felt absolutely compulsive, anxious, and depressed.  Yes, when I am flaring like the last two weeks it is hard to resist as I know it will make me feel better but it is such a vicious cycle - I don't want to get back into it.  I would rather wait out my flares and take pain meds.  This last one was bad but today I am feeling so much better.  I actually packed eight boxes, it felt so good !!!! I agree with the hating it part. The only reason I am still on it is that the
RA is doing quite a number on my eyes. They get so inflammed that the
corneas rip. I truly have no choice. Once the get the inflammation down
they are other options but the inflammation has to go first.

Defintely a love hate relationship...

Becky I hate it, but I am on it.  It is something I have to have in my life to function while I find something else.  I 'think' the Enbrel is working, but I don't know yet when or how much I can ween.  I see my doc soon and will know more shortly.

I don't have an answer to your question, but I am in the same boat as many of you.  I hate being on it.  I have lost weight since getting on an anti depressant.  I don't have all the horrible side effects of the prednisone anymore.  So besides the medical damage longterm, I am holding up well on it for now until I get off.

p.s.  My mom weaned very smoothly by going .5 for two weeks at a time less.  Every two weeks, she would drop a half a milligram.  This doctor had her go super slow and she had no effects.  The Vioxx was working for her at the time though.
arizonara38914.9285300926I didnt have any problems with the actual weaning process, but after about a week off of it I did have a nice little flare.  I really think that the MTX and Humira may be working now.I was just weaned off of the pred at the rate of 2.5 mg every other week .Every drop was killing me, I threw up every day for 3 months
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