Now I know what you're all talking about when you say the prednisone merry go round. I did the whole "step down" thing and now that it's out of my system..boom..I"m starting to swell again and I had pain for the first time in weeks today. You know the kind, where you can't take the edge off? I had to leave a message for the doc...so now what? Step down forever? how often can I do it before it damages me? what a bummer, but it was sure nice for a few weeks there.
Hi Kim
I'm sorry to hear of your renewed flare. I'm not much help to you as I'm tapering off it myself, after a major flare. You did the right thing by phoning your dr though. Please let us know what he/she suggests next.
In the meantime, can your doc prescribe some strong pain relief?
What mg you down to? Usually you will have a flare for a few days until your body gets use to not having that extra mg of pred and then it will get better.
I have been on pred for over 2 years now ranging from 5mg - 15mg. and I went into a bad flare when I tried to go from 5mg to 2.5mg, so I upped it back up to 5mg and then I went back to my RD and he put me on 15mg. But now I am back down to 10mg and sometimes 5mg, when I am running low on my pred and forget to get it refilled, but did not go into a flare, as I was already in a flare from not having my Humira for 2 weeks going on 3 weeks as I have a bladder infection and on antibiotics.
Hope your RD gives ya something to tame the pain or at least take the edge off of the pain.
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