I have a prednisone question. I was taking 9mg's a day when I started taking humira in September. I can only get down to 5 mg's a day. My ra comes on slow. If I go to 4 mg's, it starts to flare. I go back to five, I do alright. I take 1 shot every 2 weeks. I see the doctor in 2 weeks. I don't know if she will put me on weekly shots and see if I can come down further, or say that I am doing good. I guess my question is, is this good to be able to get to five or not?
It is always good to wean down or off prednisone. Prednisone is not meant for long term use. Too many really bad side effects. I don't know what your doc will say, but weekly shots are a possibility or combining the humira with another DMARD like methotrexate is a possibility to explore and research also.
You are not the only one that has a hard time weaning off pred. It happens to many of us and it seems that 5mgs is the magic bullet for a lot of people. A lot of people will flare if they go lower than 5mgs.
Thank you for the info. I tried all the other meds including methotrexate with no luck at all. I can't take the methotrexate any longer. It was increasing my liver counts. Just knowing that about the 5 mg's of prednisone makes me feel better.
Cub; I take Humira weekly....but I also take MTX. I don't think I'd do this well without it. SInce you can't take MTX maybe weekly could work. Another DMARD might do the trick as well. It's worth a shot.
I don't take predisone except in cases of extreme flares and over the course of 13 years; that's probable been about 10 times in shot courses. My doctors hestitate to get me too "use" to it; and that is exactly what tends to happen to folks.
Good Luck with this. Hang in there.....it is possible to get off that predisone; but it will take time.
SuperC, I take MTX & Arava. I've been on prednisone for nearly a year and a half, now - I'm at 4.5, trying to get down to 4 mg., and I'm really starting to flare. At 5, I did okay, but I'm really trying to kick it. I'm going VERY slowly. I go down by .5 mg., and I start by going down .5 mg. a day only once a week. I don't know if I can go any lower. It's discouraging. I think the answer is, if you want to get off the prednisone, you have to accept some pain. There's no way around it. I don't know if it gets better as time goes on, and I'm not sure I can tolerate more of a flare than I am in right now.There really isn't anything quite like pred.
Both good and bad. I think to live without it you will have to go through some months of pain. My body gradually adjusted. You get used to a new norm. (I'm not as nuts or as fat but I ache more).
Your body has to kick back in and make its own again. Slow going.