Well...I have been off the Prednisone for 2 days now. I am taking two of my 7.5 Meloxicam (anti-inflammatories). Yes, I am hurting, but it is tolerable at the moment. If it gets worse I will take my Tramadol in leiu of the Prednisone. Hopefully it won't get really bad.
What have y'all experienced when getting off the Prednisone this early in the game? How long before pain got bad? I have only been taking Plaquenil since May 4th. So...it's going to be awhile before it kicks in (if it does).
It took me 2 months to get to where the pain and all the syptoms were to where I could not stand it anymore. Then I had to go back on pred and at 15mg.
Pred does not seem to last that long in me, my normal dose of pred. It usually lasts about 6-10 hours before my symptoms like stiffness, swelling and pain starts to creep back. When I have a harder time moving my fingers on my right hand, I know it is time for me to take my pred again. But sometimes I get "busy" and forget to take it in a timely manner. I do not take my pred at any certain time, mostly when I remember to take it. I have took it anywhere from 10pm - 5am, just depends.
I hope you can stay off the pred. I know everyone strives to not take pred or to be off pred, but sometimes pred is something you need to help you make it thru your days. I know it sure has made my life a little easier and my joints more comfortable. But there comes a time when you feel it is not working as good for you, which is where I am at now.
Good Luck!!
It's a catch 22!!! I don't want to ruin my joints, but I don't want the
side effects of the Prednisone...what to do, what to do?
good job! Lisa, please don't beat yourself up if you have to go back on it though, that's what happened to me. I was going down, but now had to go back up. Oh well, all we can do is try, lv sarah Hey You All, I know no one here wants to take Pred. It is a drug with sometimes life time side effects and damage. I read all about that on Lorster's post and it is soooo scary. I have seen Pred. though when it has saved the life of someone I love.If they had given my dad Pred. when he got bee stung he may not have died. My son has had to take it several times for severe allergic reactions to bee stings along with an EPI Pen. My sister with RA has bad allergic reactions and asthma and there have been times when I think she would have smothered to death without Pred and inhalers. Of course for the past year since being DXed with the RA she has been on it constantly and is now down to 10mgs, not good but better. The effects it has had on her has been very harsh and damaging. 4 shots insulin a day because of Pred. is only one effect. there are many others but no Dr. has any better suggestions to help her breathe. Short term use and it is a miracle drug, long term and it can be devestating. What are you supposed to do when you have to have it? I really am sorry you folks have to go through this. Good luck and God Bless you all......GenesisCongrats Blessed!! Keep up the good work. Do whatever you can to keep
the pain in control until the Plaq takes hold. I know you can do it.
Genesis, I agree with you about the pred. It is an absolute miracle drug
when used as it was intended. But it is not being used that way all across
the country. Doctors are not exploring all the other options out there for
patients and pred is cheap and available and the patients don't call the office
as often when on this med. All is well. But, there comes a time when the
doctor needs to take responsibility and wean the patient down and off. This
drug should not be taken for years. It has saved many lives and ruined
many.
Pain doesn't cause the damage its the continuing inflammation that does.
Controlling the inflammtion in turn will control the pain. Controlling the pain alone does nothing to stopping the disease process.
Prednisone is NOT a pain treatment it is a minor disease modifier. Understand why you are on this med and what treatments are appropriate to replace it.
Pred has its place in the treatment of RA. Yes it has serious side effects but properly used it is an effective medication. And in the cases of rheumatic diseases such as PMR or vasculitis a necessary medication.
work with your doctor to get off pred at the right pace and at the right point in your medical treatment.
I have a love/hate relationship with pred. I have taken it for the ra (currently on 5mg again finally) and for my asthma and pnuemonia. I have had solumedrol IV for a flare from the depths of the earth. Now there's a sight to see with me lol.
Corticosteroids is one of the chemicals in the body that helps take care of inflammation. People with any type of arthritis do not produce enough of this chemical on their own. Hence the need for pred when our own bodies can not take care of the inflammation. Unfortunately, some people are on pred for years and then have to deal with the spin off disease from it. No matter what they do, they can't get off of it. It is almost like after a certain amount of time on it...your body will not produce enough or at all the corticosteroids you need. The goal is to eventually get off of pred by doing a taper so you don't shock your body. For example...I have been steady on pred since the end of Oct. 06. I am finally ready to completely get off of it. How do I know? Because of the way I feel on my low dose of 5mg. Even tho we are on pred does not mean your meds are not working. Blessed, in your case, you still have some waiting time for that plaq to kick in. Even when I had it rough last winter, my meds were working...otherwise, I would be in a wheelchair. My body just needed that extra oomph of steroids to assist in getting rid of inflammation. I feel when we go off of pred there will be a period of adjustment our bodies have to go thru and you may flare up a little bit at first and then it will go away. My rheumy said something very interesting to me once when I asked him when I would be off this stuff. He said I will know when it is time to be off of the pred. He said my body will tell me. Until then we will keep you on the 5mg. June 5th is the magic day for me!
I can't tell you Blessed if there is damage being done to your joints because you have inflammation. Only xrays will be able to show that. Keep in mind tho, it is the inflammation that does damage our joints. That is why it is so important to keep that under control. NSAIDS do help to a degree with inflammation. Have to give those a little time to kick in to do their job also. I have a friend on an nsaid it took about 3-4 weeks to kick in and now she is doing very well. What is your schedule for taking your anti inflammatory? Is it 2 at a time or 1 in the morning and one in the evening?
All I can really say is patience grasshopper. While I understand that we want to feel better overnight and right now, it just doesn't happen that way. You will go thru a process of accepting that and it will happen. It just has to happen at your own pace and in your own time.
Lorster...I agree with most of what you said about the pred. I just feel that it is not only the responsibility of the doc to wean us off, but our responsibility also. We have to speak up and tell them HEY I don't want to be on this stuff any longer than I have to. Whether it is 6 months or 6 years.
Love it or hate it...pred is a necessary evil of our ra treatment at times.
I am down the 2.5 mgs every other day and can go off of it whenever I am ready. Thanks for your post! The love/hate relationship with Pred. says it all Gramma, I think everyone on it feels that way. One other reason Barbara has to take so much is that she can't take any nsaids, she has bleeding ulsers and esophogus issues . It is also why she can't take folic acid and her hair is sooo thin now. Until now she couldn't take the Fossamax or Boniva to strengthen her bones because of her stomach. But an infusion Boniva is out there now and she is to try it with her next Remicade infusion, hope it works! God Bless all of you who has to take Pred. I have seen first hand the damage it can do and it is sometimes a necessary evil, try to get off of it asap.....GenDo you all have to take pred? I find it interesting the difference in health care between countries, in the UK they won't let me near oral steroids and I have to cope with other means, Occasionally I have shots of Kenalog and infusions of methylprednisolone but that is not a constant treatment.Yes and no that it is standard. Most of us can be put on it at one point or another if you are doing the standard treatment with medications. If you are doing AP therapy or the natural route, I don't think they do pred.
I looked up Kenalog and it is a corticosteroid.
Lorna UK - They wont let you anywhere near pred? Interesting, I am in the UK and it was the second thing my GP put me on, after an anti-inflammatory to help with the wait to see a rheumatologist.