Weaning from prednisone | Arthritis Information

I started on 20 mg prednisone back in Jan. Rd is slowing weaning me off.This is the 3rd time I get to 10 mg.and severe pain in all joints happens all over again.Had to call office on Thurs.told them in pain.My RD as usual calls me himself.Told me to go back to 15 mg.for 2 days 3 max-then try 10mg again.BUT RAISED MTX to 15mg. now.This last time he was slowing lowering down 2.5 mg at a time .He then told me to call if still bad this week,because he will be off the first week in Aug.I am truly bless to have such a caring wonderful doctor.I hope I never lose him as a doctor.It's Monday joints still hurt,hoping MTX will kick in to help-been using lots of Tylenol,sherry

The same thing happened to me. It's such a gentle balance. I'm taking 25mg MTX (the max) and was on 20mg of pred. Every time I got down to 10mg pred, the pain would come back. I started on Kineret 12 weeks ago, and at the same time, we started weaning from pred again. I got all the way down to 4mg, and the pain started again. But instead of going back up, I toughed it out for a week, and the pain backed off. I figured it was the body just trying to adjust itself and begin producing its own again. Plus, I'm hoping what it really means is that the Kineret is starting to work! Yoohoo! I'm down to 3mg pred, and hope to get down to 0--the doc takes me down one measly mg at a time. I know he's right--I'm just impatient. Now when I get completely off the pred, maybe we can go down on the MTX. Wouldn't that be nice!