I had a break yesterday from my hip flare but last night my arm and shoulder started up and my hips have started up again. I know my rheumy will want to raise my prednisone again. I am so afraid of my body becoming reliant on prednisone. I have been taking pred. on and off, mostly on, for about a year now. I am still waiting for insurance to ok my Humira. Some of you have a lot of experience with prednisone. How long does it take for your body to become totally dependent on it. My rheumy said I may already be and that so scares me. I want to get off prednisone long term. Thanks you guys.
Cheryl
HiYa Roxy -
I have been on pred for almost 2yrs striaght now. I do not think my body is dependent on it. I use to forget to take doses...lol. And still forget. I am only on 5mg daily but take 10mg when I feel like I am having a harder time getting around.
I sure do hope my body is not dependent on it.
I was on pred for a 1yr & half straight when I was seeing RD. But I stopped it and arava, I did not ween off any of them. And was fine. I actually was doing good until I got preggo's again. Oh well.
I wonder why my rd said I may already be dependent on pred. I will have to ask him. I hate prednisone but since I could not take mtx, or sulfera ?, my options are limited until I get approved for Humira. I have decided against Arava. Too many people had bad experiences with it. Thanks for the input. I have always felt like I am so healthy. Messing with my body long term is very depressing for me. I want to be active for many more years !!!!This is how I understand it: The reason we take pred in the first place is because our adrenal glands are not producing enough of the natural version to handle the huge flares. So we take large does at first, and then wean off as the inflammation subsides. Now, if you try to wean too fast, your adrenal glands refuse to produce, so there you have another flare. That's why you have to be so, so careful as you stop taking it. You have to go very slowly to sort of ease your body back into producing it by itself. For example, my doc had me go down a doseage only once every two weeks. So I started at 20 mg, two weeks later 15mg, two weeks later 10mg, two weeks later 5mg--then each two weeks down only 1 mg at a time! So to get to zero from 20, it'll take several months. It's painstaking, but worth it. The reason I spelled this out is because I'm wondering if you're going too quickly from one doseage to the next, especially when you're decreasing. Also, I've noticed that when I drop even one mg, I seem to get a bit of a flare for a few days, but then it subsides. How long is the doc having you stay at one doseage before going to the next?
If you drop doseage too quickly, you can develop Addison's Disease, which is a condition whereby the body simply doesn't produce the natural steroid at all. I think that is what you're referring to as dependency on prednisone. I believe people with Addison's must take pred forever.
So fill me in--how long between your changes?
Sara, Before I saw a rd, gps would give me twenty and taper off right away. Every two days take half the dose. Now with this rd, he gave me a prednisone injection right away but then said we would try to use other medications to control my flares. So far, all else has failed except for pred. He knows my objections to pred. (Yes, I guess it is Addison's I am talking about AND mood swings) so when I flare, which seems to happen every time he takes me off a medication, he tells me to take ten a day. Then when I am feeling better, I always ask him if I can get off the pred. He says you can go down to 5 a day. Long story short - this is how it goes
5 mg. FLARE 10 mg FEEL BETTER 5 mg. FLARE 10 mg. FEEL BETTER and on and on and on...............................
I hate being on 10 mg. a day. It seems like so much! I appreciate your knowledge. I am going to do some research myself. I am just a bit loopy today, between pain meds and PAIN. I just don't want to spend the rest of my life taking prednisone which I know happens to some people!
Well, I'm certainly no expert, but I really don't like the yo-yo thing your doc has you doing. Makes me nervous. No one likes pred, but if you must take it, I'd say be more gradual about weaning. Going more slowly might lead to your being off of it more easily. If I'm your adrenal glands, I'm confused.My doc just put me back on predisone to calm my pain until hopefully the Plaquenil kicks in. I asked her about prednisone raising my sugar levels and she said it could but didnt seem to concerned since Ive never been told I had diabetes or was boarderline high on sugar levels. She just told me to take a Calcium/Viatamin D supplement along with the predisone to keep my bones strong. I like you am worried cuz I surely dont need another health problem to add to the ones I deal with already,and Im sure you dont either. Im slowly tapering down to 10mg a day until I see her at the end of Aug. Lets hope nothing happens until then.
Shawnie
Hey roxy my doc has me on the same pred program. 5mg when I feel good and then 10mg when I feel bad. My RD had me do that as well. My mother's friend does the same thing and has been for years.
So, I guess it is common.
Do any of you experience cravings for sugar, REAL BAD. I only have these cravings when on prednisone. I am not hungry for "real food" just SUGAR. I haven't gained weight because I don't feel hungry at meal time but I need sugar fixes all day, like a handful of candy at a time. IT SUCKS! I am almost living on pure sugar. I can't wait to get off this stuff. I feel like a yoyo Sara.
BTW, i have been on pred for at least 2 years... been on 5 mg for a while, several months... so if anyone was dependent on it, i was... but the body is resilient and will kick in when needed. Try to see if the pain subsides after 2 days.. thats how long it took for me.. like 1 days of feeling ok, then a super slight flare for 2 days, then feeling better each day...
Good luck!
Roxy,
Hopefully once you're on Humira you can slowly come off the prednisone.
I had been on prednisone for over 3 years and once I found a mixture of drugs that worked well for me, I was able to get off the prednisone. It's been about 7 years now without it.
Kelly
Well that is good news. I am going to try a slow wean when this flare is over. Right now, I cannot handle more flare. I think I am still being impatient with RA.. I was just dx in May but I have been dealing with it since last Sept. I just can't wait to get on something that I feel better about. I am hoping long term, Humira will not have the side effects of Prednisone. I am too impatient and I see how long many of you have had to deal with this I realize I need to wait and see. Thanks you guys,Roxy--
I'm glad to hear you're going to try a slow wean this time. Taking huge 5mg hops back and forth is probably confusing your system. I really think much slower might might help. Remember you might get a rebound pain as you step down a notch, but if you can, hang in for a day or two. Your body is adjusting--or trying to. We all get impatient with this thing. You're not alone. But the disease teaches patience sometimes.
I was on 5 mg of pred. for a year. I don't think I was dependent.
Susan Hi susan, Just curious, why does your RD want to put you on milder med if you are still having pain and it is increasing as yu decrease your dosage? Is it due to side effects? I have my second RD apt next week and will be discussing meds. Thanks, Pam
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com