Re: Stopping prednisone/reducing prednisone

[Guest guest]

Michele, that is very, very fast, in my opinion. I don't think I recall hearing

of anyone else stopping so quickly.

Are you seeing a hepatologist? A GI? Is it someone you feel fully comfortable

with? Do you have the option of getting a second opinion? Most insurance plans

allow you a second opinion, and a good doctor should be glad to have further

information from another source.

Dropping prednisone too fast can have some negative results. One's adrenal

glands, especially, can be affected. I think you should ask your doctor if a

slower reduction might work better for you. This rate really is unusual, as far

as I know.

Others, what is your experience in reducing prednisone? Do you have any opinions

on this?

I can't remember if any of us have suggested a basic book on liver disease. Many

of us find it helpful. It's " Dr. Palmer's Guide to Liver Disease " . If

you can't find it locally, it's available through Amazon for less than $20. It's

written for people new to liver disease and its treatment.

Best wishes.

Harper

AIH dx 2000

[ ] this and that from the Netherlands

Hi everybody,

I'm sorry I haven't written at all the last couple of months. I am very

tired lately and don't feel like doing anything.

Just before Christmas the doctor gave me prednisone for 3 weeks, because the

levels weren't good at all and were getting worse.

So after the 3 weeks, my levels were good again and I had to start with 150

Imuran and cut down the prednisone.

I don't have prednisone anymore, which I'm glad about, but as I said in the

beginning, I'm very tired.

Next month I have to go back for an echo and the normal blood checkup I get

every 2/3 months.

I will ask if there is anything to do about being tired all the time.

I guess I'm lucky that I don't have pain at all. I'm sorry to read about the

pain some people in this group have.

In Holland it has been very cold. I'm not really used to cold weather. We

mostly have it about 3 weeks and then it's gone, but it has been cold here

off and on since the beginning of December. It's freezing outside and it

feels like I don't have any clothes on.

My bones hurt when I go outside, but I have to go, because I have to go to

my work and walk my 2 English Bulldogs.

I'm glad I still have a job, even if it's for only 20 hours a week.

Before I worked 32 hours for the same boss and they could keep me on for

these new hours.

I have worked with this company since I graduated from school and that's 23

years already.

I only work in the morning and when I get back I go to bed for about 2

hours.

After that I walk the dogs, check my mail and then start dinner. After

dinner I usually check if somebody needs my help with the courses I give

true email (Excel, Dreamweaver, Photoshop), watch some TV and go to bed.

I wish everybody a nice day and I will try to write some more.

Michele

AIH since march 2009 (imuran 150mg)

43 years old

[Guest guest]

Harper wrote:

>

>

>

> Others, what is your experience in reducing prednisone? Do you have

> any opinions on this?

>

>

I recently went from 10 mg to zero over 5 weeks. My hep told me to do

it in 4 weeks (2 weeks at 5 mg and 2 weeks at 2.5 mg) but on my own I

started with one week at 7.5 mg before I went to 5. That schedule was

fine as far as my ALT and AST were concerned -- they stayed low -- but I

had about 2 weeks of feeling terrible, with fatigue and aches, that

probably would have been less with a slower reduction.

Jan in FL

>

[Guest guest]

My various doctors have always required a lab test before every prednisone

reduction.

Generally, the early reductions, the high-dosage ones, go in big leaps. Then,

the reductions become very much smaller and less frequent.

I'm hoping to hear from others about their reduction scheduling.

Harper

Re: [ ] Stopping prednisone/reducing prednisone

Harper wrote:

>

>

>

> Others, what is your experience in reducing prednisone? Do you have

> any opinions on this?

>

>

I recently went from 10 mg to zero over 5 weeks. My hep told me to do

it in 4 weeks (2 weeks at 5 mg and 2 weeks at 2.5 mg) but on my own I

started with one week at 7.5 mg before I went to 5. That schedule was

fine as far as my ALT and AST were concerned -- they stayed low -- but I

had about 2 weeks of feeling terrible, with fatigue and aches, that

probably would have been less with a slower reduction.

Jan in FL

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry I see all the chatter about stopping prednisone been busy but I took years

to get off of prednisone.

I had trouble weaning off of it. It took months to get down to 5 mg and then I

stayed there for a long time before my doc felt comfortable taking me off of

it.

I went to 2.5 on an off and on basis by alternating the dosage in order for my

adrenal gland to get functioning normally again. My doctor also had me doing

blood work to keep an eye on my levels.

It took time but I finally was weaned off after doing 2.5 one day and nothing

the next for a few weeks.

Doing it so slowly kept me from having trouble like I did the first time when

they tried to do it on a faster basis.

Hope this helps.

brenda the WV hillbilly

LOVE IS IN ALL THINGS AND IN ALL THINGS IS LOVE

________________________________

From: Harper <flatcat9@...>

Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 9:01:00 PM

Subject: Re: [ ] Stopping prednisone/reducing prednisone

My various doctors have always required a lab test before every prednisone

reduction.

Generally, the early reductions, the high-dosage ones, go in big leaps. Then,

the reductions become very much smaller and less frequent.

I'm hoping to hear from others about their reduction scheduling.

Harper

Re: [ ] Stopping prednisone/reducing prednisone

Harper wrote:

>

>

>

> Others, what is your experience in reducing prednisone? Do you have

> any opinions on this?

>

>

I recently went from 10 mg to zero over 5 weeks. My hep told me to do

it in 4 weeks (2 weeks at 5 mg and 2 weeks at 2.5 mg) but on my own I

started with one week at 7.5 mg before I went to 5. That schedule was

fine as far as my ALT and AST were concerned -- they stayed low -- but I

had about 2 weeks of feeling terrible, with fatigue and aches, that

probably would have been less with a slower reduction.

Jan in FL

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, to Harper and ,

My Prednisone experience is the same as yours. Diagnosed for PMR a type

of arthritis, it took three years to get off and now I am back on and down

to 4 mg. My sed rate is very high, and it is tested before each doctor

visit (along with other markers).

Don't forget to keep a hard copy of all of your lab results!

Nina in Olympia (used to be Spokane), PBC stage 2; 4 types of Arthritis

Dr. Nina F. Shecter, Psychologist

360-250-8422

Olympia, WA