Guest guest Posted September 13, 2002 Report Share Posted September 13, 2002 Hello , I know what the weight gain from Prednisone is like. I was on 40 mg/day for the first 2 months. When I tapered I couldn't below 10 mg/day without being swollen. I gained almost 60 pounds. I was only able to successfully taper after I was on Remicade for several months. I started Remicade in April 2000, and am still on it. It works really well for me. Currently, I've been on 4 mg/day for about 2 months. My rheumy says its important not to begin tapering until you have a regular schedule. I don't have any other experience with tapering. Take care, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.” (Napoleon Hill) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hey all... i am a 29 yr old male. was diagnosed with RA back in >1996. Ive been on prednisone for a while now. i have gained weight >in my belly and face. when i try to taper off the steroids i get >really achy and sick. I try to excercise but the littlest bit of >excercise causes me to get very achy. I am to the point where i dont >know what else to do. any ideas on how to help? > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2002 Report Share Posted September 19, 2002 Hi ... Yes i have just started Remicade and i too am able to taper down! Its an amazing treatment. I am now able to finally do light excercises with out getting real sick. I just hope i will be able to keep tapering and down and increase my excercises. The last time i went out of state to arkansas by train, even though i was still on Remicade i had to go back on a high dose. I think it had alot to dowith the humid. I am now back in sunny california and i am doing much better. Thanks for the Reply! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2002 Report Share Posted September 25, 2002 , How are you tapering the Prednisone? Perhaps you are tapering too quickly? I know it happened to me when I first started tapering off. Meg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2002 Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 Curious, how much prednisone are you on per day? Tamra RA-33 --- In Rheumatoid Arthritis@y..., " davidskrepps " <davidskrepps@y...> wrote: > Hey all... i am a 29 yr old male. was diagnosed with RA back in > 1996. Ive been on prednisone for a while now. i have gained weight > in my belly and face. when i try to taper off the steroids i get > really achy and sick. I try to excercise but the littlest bit of > excercise causes me to get very achy. I am to the point where i dont > know what else to do. any ideas on how to help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 If you can tolerate the pain and still function reasonably well, you made the right decision. My main problem with Prednisone is that it makes me feel good without slowing down or stopping the joint damage. I had to take it for my first year to avoid being bedridden but now Methotrexate and Remicade together control my RA so I am off Prednisone except for flares. I hope your RA medicines work well enough so you don't need Prednisone. I have heard that Glucosamine and Chondroitin help Osteoarthritis but not RA. Also I have heard that vitamins and other supplements do not specifically help RA but you should take them for general health. I take vitamins C, D, E, and a multivitamin plus a low-dose adult aspirin and extra calcium for my general health. My significant other and I have been married for 51 years so we know each other pretty well. My wife is a RN and she goes with me to almost all my doctor's apointments so she understands RA quite well and is very supportive. There is a lot of general information about arthritis on the ArthritisInsight web and your husband could learn a lot by becoming familiar with that site. http://www.arthritisinsight.com/medical/disease/ There is also a very active message board on that site. http://www.arthritisinsight.com/cgi-bin/wsmbb/wsmbb.cgi?SB+KYWRJLLXVS/AKFCLKZQUN+config Good luck and God bless. ----- Original Message ----- From: Yolanda Piper Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 4:58 PM Subject: Prednisone My Rheumy had given me the option to start Prednisone as a more aggressive treatment with my Plaquenil and Vioxx, but I declined due to the mixed reviews about weight gain. I am already overweight and having trouble losing the existing pounds. Now I am wondering if I made a mistake!!! Do the benefits outweight the side effects?Doc also claims that vitamins and/or supplements like Glucosamine will not make a difference in my condition. Do any of you take regular supplements?Also, if I may ask, how are your significant others dealing with the disease? My new husband hasn't really said much since I was diagnosed, even though he encouraged me to see the doctor. I've asked him how he feels, but he is avoiding the subject.Thanks for all your support! This board is wonderful!Yolanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 Dear Yolanda, When I was first diagnosed, I was put on 40 mg/day of Prednisone to get my arthritis under control. I had never had weight problems before. Over my first 2 months on Prednisone I gained close to 55 pounds (although I had lost almost 20 pounds after I first got sick.) I've been told that my weight gain was not typical. I'm currently on 4 mg/day. As I've lowered my dosage, the weight has come off faster than I gained it (thankfully). Even with so much weight gain, I would say the benefits were worth it. My pain was mind-numbing before the Prednisone. Like Grandpa Van, I've heard good things about Glucosamine for osteo-arthritis but not RA. Regarding significant others, I'm lucky in that sense. The man I'm dating also has arthritis, so we understand each others limitations. Take care, in VA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 again, well I said I wouldn't go back on predisone again because of the sideaffects but I had no choice in the decision. It was go on it or deal with the pain and imflamation. I guess I am a little different with the weight problem. Seems every time I go on it I loose weight. I was at 132 (not much as compaired to others) and I am now at 110. I have problem with eating at all. I have no desire to eat OR drink. As of now I am still in pain. No relief from predisone and I plan to go to my family Dr. next week when the office is open again. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2003 Report Share Posted July 6, 2003 , When I was first diagnosed I was put on 7.5 mg of Prednisone daily. After only about 3 weeks my doc started weening me off by taking less everyother day. After two weeks I was back to were where I was when I was first diagnosed. Morning stiffness, swelling and inflamation, and severe pain. I went back on 7.5 daily last monday and still am not where I was after my first 3 weeks on it. My doc is afraid it will shorten my life if on it to long. But like I told my wife, If I have 20 years to live and have to live it like this, just give me ten quality years with little pain and suffering. The side effects be hanged, they can't be as bad as the symptoms of raging RA as far as I'm concerned. Good Luck, Jay > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 > Even at very small doses (ie under 5mg/day) prednisone can cause ulcers, > nightmares & bone erosion. > > Steph in VA>>>> > Yes , but to how many people, per 1000? Aspirin, coffee, and cola caused me ulcers, not prednisone (I did not take it at the time, now they are gone, since I take 7.5 mg prednisone and stopped the rest). I have had two Dexa scans, (bone density), totally normal. Have been taking preddy up to 20 mg for ten years. But this means nothing, too..... Again, I think it is imporant to research the *numbers* in the studies, but not to assume anything based upon an anecdote or generalization.. also, I think what a drug can do for you vs. NOT having the drug comes into play.....few people want chemotherapy, but it can help them. There must be a balance, based upon a professional's opinion..and your INFORMED choice. Talk to your rheumie... Pris ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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