Re: prednisone adjustment to control flare?

[Guest guest]

HI DeeDee:

Sounds like we're all in a similar situation. I just went from 5 to 4 mg prednisone and also have been having problems. Mainly I've found that I get incredibly fatigued much more than before. But it's starting to even out. I know how much I dread hearing the doctor suggest upping the prednisone to get through a flare. Seems so unfair that trying to wean oneself off of it seems to precipitate the flare. I don't know what the answer is. I'm also on Humira once a week. I'll be starting Remicade in a month and thought that I would cut back to once every two weeks. That on top of going down 1 mg of prednisone seemed to do me in. So I'm back to Humira weekly.

Splitting your prednisone sounds like a great idea - and it sounds ideal for an easier taper since the drug is more evenly distributed throughout the day. Maybe the answer is to go back up to get through the flare and then start reducing by 1/2 mg instead. It may be that you're just really sensitive to the change in dosage.

good luck and let us know how you're doing.

gloria

[Guest guest]

Harold:

I'd forgotten that during one of my flares my doctor suggested I do 3 days of 20 mg. to try and get a jump on the flare and then come back immediately to my regular dosage. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. I guess tapering depends on how long you are going to stay at a higher dosage.

gloria

[Guest guest]

I think going all the way up to 15 mg for a day or two to break the flare may be in order, and then you should be able to taper pretty quickly back down to 8 mg. When I was on 10 mg Prednisone daily I got pericarditis and my cardiologist told me to increase my Prednisone to 20 mg for a week and also to start 1200 mg Ibuprofen. Within a week my pericarditis was cleared up and after another week I was back down to 10 mg Prednisone. A short-term increase in Prednisone should not require a long-term taper. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: deedeegreen78739

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 4:27 PM

Subject: prednisone adjustment to control flare?

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since my last post but decided todaythat I get more help from you all than my own rheumatoligist. You'dbe suprised how much I get out of reading the daily post logseverynight....I need advice. (i know it is just advice, but i trulybelieve that we know more about medication adjustment and our bestinterest than our drs do sometimes...)A few weeks ago I tapered down from 8 mg of prednisone to 7 mg ofprednisone. (just before that, I felt great). I flared for about aweek, toughed it out with ibruprofen, hot showers and waited untilmy weekly humira shot. The next week felt better than the weekafter, felt even better. Was pain free for a few days (thinkingthat the taper worked and I worked through the initial hard part).Now I am flareing everywhere and feel awful. I called in thismorning (it's been horrible for about a week now, so I know I needto do something to get this under control). Rheumy suggested goingup to 15 mg of prednisone then down every 2 to 3 days......I amalittle worried because it has taken me forever to even get down tothe 8mg I was just on. But how much is enough to get this flareunder control? I have in the past been able to manage my ownprednisone for the most part, but am so worried I am going to haveto start all over again....I thought about going up to 10 mg firstto see if that helps. I divide my prednisone up to 5 mg in themorning and 2 mg in the evening (so I could do 5 more this pm andsee if that helps....)I am on Humira weekly and well now, 7 mg of prednisone.Anyone?Thanks in advance for any input.DeeDee

[Guest guest]

Hi Harold,

I think that you are right about needing the higher dose to break

the flare. I do feel better knowing that it is possible to get back

down quickly so that I don't get to used to the higher dose. I

think I will go up for a couple of days, then go back from 15 to 10

for a bit then taper 1 mg at a time, or even 1/2 mg. I will also

try to time out the tapers along with my humira shot days. Thanks

for your sharing your experience, it really is comforting to hear

that these things are possible.

Now, I just need to stay off the scale and not stress about my

weight for the next few days as I am sure I will be eating like a

cow...or eating the whole cow...

thanks again

DeeDee

> I think going all the way up to 15 mg for a day or two to break

the flare may be in order, and then you should be able to taper

pretty quickly back down to 8 mg. When I was on 10 mg Prednisone

daily I got pericarditis and my cardiologist told me to increase my

Prednisone to 20 mg for a week and also to start 1200 mg Ibuprofen.

Within a week my pericarditis was cleared up and after another week

I was back down to 10 mg Prednisone. A short-term increase in

Prednisone should not require a long-term taper. God bless.

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: deedeegreen78739

> Rheumatoid Arthritis

> Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 4:27 PM

> Subject: prednisone adjustment to control

flare?

>

>

>

> Hi everyone! It's been awhile since my last post but decided

today

> that I get more help from you all than my own rheumatoligist.

You'd

> be suprised how much I get out of reading the daily post logs

> everynight....I need advice. (i know it is just advice, but i

truly

> believe that we know more about medication adjustment and our

best

> interest than our drs do sometimes...)

> A few weeks ago I tapered down from 8 mg of prednisone to 7 mg of

> prednisone. (just before that, I felt great). I flared for about

a

> week, toughed it out with ibruprofen, hot showers and waited

until

> my weekly humira shot. The next week felt better than the week

> after, felt even better. Was pain free for a few days (thinking

> that the taper worked and I worked through the initial hard

part).

> Now I am flareing everywhere and feel awful. I called in this

> morning (it's been horrible for about a week now, so I know I

need

> to do something to get this under control). Rheumy suggested

going

> up to 15 mg of prednisone then down every 2 to 3 days......I am

> alittle worried because it has taken me forever to even get down

to

> the 8mg I was just on. But how much is enough to get this flare

> under control? I have in the past been able to manage my own

> prednisone for the most part, but am so worried I am going to

have

> to start all over again....I thought about going up to 10 mg

first

> to see if that helps. I divide my prednisone up to 5 mg in the

> morning and 2 mg in the evening (so I could do 5 more this pm and

> see if that helps....)

> I am on Humira weekly and well now, 7 mg of prednisone.

> Anyone?

> Thanks in advance for any input.

> DeeDee

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Somewhere way back in the archives there's a post about tapering

prednisone. The person who wrote it did it very slowly and carefully

as she had used it a long time, but her method sounded good.

I think it's possibly better to take a long time dropping the dosage

as she did for more lasting results

Annette

>

> Hi everyone! It's been awhile since my last post but decided today

> that I get more help from you all than my own rheumatoligist. You'd

> be suprised how much I get out of reading the daily post logs

> everynight....I need advice. (i know it is just advice, but i truly

> believe that we know more about medication adjustment and our best

> interest than our drs do sometimes...)

> A few weeks ago I tapered down from 8 mg of prednisone to 7 mg of

> prednisone. (just before that, I felt great). I flared for about a

> week, toughed it out with ibruprofen, hot showers and waited until

> my weekly humira shot. The next week felt better than the week

> after, felt even better. Was pain free for a few days (thinking

> that the taper worked and I worked through the initial hard part).

> Now I am flareing everywhere and feel awful. I called in this

> morning (it's been horrible for about a week now, so I know I need

> to do something to get this under control). Rheumy suggested going

> up to 15 mg of prednisone then down every 2 to 3 days......I am

> alittle worried because it has taken me forever to even get down to

> the 8mg I was just on. But how much is enough to get this flare

> under control? I have in the past been able to manage my own

> prednisone for the most part, but am so worried I am going to have

> to start all over again....I thought about going up to 10 mg first

> to see if that helps. I divide my prednisone up to 5 mg in the

> morning and 2 mg in the evening (so I could do 5 more this pm and

> see if that helps....)

> I am on Humira weekly and well now, 7 mg of prednisone.

> Anyone?

> Thanks in advance for any input.

> DeeDee