Stopping Prednisone

[Guest guest]

Ok, After 2 years being on Prednisone my doctors are telling me that I can stop taking it. I'm 2 years post transplant and have already stopped taking the Cellcept because I am allergic to it. I thought that meant that I would have to stay on a low dose (5 mg) of Prednisone for the rest of my life. When I went in for my check-up on Tuesday the doctor told me to go down to 2.5 mg of Prednisone and that after a month I could stop taking it. He didn't have my chart in his hand at the time so I wasn't 100% sure and called my coordinator about it. He also said the same thing. My question to those other post-transplant people out there is: Are any of you just on Prograf for anti-regection? Is it really OK to be on just one anti-rejection medication? I mean I'm only taking 2mg of Prograf twice a day as it is so I guess I'm worried that it will not be enough. Anybody have any advice/comments on

this. Pat (CA)

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[Guest guest]

I don't have personal experience with this, as I have UC that goes

balistic whenever I get at or below 10mg prednisone, but there was a

person in a support group I attended recently that was only on

Prograf. I think he said he was only taking two (1mg) pills a day, but

it may have been two pills twice a day. He was doing very well at the

time.

Darryl

PSC UC 12/96, Tx 2/02, Recur PSC 04

[Guest guest]

My wife has been off prednisone for almost a year.

However, it took three tries. Previously, she would be down to 2.5mg,

then they took her off prenisone, and then her next blood tests would

show symptoms similar to rejection. They would re-up her prednisone,

do a biopsy, and then work at bringing her prednisone levels back

down. The third time, everything looks good.

Naperville, IL

>

> Ok, After 2 years being on Prednisone my doctors are telling me that

I can stop taking it. I'm 2 years post transplant and have already

stopped taking the Cellcept because I am allergic to it. I thought

that meant that I would have to stay on a low dose (5 mg) of

Prednisone for the rest of my life. When I went in for my check-up on

Tuesday the doctor told me to go down to 2.5 mg of Prednisone and that

after a month I could stop taking it. He didn't have my chart in his

hand at the time so I wasn't 100% sure and called my coordinator about

it. He also said the same thing.

[Guest guest]

Pat,

I'm 3 years post transplant 2. I still take 5mg of prednisone

every other day. My hep said that he will never take me off the

prednisone because he believes that I started to go down hill after

my first one when I was removed from the prednisone. I'm not sure if

that is true, but that is what he believes. I take 3mg of prograf

twice a day. They measure my prograf level every blood test, which

is every 2 months. They determine the prograf dose from that level.

>

> My question to those other post-transplant people out there is:

> Are any of you just on Prograf for anti-regection? Is it really

OK to be on just one anti-rejection medication? I mean I'm only

taking 2mg of Prograf twice a day as it is so I guess I'm worried

that it will not be enough.

>

> Pat (CA)

[Guest guest]

When it was time for me to go off the prednisone, it took most of a year to go from 10 mg a day to 0. I was weaned off, very slowly, and had lots of blood tests. I was taking and still take prograf, 2mg/2 times daily and azathioprine, 100mg/day. I have heard other drs say it is important to go off prednisone slowly.

MIzKit

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[Guest guest]

I guess I must be lucky... I went off prednisone about two months post

transplant with no problems. I didn't realize it could be so hard to

get off of!

athan