prednisone taper - symptoms return

[Guest guest]

Hi group,

I began the diet back in mid July but now that my Pred is lower (from 20 mg to

7.5) I notice that the symptoms have resumed. So I'm back to the intro diet but

wondering if other people had any experience or wisdom for this. What does my

body need? Perhaps it's an imbalance of bugs again from the steroid? The mucus

is pretty foul smelling and worse in the morning if I eat a snack after dinner

the night before. I think my digestion is very slow at night so I can't have

much in there at night. But the mucus is worst in the early am first thing and

late night after dinner...

I'm going to try the S. Boulardi and see if it helps.

thanks,

Liz

UC 3.5 yrs ? CD

Mom of Isabel and Avery

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi Liz,

<<I began the diet back in mid July but now that my Pred is lower

(from 20 mg to 7.5) I notice that the symptoms have resumed. So I'm

back to the intro diet but wondering if other people had any

experience or wisdom for this. What does my body need?>>

Some people need to reduce the prednisone very slowly and allow their

body to start making it's own 'steroids' again. For some reducing

prednisone at the rate that most doctors prescribe can trigger a

relapse and a return to symptoms. Often this is worse if this is not

the first time on steroids. It is reported to happen most often

once the individual gets to 15 mg and starts to decrease and usually

abates around 5 mg.

What weaning schedule are you using?

You may need to increase the amount again and go even slower to

reduce the amounts.

Another thing is to look at the foods youi are eating. Often times

people are eating foods at the lower dosage that they don't

tolerate. The higher doses of steroids often allow for a greater

variety of foods. To alleviate the symptoms sometimes eating easier

to digest foods helps.

<<Perhaps it's an imbalance of bugs again from the steroid?>>

Maybe... Are you using yogurt or probiotics?

<< The mucus is pretty foul smelling and worse in the morning if I

eat a snack after dinner the night before. I think my digestion is

very slow at night so I can't have much in there at night. But the

mucus is worst in the early am first thing and late night after

dinner...>>

When do you take the steroid?

<<I'm going to try the S. Boulardi and see if it helps.>>

I found it very helpful when I weaned.

Sheila, SCD Feb. 2001, UC 23yrs, PCOD 22yrs

mom of and

[Guest guest]

Hi, Sheila! Dede here!

I just wanted to let you know your message to Liz holds a lot of

good information for me.

I've been on steriods for a long time -- low dose, between 2.5-5

mg/day (taken in the a.m.) I also take plaquenil in the a.m. for my

Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.

My doc wants me to try to decrease it to " 0 " (which, after all these

years, scares the heck out of me!!), but I'm trying.

It was good to read someone else coping with the tapering and the

side effects, etc. - and then to read your post of where you were

successful.

I have lots of problems, as everyone else - but one would think that

after reaching 58 years of age one would have attained a certain

level of patience. (I seem to be worse now!)

Thanks for your information!

Dede

Self-Diagnosed intolerant, this summer

>

> Hi Liz,

>

> <<I began the diet back in mid July but now that my Pred is lower

> (from 20 mg to 7.5) I notice that the symptoms have resumed. So

I'm

> back to the intro diet but wondering if other people had any

> experience or wisdom for this. What does my body need?>>

>

> Some people need to reduce the prednisone very slowly and allow

their

> body to start making it's own 'steroids' again. For some reducing

> prednisone at the rate that most doctors prescribe can trigger a

> relapse and a return to symptoms. Often this is worse if this is

not

> the first time on steroids. It is reported to happen most often

> once the individual gets to 15 mg and starts to decrease and

usually

> abates around 5 mg.

>

> What weaning schedule are you using?

>

> You may need to increase the amount again and go even slower to

> reduce the amounts.

>

> Another thing is to look at the foods youi are eating. Often times

> people are eating foods at the lower dosage that they don't

> tolerate. The higher doses of steroids often allow for a greater

> variety of foods. To alleviate the symptoms sometimes eating

easier

> to digest foods helps.

>

> <<Perhaps it's an imbalance of bugs again from the steroid?>>

>

> Maybe... Are you using yogurt or probiotics?

>

> << The mucus is pretty foul smelling and worse in the morning if I

> eat a snack after dinner the night before. I think my digestion is

> very slow at night so I can't have much in there at night. But the

> mucus is worst in the early am first thing and late night after

> dinner...>>

>

> When do you take the steroid?

>

> <<I'm going to try the S. Boulardi and see if it helps.>>

>

> I found it very helpful when I weaned.

>

> Sheila, SCD Feb. 2001, UC 23yrs, PCOD 22yrs

> mom of and

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

You wrote:

Some people need to reduce the prednisone very slowly and allow their

body to start making it's own 'steroids' again. For some reducing

prednisone at the rate that most doctors prescribe can trigger a

relapse and a return to symptoms. Often this is worse if this is not

the first time on steroids. It is reported to happen most often

once the individual gets to 15 mg and starts to decrease and usually

abates around 5 mg.

What weaning schedule are you using?

>I am doing 2.5 mg per week.

Another thing is to look at the foods youi are eating. Often times

people are eating foods at the lower dosage that they don't

tolerate. The higher doses of steroids often allow for a greater

variety of foods. To alleviate the symptoms sometimes eating easier

to digest foods helps.

>i am trying to keep easy digestabel foods from round one of the diet as

primary in my body at this time.

<<Perhaps it's an imbalance of bugs again from the steroid?>>

Maybe... Are you using yogurt or probiotics?

>No - not yet. I am going to take the s boulardi and acidophilus to my

naturpathic chiro this weekend to have him muscle test which one is better for

me.

<< The mucus is pretty foul smelling and worse in the morning if I

eat a snack after dinner the night before. I think my digestion is

very slow at night so I can't have much in there at night. But the

mucus is worst in the early am first thing and late night after

dinner...>>

When do you take the steroid?

i take the steroid in the am

<<I'm going to try the S. Boulardi and see if it helps.>>

I found it very helpful when I weaned

Thanks, we'll see!

Liz

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi Liz,

Some have found that going slower - taking longer than a week to

reduce the steroid allows more time for the body's own steroid

production to kick in.

Another thing that others have tried is doing a day or two of the

dropped dose going back to the original for a day or two and then 2-3

days of the dropped amount etc. another day of the original and then

steadily on the dropped amount. It takes longer but for those who

struggle to get off the steroids it really helps.

<< Some people need to reduce the prednisone very slowly and allow

their > body to start making it's own 'steroids' again. For some

reducing > prednisone at the rate that most doctors prescribe can

trigger a > relapse and a return to symptoms. Often this is worse if

this is not > the first time on steroids. It is reported to happen

most often > once the individual gets to 15 mg and starts to decrease

and usually > abates around 5 mg.

>

> What weaning schedule are you using?>>

> >I am doing 2.5 mg per week.

>

> Another thing is to look at the foods youi are eating. Often times

> people are eating foods at the lower dosage that they don't

> tolerate. The higher doses of steroids often allow for a greater

> variety of foods. To alleviate the symptoms sometimes eating easier

> to digest foods helps.

>

> >i am trying to keep easy digestabel foods from round one of the

diet as primary in my body at this time.

>

> <<Perhaps it's an imbalance of bugs again from the steroid?>>

>

> Maybe... Are you using yogurt or probiotics?

> >No - not yet. I am going to take the s boulardi and acidophilus

to my naturpathic chiro this weekend to have him muscle test which

one is better for me.>>

If you can only do one the S. boulardii is great for many,but if you

can do both you may have even beter results because they work

synergistically.

Sheila, SCD Feb. 2001, UC 23yrs, PCOD 22yrs

mom of and