reducing prednisolone

katknapp
katknapp Member Posts: 709
edited 12. Apr 2011, 03:54 in Living with Arthritis archive
ive started to reduce my steroids,im down to 15mg but im aching all over,i really want to do thisd though im hoping once ive been on 15 for a few days the achy pain will pass has anyone else any experience of this?

Comments

  • suzygirl
    suzygirl Member Posts: 2,005
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi, I have reduced pred and get the feeling you describe, it should pass but if it doesn't speak to your doc. It is important not to reduce too quickly, what you have reduced to 15mg from? If you do reduce too quickly it can cause side effects.

    Others far more experienced will bealong shortly!!
  • km89
    km89 Member Posts: 32
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hey,
    I've been reducing my dose of prednisolone too recently, and I've been a bit achy too. Felt a bit crap today so I decided to go for a walk and it wore off a bit. I suppose it takes your mind off the achy feeling, well it did for me anyways, although I suppose that only applies if you've got it in your knees/ankle.
    In a way it's just your body responding to the withdrawal and hopefully it will get used to the lower dose in a couple of days. :)
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi katnapp

    I haven't really any experience of reducing the pred cause it was over 20 yrs ago that i was on some form of steroid tablet that only lasted two weeks. I just want to wish you and all the others who are trying to reduce the med good luck. It must be hard and it must take your body time to adjust to the reduced amount.
    Keep at it (easy for me to say eh?) you will manage it.

    Take care
    Keep us informed on your results.
    (((((((((())))))))))
    Juliepf x
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Katnapp

    What you are describing is very familiar to me. I read somewhere that the body is always striving for balance, which I understand to mean that it's always trying to be where it thinks it should be which in the case of inflammatory arthritis is at a high level of inflammation. The article suggested that, with RA etc, the body is always trying to up the inflammation levels, to counteract the dampening effect of the pred. So, if you reduce the pred, it can take a bit of time for the body to figure out that it doesn't need to fight back quite so hard. I have found that, after a few days, things settle down and you get an idea of how you really are on the lower dose.

    I have been taking between 10 and 30mg pred daily since last summer and I have found that, for me, it works best to cut down really slowly (sometimes only quarter of a mg each week) and, when using the uncoated 1mg pills, I sometimes just "nibble" a tiny bit off each day to get me down to the required amount, rather than doing the drop in one go. Seems to help to reduce the effect you describe. Hopefully you have a mixture of tabs avaiilable in varying doses, to help you to cut down at an appropriate rate. I have 5 mg and 2.5 mg coated pills (which obviously can't be cut) and 1mg uncoated pills too.

    Really good luck with cutting down. Please do keep us posted.

    Love Tilly xxx
  • katknapp
    katknapp Member Posts: 709
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi all,well i had to go back up again as the pain was bad,so ive decided to wait until my daughter is back at school,at least then if im in pain i can o to bed,thank you all for the advice more than i got from the rheumy nurse :roll:
  • tillytop
    tillytop Member Posts: 3,460
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sorry to hear that Katknapp. I do understand tho - been there, done that, got several t-shirts :roll: . It IS a vicious circle but I think that choosing your time is a wise move.

    Love Tilly xxx
  • MissKat
    MissKat Member Posts: 124
    edited 11. Apr 2011, 14:30
    Hi Katknapp,

    I've been reducing mine too. Last week I came off it completely :grin:

    It has been hard, each step reducing it was a little painful, but the aching and pain only lasted a little while until my body got used to the new dosage... I'm feeling good that I'm now off them, but bl###y sore I can tell you!

    Not sure what your reduction is, mine was 2.5mg increments... I guess if yours was more than that you could try reducing in lesser amounts?

    Keep strong and positive, we're all here to support you :grin:

    Good luck, MissKat x
  • tiggernut
    tiggernut Member Posts: 339
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Katknapp,
    Gosh there must be something in the air.. Me too, I was on 7 and am desperate not to be talking it as I was on it for 10 years at one stage managed to get off it completely without any problems cutting down over about 3 months. I've been back on it for two years, My rheumatoliogist said I could cut down from 7.5 to the 7 but I have cut it to 5mg. Overall I'm not too bad but my ankle has been a bit painful but I'm not sure that it's the prednisalone.I also take Voltarol and Methotrexate.I tried to cut out the Voltarol as well and I think that's what started my ankle off!!
    Do you take NSADS as well?
    Anita.
  • ichabod6
    ichabod6 Member Posts: 843
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I cut down by increments of 2.5 mg for a period of three
    weeks. If I have a pain day during this period I up the dosage
    to the one I'm reducing from for that day.
    To each his own but it works for me.
  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 30,027
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Kat

    sensible to wait till teh littel one is in school so you can nurture yourself not her while you do your reduction. and l totally agree with the others....slowly slowy...maybe if you haven't got some you can get some lower dose tabs so you can reduce as slow as you need.

    Love and hugs

    Toni xx

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