Re: Marie, prednisone tapering

[Guest guest]

Hi Cheryl

I will certainly be in contact with the doc about the speed they want

me to reduce at. I take 10 mg prednisone every other day so I guess I

am really at 5mg a day in essence. They told me that they want me off

it as soon as possible even though I have only been on it about six

months. My ALT and AST have been normal since Sepember and thats when

we started the imuran. What other symptoms did you experience as you

reduced and are you on any drugs at the moment?

Marie

>

> Marie--

>

> Lots of us have reported increased achiness as prednisone is

> tapered...since you're losing pred's anti-inflamatory effect. You

may

> want to talk to your doc about the rate you're tapering at. From

what

> I've read, and personally experienced, once you reach 10 mg you

reduce

> 1 mg at a time, or 10 to 7.5 to 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I tapered the last 5

> very slowly; my doc said some people have problems in that range

even

> though it's a chemically negligible difference.

>

> I didn't experience overall achiness, just in one arthritic knee.

Now

> that I'm off pred, though, and my numbers are normal, I can take

> ibuprofen when my knee's really inflamed and sore.

>

> Good luck.

>

> --Cheryl