Re: Prednisone - timing

[Guest guest]

Prednisone needs to be taken in the morning, preferably before 9 a.m., to

" synchronize " with your adrenal system and to allow it to recover from the

effects of corticosteroids. Sometimes the adrenal system shuts down

permanently

after Prednisone use; taking Prednisone early in the morning helps to avoid

that, as I understand it. I don't have time to research it right now, so I'm

just going by memory, but I think I'm remembering quite accurately.

Please talk to your doctor about this. I've always been told that the

timing of Prednisone dosage was very important.

Harper

In a message dated 12/22/06 6:19:14 PM, helsusac@... writes:

> I don't think it makes any difference on the time you take it.

>

[Guest guest]

Will night-time Prednisone dosage affect adrenal recovery? Does anyone have

information on this? I'm changing doctors (because of insurance, not by

choice), so I can't ask my GI.

Harper

In a message dated 12/23/06 7:10:23 AM, patsy56er@... writes:

> When treating RA patients with low doses of prednisone given as a single

> morning dose, patients will frequently report that by evening or the next

> morning the pain and stiffness have returned. This lack of longer-lasting

control

> can often be addressed by dividing the dose every 12 hours, giving half in

> the morning and half at night.

>

[Guest guest]

New Role for an Old Friend: Prednisone as Disease-Modifier

from Current Opinion in Rheumatology

Dosage and Timing

It is known that prednisone, in a dose of 7.5 mg/day, will reduce serum IL-6

levels for 5 to 10 hours. Whether that dose will similarly reduce the duration

of activity of other proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor

(TNF), COX-2, or adhesion molecules, is not known. However, this dose will

reduce joint pain and swelling for the first 6 to 12 months of treatment and

will retard bony damage as long as the dose is maintained. When treating RA

patients with low doses of prednisone given as a single morning dose, patients

will frequently report that by evening or the next morning the pain and

stiffness have returned. This lack of longer-lasting control can often be

addressed by dividing the dose every 12 hours, giving half in the morning and

half at night. Arvidson et al. substantiate this clinical observation by

demonstrating clinical improvement and reduction in IL-6 and ESR in patients 5

hours after receiving 7.5 mg of prednisone.[20] The clinical features and

inflammatory mediators reappeared at 24 hours after the last dose.

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Section 4 of 7

Curr Opin Rheumatol 15(3):193-196, 2003. © 2003 Lippincott &

Wilkins