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pred tapering-help please

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/18/2011 12:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again,

My question is regarding pred. I know that people have killed discussing it in this forum but I have started to loathe pred. I can't see the benefit of taking it, yet I have become pred-dependent. I have been suffering from a flare up for 3 weeks now. Last week, pain has started to intensify before I started tapering pred every other day.

I'm on 2.5mg, a very low dose, but I can't go less than that. I have already gained 10 kilograms and my clothes have become very tight. I hate my appearance.

Does anybody have a piece of advice regarding cutting pred. I don't have pred 1mg in my country. Thanx

________________________________________

Current meds:

Salofalk 4g, azathioprine 175mg, nexium 80, a multivitamin, an antivomiting med

Posted 4/18/2011 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
If you can't cut your 2.5mg, you could try every other day. I am on 15mg, down from 29mg and while I feel better, I am now constipated and bleed after a bm. I am wondering if I can take a stool softener. Good luck I hope you get off the prednisone. I hope I do, too.
Posted 4/18/2011 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
That is a good idea, try taking it everyother day for a bit and see if that helps you to wean off. Good luck!
Posted 4/18/2011 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
Taking it every other day is an excellent idea. My mother was steroid dependent and took 10mg one day and 5 the next for years (except for flares). But how long have you been on it? If you have only been on it for 3 weeks you shouldn't be steroid dependent. If you have been on it for a long time, then 2.5mg may not be enough if your adrenal glands have shut down. The body naturally produces about 7mg.
Posted 4/18/2011 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
cannynancy - I take Miralax, it is a mild stool softener that my doctor prescribed for me but now is sold over the counter.
Posted 4/18/2011 3:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks melinds. I'm off to the drug store this afternoon. I will look for it
Posted 4/18/2011 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks all. I have been on pred for 8 months now. The least dose i could reach is this 2.5 mg. Taking it every other day makes me dizzy and sleep all day. should I struggle till the end? Will I make it? I was told to take it every other day for 20 days.
Posted 4/18/2011 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
My daughter used Entocort to get off prednisone in 2006. But then she couldn't get off the Entocort. Still, the side effects from 3 mg (one Pill) of Entocort are not as bad as those from even 2.5 mg pred.

In 2010 and 2011 she used LDN to taper off Entocort - was successful both times.

Have you been on azathioprine a long time? IF you have been on it a year and still need prednisone, then maybe the azathioprine is not working well enough. You might need to consider a different medicine.

Posted 4/18/2011 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
njmom-may I ask how long your daughter used LDN to taper off Entocort. I plan to use ldn cream when I am at 10mg of pred which will be in about a week. I was wondering how long it would take the ldn to kick in. Thanks
Posted 4/18/2011 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
minnietoy, I had this same issue for awhile too...I was on steroids from 2007 until 2010 (January) and then had to go back on Entocort in December of 2010 (and now weaning off)...so yeah, I really do understand how hard it is...when I felt as you did, I would have to go back up to 5-10 mg and then try and taper down again (it was a long process)...still is, come to think (but a LOT better with Entocort than with prednisone)

Also you may have to try and do the 1mg pills and do a very slow taper...so it may be that you need to taper even more slowly than many (I was one of those, as you can tell)...it took me a month or so at 2 mg then down to 1.5 for a few weeks...then a month or so on 1mg...then down to .05 mg (my body liked it daily not the skipping of days)...so they don't have 1mg pills? (where do you live, kinda curious? Just also thinking that maybe you can get it in another form like "liquid" so that you can lower the dose very incrementally at a formulations place)...

Good luck...
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