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Too fast of a taper?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 12/8/2011 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
So I've been on 20mg of Prednisone for the past month. My doctor's nurse called me today and said it's time to start tapering, and gave me his instructions to do so.

Last time he tapered me he did it very slowly, which I was happy with. This time I was quite surprised by his instructions. Starting tomorrow he wants me to go from 20 mg to 10 mg. Stay on 10 for 5 days, then drop to 5 mg for 5 days, then nothing. Whew, that seems fast!

I counted what I had left. I have enough to go from 20 to 15mg tomorrow, and stay there for 5 days, Then go down to 10 and to 5 for five days each. I'm thinking I'll do that. But even then I can remember at the end we would be like 7 mg, 5 mg ect...

Guess I'll be calling him if it feels too fast. I'm so scared of everything coming back. Particularly the Erythema Nodosum. Not being able to walk is no fun! But I guess I'll be afraid no matter when I taper of it flaring back up.
Posted 12/8/2011 2:16 AM (GMT 0)
My doses recently have been - start at 40mg, drop 10mg every 2 weeks - the course is complete in 8 weeks. I think my doctors may have had me drop 5 a week at one point in time, so 10 every 5 days would be quicker than my experience.
Posted 12/8/2011 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
I did a drop from 80 to 20 then off completely in a similar way to the one your dr is suggesting last time I was on pred and it was OK. I am lucky now as I get entocort instead of pred and it is much kinder on my body :)

Hope it goes OK for you :)

Lesley in NZ
Posted 12/8/2011 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
I'm hoping it works okay too. Makes me feel a lot better that it did okay for you Kiwi. Tapering down always makes me so nervous!
Posted 12/8/2011 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Other posters have mentioned that they succeeded in tapering pred very quickly. I did not. But want you to be cautious in tapering it so that you do not flare up. 5 mg every week is more than enough. My doc has always wanted me to go by 10 mg but I never followed what he said.
Hope your tapering goes on smoothly:)
Take care!
Posted 12/8/2011 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
WOW, that is fast, cuz whenever I was on pred (when it used to work for me) I was always started on 40 for 2 weeks, then taperd down by 10mg each full week (never 5 days) and then once at 5 mg per week I was told to taper down by half (cutting pills in half until the very last week I was only taking half a pill, that's how slowly I've always been tapered off of pred. I thought that was the norm for everyone with CD taking pred.

I always find it weird when docs tell their patients to take half their dose in the morning and the other half in the afternoon as well, since taking pred later in the day interferes with sleep issues at night. None of the 4 GI's I've had over my 20 yrs ever told me to do that either.
Posted 12/8/2011 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I'm really nervous about it. I just wrote it all out and will be completely off of it as of December 22. Right before the holiday, right when it's probably gonna be harder to get a hold of him if I start feeling bad. Ugh. I really don't know why he's doing it this quickly. Last time it was so slow. I just have the worst time with doctors.

pb4, I have to take it all in the morning for that reason exactly. As it is I can hardly sleep when taking it. I probably wouldn't sleep at all if I even took half at night!
Posted 12/8/2011 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Jen,

I normally wean down 5 mg every 5 days when I am on Pred. Never had an issue doing it like that. But maybe after the last 5 go to 2.5 mg for 5 days.

Good luck!
Posted 12/9/2011 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
That's a good idea Gail, I should have enough to do 5 days of 2.5 mg. Trying not to stress about it, that sure won't help things. I hate tapering though!
Posted 12/9/2011 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds pretty quick ....Try not to worry too much about as stressing out won't help...Good luck with it, Slainte
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