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Prednisone tapering

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Posted 8/13/2007 4:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have looked and looked for the recent thread where we discussed prednisone tapering and I simply cannot find it. Hippi is going to try to start tapering and I thought she would enjoy reading what everyone had to say about it.

Thanks! tongue
Posted 8/13/2007 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Here is the thread you are referring to - www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=29&m=886931 Cheers,
Posted 8/13/2007 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Lynn
Posted 8/13/2007 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Pat and Lynnwood. I'm going to talk to my rheumy about it when I see him on Thursday and ask him if he thinks I would be more successful if I tapered in 1mg increments. I'd love to eventually be able to get down to about 5mg or maybe even less which will hopefully make it easier for me to lose weight..
Posted 8/14/2007 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
Good luck, hippi!

I am happy to hear you are trying to taper the prednisone. It is such a challenging drug that helps and, at the same time, causes other issues! Try not to get discouraged about your weight, though, sometimes it is just better to not have the pain than it is to look like a model. I have found that the prednisone weight is a bit hard to lose (and I am really not sure why...) but don't let this get you down. the weight does eventually come off. Weight Watcher's is a great program and I wish you the best! (Don't completely rule out MTX, either, this helped me go off the pred although I am back on it temporarily!)

Love ya!
Posted 8/14/2007 10:29 AM (GMT 0)

The first time I was on Prednisone, I started at 20mgs/day and it took me almost 4 years to taper down and finally get off it completely.  I found that once I tapered down to the 10mg range, even .5 or 1 milligram made all the difference in the world as to how I felt that day.  I usually tapered down by .5mg-1mg at a time. 

Even though I had to go back on Prednisone this past May (at 20mgs/day) it has only taken me 3 months to taper down to 2.5mgs/day - A LOT quicker than last time.  I'm not sure why, though.....

Good luck!  :-)  

Posted 8/14/2007 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hippimon, my rheumy was talking to me today about weight loss and said it isn't unusual that lupus patients need a remission to get any serious loss also that more than 5mg of pred makes it basically impossible to lose weight. She commented on the fact I have lost almost 15lbs since my surgery and also my blood counts (liver) are finally well in the normal range. Odd that the surgery seems to have pushed me into remission when we thought for sure I would end up having a flare. Now I have the RA and fibro to worry about but those don't tend to kill you. The lupus nearly did me a couple times so any progress there is wonderful. I wish you luck on the taper. Know fibro hates pred tapering. So maybe a muscle relaxer or stronger muscle relaxer to deal with the fibro issues? I have read that as many as 85% of lupus patients have some degree of fibro but can't recall where.
Posted 8/14/2007 4:39 PM (GMT 0)

Hippi,

  I hope your taper goes well and you will feel much better soon. Keep us updated on how it goes. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

                                                                 Babs

Posted 8/14/2007 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Pat,

I went to my rheumy yesterday and she told me that for the next 2 weeks I should take 8mg of prednisone one day and 7 mg the next. Alternate this for 2 weeks, then I should try going to 7 mg again. I have the most awesome doctor, she also gave me a bible with a list of healing scriptures and told me to pick one and meditate on it 3 times per day. I'll let you know how the tapering goes.

Hugs

Denise
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