Symptoms...Prednisone taper vs lupus???

When you taper off of prednisone, if your lupus symptoms are still present they will reappear. While this may look like a result of the taper, it's an illusion -- the prednisone has been controlling the symptoms and now it is not.

Simply tell your doctor about your medication changes and the symptoms you are having.

The decision of where to head next relies not only on the information you have given here, but on your complete medical status and circumstances. Only your doctor is qualified to answer your question.

There are many other medications that can be used - try not to get ahead of your doctor by demanding a certain treatment. I find it works kinda' like telling someone not to think of an elephant -- then that's all they can think of. If you mention a particular drug or something, it might obscure the doctors thinking of something that might be of more help to you.

Note that sudden changes to prednisone dosages can be very dangerous -- as in heart-stopping dangerous. Please follow your doctors suggestions. Usually when undergoing a taper they say if it's too troublesome go back up to the immediate previous dosage....but you may be an exception, so verify with your doctor!

Cuphalffull,
I understand where you're at. I was diagnosed last April and I thought I would never feel better. It takes about 4-6 months before the plaquenil kicks in fully.
I still have my flares but it's not as bad as it was in the beginning. Are you on any NSAIDs?
I was taking meloxicam and was recently switched to Nabutone (sp?).

A lupus diagnosis is not the end of the world just tilting it to the side a little.