Prednisone question and other med question

The ER doctor gave me 60mg of pred in the ER along with the other meds and a scrip which under the influence of the pain meds I thought was 10 days but is actually 5 days of 40mg of prednisone but he did not include a taper. My question is does anyone know if 5 days at 40mg with no taper is gonna cause problems I plan to call my rheumy when she is in the office again Tuesday but I would really like to know if I am calling for good reason of if I am bugging her for nothing. He gave me a number for one pain management doctor that my insurance company didn't have in their list- a list where every single doctor listed had stopped taking my insurance more than 3 years ago. I am hoping that this doctor will not only take my insurance but also will get me in ASAP. I can't take much more. I wish I could just take prednisone instead of Imuran because I do so well on 40mg of pred but my poor bones can't handle it. I keep getting put on short courses of steroids every couple months though. I don't think I have gone 3 months without at least 1 dose pack since coming off the long term prednisone. I dunno maybe we need to look at that as something to indicate a problem. I mean every few weeks or months I end up with hives or wheezing or in pain so bad one of my doctors sees the need to prescribe steroids and more often than not it is the wheezing and chest wall pain. On another note does anyone know anything about the 10/325 or 10/500 dose of hydrocodone (vicodin/norco) or tramadol and how often/many it is safe to take I ask because outside of the injection and referal to the pain management doctor the ER doctor offered nothing to improve my situation until I can be seen. The injection has worn off and I am seriously suffering. I have been taking the tramadol and norco (10/325) together along with anti-nausea meds and benedryl because I get all itchy after hydrocodone. Yet I am wide awake and in pain for much of the 6-8 hours I am supposed to wait between dosing. I wait an hour or more for any relief to begin then maximum relief kicks in at about the 2 hour mark. By hour 4 the pain is back and builds from there until the next dose can be taken and works into my system. I even tried spacing it so I took the tramadol halfway through the norco dose but it made the norco less effective. The truth is I really need something stronger but I hate narcotic pain meds. I wish they could just do some kind of nerve block. I really hate hurting this way.

I would definitely call your Rhumyt too. Because you are in ER related to Lupus, he/she needs to know. That's what I was instructed by the ER doc also. Plus, 40mg is high dosage, but it helped to alleviate the pain. When I was in extreme pain + fever long time ago, I usually ended up in the hospital and injected cortisone??? (don't remember the name exactly) for a week until every symptom were gone. Also, I think if just 5 days, it should be short term. I am no expert though.

Hi Redrose,

   I agree that 40mgs is alot to drop all of a sudden without tapering even if it is just for a few days. I'm glad you are going to call the doctor about that.

   I hope your pain and other symptoms get under control soon...((Hugs)). Take care and keep us updated. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

                                                                  Babs