Should I be concerned?

It should, but definitely give it more time. Some people, like me, it takes 60 mg to knock it down, but only a day or two. Others it takes longer, like a few weeks. I'd give it another week and see.

Have you eliminated the possibility of hemorrhoids? Your description of "dripping" blood made me wonder if that might actually be the source...?

I hope the 40mg works for you.  The first time I took prednisone for a bad flare, 60mg did wonders for me almost immediately.  A year and a half later during my next bad flare I took 60mg again assuming it would fix me up quick again.  I took 60mg each morning for almost 2 weeks and my bleeding (which was very heavy) decreased a bit in the day but was pouring at night (and my GI said I should NOT split the pred into day and night doses).  When I'd get off the toilet shivering with cold (I assume from blood loss), I said time to try something stronger.  My doctor wouldn't give me any higher pred at home, so I went in the hospital where I could get higher doses of steroids intravenously, which stopped the bleeding after several days.  It sounds like everyone responds differently and takes different amounts of time and has different dose needs.  And that at least for me, what was high enough dose for one flare may no longer be enough for the next flare.  So now I've climbed the next rung on the medication ladder, hoping the 6-MP kicks in and keeps me under control so I won't need prednisone in the future.  Keep following up with your GI.  Don't panic, prednisone can magnify anxiety (it did for me big time).  Staying at 40 may work for you soon.  If not, your GI may have you try increasing the amount.  I don't think going up to 50 or 60mg is uncommon for UC. 

I remember when I would beg to take 60 mg prednisone, and beg to take some of it later in the day because I thought it was wearing off... But now I worry more about the effects of prednisone than seeing blood. I find urgency and pain less tolerable than bleeding. For me the bleeding never really goes away, but I only seek prednisone if I have pain.

Prednisone should be taken early in the day (I do it all in one dose), it is generally not recommended to be taken late at night as it can keep you up at night.

http://www.drugs.com/prednisone.html

 

Hi - I am currently tappering on Pred and am down to 10MG a day and I just take it once a day but - I went from 30, 25. 20 to 15 and when I was on those higher doses I did not take it all at once.  I had to take it several times during the day to provide constant medication in my system - otherwise I would flare up.  I tried taking it all in the AM and would be flaring by the evening.  When I split it into two or three doses it REALLY helped me.  My pharmacistsaid that as long I a take it with food and no later than 6PM it does not matter whether you take it all at once or split it up...so you might just try it both ways and see what works best for you...

Hopefully it will work! The side effects will be uncomfortable. But I was there and I'm OK (no long term effects, I mean).