HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

pred experts please

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/5/2012 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
I've been on 30mg now for over two weeks.  It's not dragging me out of this flare the way it used to do.   I don't want to up it for the usual reasons.  15-20mg used to do the biz so I'm obviously p***ed off.

My question may sound irrational but as it's not really working anyway, can I still start on a slow, say 2.5mg weekly taper?   Is it worth a try, or could it be a completely stupid thing to do?

Posted 12/5/2012 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
Are you making sure the slippery elm is not interfering with your pred absorption? If you are taking them too close together it could be making the pred not as effective. Are you basically just wanting to get off the pred? If so, tapering now wouldn't be stupid but I would run it all by your doctor first, especially since your are doing the FT soon. If you are still hoping that the pred will do something then tapering now is not the thing to do.
Posted 12/5/2012 5:18 AM (GMT 0)
I think the typical starting dose is 40mg. You may consider going up for a week or two to see if you can get things headed in the right direction. I can't see that tapering when you haven't seen results would yield remission. I guess maybe you will gradually feel better but no one can tell for sure until you try it. If you haven't seen any improvement, I can't imagine tapering would bring you any relief.
Posted 12/5/2012 5:30 AM (GMT 0)
go up to 40. I didn't have success at 30 even though that was my PCP's suggestion. My GI, had he prescribed it, would have started me at 40.
Posted 12/5/2012 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
Try to keep lowest possible dose that works. 30mg used to work on me pretty well but now I need at least 40mg. I am not too sure if weight (gain) is playing any role in this.
Posted 12/5/2012 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
My second time taking prednisone didn't work as well as the first time either.

I started at the usual 40 mg for a week or so but but still bleeding badly, then went up to 50mg on my own for another week or more and still continued to bleed.

Went to my GI and he reduced me back to 40 mg but split the dose to 20 mg in the morning and 20 mg at night and that did the trick, I stayed at that dose for 2 weeks then began tapering by 5 mg each week, 5 mg from the morning dose, then a week later taper 5 mg from the night time dose.
Posted 12/5/2012 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys, I'll take it all on board.   gary, I usually take the slip. elm about an hour and a half after the pred, could that be too close?  Maybe I should take it at lunchtime instead. 

I don't fancy cranking up to 40mg, the last time I was on 40 was when I was discharged from my hospital stay when first dxd in '06.  Psychologically that would do my head in.  It would feel like I've gone full circle in 7 years.  (even if it's actually true)

I may have to bite the bullet, but a call to the GI might be in order first.

Posted 12/5/2012 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
If you only take slippery elm once per day I would take the pred in the morning and the slippery elm at bedtime or dinnertime. You are probably taking it too close together.
Posted 12/5/2012 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
20mg used to work for me, then 30, then 40. Last time I was in the hospital on 100mg via iv. I definitely think it takes more each time you go on it. Maybe try 35 for a few days??
Posted 12/5/2012 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Over the summer, I did 20 with limited results.

Last month, I did 40 for a week, helped but still too much blood. Doc put me on 60 for 4 days, 50 for 2 and now back on 40 while I start Imuran. Unfortunately, it appears that you need a higher dose each time...but since I was only on 60 for 4 days, not so bad and it definitely worked. Feel better

~Cita tongue tongue
Posted 12/5/2012 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
     It doesn't look like you have been on prednisone too often, a good thing because every time you take it your system becomes more and more immune to it and you will need higher dosages.  That is what happened to me..ugh.

     You can check with your GI doctor for good measure.  My GI doctor would always boost my dose from 40 to 60 if the 40 wasn't hacking it.  But only kept me on the 60 for a few days and then back to 40 with a 5 mgm per week taper.  Good luck.

Posted 12/5/2012 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
I went down by 5 each week but started spreading it out throughout the day to tease the adrenals into ramping back up, I also took the licorice extract and timed it correctly. At zero pred I went back to 2.5 for another week or so until it was off my mind and I noticed I had not been thinking about for a few days.

You might want to get better before you take the plunge. I would try a lot of psyllium seed powder and salmon with butter. I buy the cheap farm raised stuff and it works like a charm as long as I can put food down, last flare was also a flu but once I started pred I ate non-stop for 3 days as I already lost 20 lbs by then.
Posted 12/5/2012 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Christine, i've been on pred for the best part of 7 years.   Too long, and long enough to start getting the 'serious' side effects, ie. vision/bone/hearing/mood swings.   My last hope of getting off the pred treadmill is going to be the FT trial I go on in mid jan.

After that, I don't see many other things I can try short of surgery.

I will try them though.

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply