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Can someone stay on 10 mgs of Pred?

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Posted 7/13/2014 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
Long story short, I have not been in remission for 5 years, but my recent Pred stint has put me in full remission. I could usually get down to 25 and I would start flaring! Well, here I am at 10 and no flare for three months. I swear it was the increase in my zoloft to 200 mgs, but now I'm starting to worry about moving to 5 mgs.....my doc was weird when I asked him.
Posted 7/13/2014 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
No you should not stay on pred long term. It can do so much damage to your body.

I would taper very very slowly if you know you have had a problem in the past.
Posted 7/13/2014 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Sheri. You also may be able to use uceris to help taper off and that doesn't have as many long term side effects. Of course you do not want to be on any steroid forever... Iam happy you're down to ten, that's close to off!
Posted 7/13/2014 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
It's best to get off Pred but, if that's not possible, I wouldn't consider staying on anything higher than 5 mg per day.

There are 1 mg Pred tablets so you can taper VERY slowly. Don't rush it. You could try decreases of 1 mg every 2 weeks. Or alternate days of 10 mg/9 mg for 2 weeks, then 9/8 mg for two weeks, etc.

If you do it slowly enough, your body can adapt.

High doses of curcumin helped me get off Pred. That, dong quai, or other supplements are options to consider.
Posted 7/13/2014 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
Sure, one could stay on 15mgs of prednisone indefinitely and just wait fore diabetes, glaucoma, osteoporosis, and other nasty things to occur due to the long term steroid usage. However, any sane person would be on pred for as short a time as possible. What meds are you on?
Posted 7/13/2014 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
Everyone has good advice. I second getting one milligram pills and decreasing by one milligram every two weeks. I would never stay on 10mgs of pred or higher forever, otherwise you will be in ipoop's territory. It would be theoritically possible to stay on 5mgs or less long term but I would get constant tests, checking for ipoop's listed scenarios.
Posted 7/13/2014 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
Is there any research on using 10 mgs long term? I know Lot of people who have ra that take it everyday!
Posted 7/13/2014 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
The thing is your body makes it's own cortisol to the tune of 8 - 12 mgs pr day. Whenever you take that much or more of pred per day your adrenal glands shut down and no longer produce it. If this goes on for too long of a period and you try going lower than that dosage at some point your adrenal glands may have quit functioning altogether by that time, which can be extremely bad. Assuming that that does not happen you are back into ipoop's scenarios again. Yes, you can take pred long term but you are pretty much guaranteed to come down with diabitis, osteoperosis, glaucoma, and, as ipoop said, other nasty things. Believe me, I have seen many people through my work in the health care field who have taken pred long term and it is not pretty. 60 year olds look like 80 and 90 year olds. It's actually worse than just living with UC. It really isn't worth it.
Posted 7/13/2014 10:51 PM (GMT 0)
You need stronger uc meds period. Forget long-term steroids at any dosage as it's dangerous and will destroy your body. Your much better taking immunosuppressive uc meds such as 6mp, imuran or aza. Your better taking biologic meds, if it comes to that, someday.
Posted 7/13/2014 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
ditto everyone, and strongly for the 1mg pills going down by 1mg every 2 weeks or so.

At least to start that way.

You might have to do it slower, but you are doing well...that's a good thing.

What other meds are you on for UC?

q
Posted 7/14/2014 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
My husband has been taking 7.5mg (with occasional bumps) for the last 4-5 years for his RA. He also takes an Enbrel shot every week and sulfasalazine and ridiculous amount of Tylenol (I'm getting him to switch to an NSAID--he was only taking Tylenol because that's what I take).

He's tried to come off multiple times but his knees start to swell pretty quickly. He ices them every time after he works out and it's just not enough. I do worry about him getting off it, but his rheumy doesn't seem that concerned.

When I came off a long run of pred (maybe 9 months at 20mg+), I did what the others mentioned and went down one milligram every two weeks from 10mg down. I had to do small bumps back up every now that then, but I finally got off it after six months or so.

Pred is such a wonderful/evil drug. I was taking it for a month earlier this year for a really bad case of poison ivy and saw an immediate improvement in my GI symptoms. My doc is very anti-steroids though (which is good, I guess), so I don't see that being an IBD treatment anytime soon.
Posted 7/14/2014 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
There are a few medical conditions that have people taking low dose of prednisone indefinitely. As mentioned severe RA is one as are some forms of asthma and most organ transplant patients. However, this is not recommended for UC patients for all the reasons noted above^.

Sue
Posted 7/14/2014 2:55 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with the baby-steps taper.
You HAVE to get off of prednisone. Just look at it that way.

And do what ya gotta do. Baby steps tapering with bumps in the road but really just sticking to it is going to be your best bet. Especially if you are in remission.

What are your maintenance UC meds?? Mesalamine? immunosupressives? biologics?

Prednisone is a helping agent, but not a solution. It's used to induce remission but your actual Ulcerative Colitis medication is what KEEPS you in remission.

Good luck and sending strength your way!
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