HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Tapering down to 10 from 20 seems the hardest???

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/18/2021 2:54 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Lordy guys...
So Ive been doing this prednisone taper which I started back on July 1st, 40mg for 5 days then 30mg for 5 days and so on, dropping 10mg every 5 days and here I am on day 2 of 10mg per day.. I overslept, didn't get off the sofa hardly at all today, been feeling pretty spaced out and a little loopy (if those are two different feelings lol) But HO LEE COW... Going up was easy, coming down wasn't too bad until today. I got nothing accomplished today really and feel like a zombie. Thank God my husband is so great and understands what I'm having to do and is supportive of me. Has anyone else had a hard time when getting down to the last 10mg?? Is this normal? Wonder how much it's going to suck going from 10mg a day to ZERO....

Little discomfort in the sigmoid area but I can still trust my farts... for now..... LOL.... (Sorry just trying to keep it light) :D
Posted 7/18/2021 7:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Susie-- I decreased from 10 mg Pred daily to 5 mg yrs back; that went well, then I did have trouble weaning off the 5 mg. My gastro RXed a small quantity of 5 mg tablets that I took sparingly while transitioning onto oral mesalamine (at that time it was Dipentum). Meaning, in addition to the daily mesalamine I took one 5 mg tab Pred for a couple months after quitting the main Pred dose taper schedule ONLY on a day when I felt a "something brewing" situation developing. I told my gastro about it, and gastro commented that the random 5 mg tab was acting "like a bandaid on a slightly cut or scraped finger"! We agreed that it was acceptable because it definitely enabled me to fully transition to mesalamine within a couple months. (Of course I was also being careful about diet and nutrition, too, & took vitamins.) If your energy level fluctuates at 10 mg Pred, don't be surprised-- because your body has been "pumped up" by a strong steroid and now needs to readjust gradually to pre-Pred chemical balances. That Pred is strong stuff which can affect every part & organ of one's body! Stay determined to succeed with taper soon. / Old Hat (40+ yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)
Posted 7/19/2021 4:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Old Hat!

Thanks for that, I actually felt a lot better today. I still feel a little loopy but had more energy today and a better attitude. Had 3 BM’s today but nothing seeming like a flare up, I’ve been eating extremely well, sticking to my anti inflammatory diet but kind of eating more than usual I’m guessing due to the prednisone. I’m just taking it a day at a time. I am a little nervous about coming off from 10mg to nothing, I have two more days of 10. So far so good but yesterday was probably my most difficult day mentally 😩 Just hoping when I go to zero I only have a day or two of blah days
Posted 7/19/2021 11:50 AM (GMT 0)
20 to 10 is too big a jump for me, I usually have to do some time at 15 first. I’m usually ok with bigger jumps higher up but there is something about that drop from 20 that is hard on my body.
Posted 7/20/2021 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Fwiw I would probably go down to 5 MG for 5-7 days if I were you.
Posted 7/21/2021 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
I agree it was also the danger zone for me. I scoured for best practice research on tapering and it was so poor. I found one that suggested going down by 2.5mg per step after 20mg. You can get 2.5mg tabs.
Posted 7/21/2021 10:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi S. I have been on 3 courses of prednisone steady since April 8. On 60 mg WAY too many days! Finally I have a long term medication which is seemingly working and I want off prednisone badly. My hair is brittle, thinning in spots, skin constantly flaking, night sweats around my neck, etc. I drop to 20 mg on Friday. My GI had me dropping to 15 after a week of 20, then 10, then 5, then Zero. Hopefully. Good luck!
Posted 7/21/2021 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
I would recommend dropping by 2.5 mgs now you that you are at 10. Tapering too fast is a shock to the system. I believe most people naturally produce around 7.5 mg (equivalent to pred) of cortisol, so as you get below 7.5, your body will likely be low on cortisol and you will feel tired and mentally foggy until your body starts making it again.
Posted 7/22/2021 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
2.5 mg tabs are a wise idea for tapering! For whatever reason, they weren't available when I needed to taper off Pred yrs back, but I did find a small handheld pill-cutter to split the 5 mg tablets. (A bit tricky 'cause 5 mg tends to crumble, but I swallowed the break-up bits, too.) Good luck, Susie-- keep us posted! / Old Hat (40+yrs with left-sided UC; in remission taking Colazal)
Posted 7/24/2021 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone!

Well I dropped from 10 to zero and by the end of the second day I was already feeling that low, cramping inflammatory pain. I even gave it two more days to make sure it wasn’t something that would go away and it has not at all. Called my GI and I’m back on prednisone, 20mg for a week then tapering by 5mg every week until completion. I took my first dose this morning and this afternoon I’m already feeling better! Thank God I’m starting at 20 now instead of 40 at least. Also continuing on Mesalamine 4.8 grams once daily until I am stable then dropping down to 2.4 once daily as maintenance.

We’ll see how it goes this time!!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply