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my Prednisone tapering schedule

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Posted 11/5/2007 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Prednisone for 4 weeks and 4 days.
I started at 40mg per day for 1 week, then was downed to 30mg per day for 1 week, then was increased to 40mg for 4 days, then down to 35mg until now (aprox. 13 days).
My last appointment he told me to keep taking the Pred at 35mg for 10-14 days and decrease 5mg that often (10-14 days)
I'm wanting off this stuff and was wondering if anyone thinks I could speed the taper up at this point. Say 5mg every 7 days or something like that. I know you folks aren't doctors but I would still like your opinion.
Have any of you been on it about this long before and came off it ok with a faster tapering schedule?
I'd appreciate your honest feedback.

Thanks, ICR
Posted 11/5/2007 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
The longest I've done is 8 weeks of Prednisone. Both times at 8 weeks, I started at 40mg and tapered by 5mg every 7 days. This last time, I did a 4 week course. For that one, I also started at 40mg but tapered by 10mg every 7 days.

I am never one to play with my medication. I follow what my GI suggests. He has never steered me wrong thus far. I would be very hesitant about tapering any faster than what your Dr. recommends.
Posted 11/5/2007 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I have had a similar experience with prednisolone, I am 16 years old and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when i was 14 years old. I have been on prednisolone 4 times since being diagnosed and am currently on steroids. Anyway, this time I started at 40mg's for a week and was told to reduce this to 30mg's after a week. However, I flared up and so this was increased back up to 40mg's and I was told to reduce this to 35mg's after a week and then to reduce the dose by 5mg's after every week. However, my parents were not very happy with the doctor and so I returned to my previous doctor who I had changed because of it being to far to travel because of moving house. Anyway, he told me to reduce the dose by 5mg's every week because he didn't like keeping his patients on steroids for too long because of their side effects. I was of course quite worried because of flaring up but I have reduced it and touch wood I have been o.k so far. I am now down to 15mg's. I would not like to tell you what to do as I am not a doctor but I thought I should let you know of my experience with steroids. Hope I have helped.

Tara

Posted 11/5/2007 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for the responses.
I will not go by what you folks tell me but I do want to know how and what you've done with the tapering Pred :)

Keep the experiences coming please
Posted 11/5/2007 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi icanrace

I was like you , just wanted off as soon as possible, i had hardly any side effects ( luckily) and was in full remission.

I , rightly or wrongly tapered down 5mg every 5 days , i personally had no problems with that and even mentioned it to my Gi who never said i was wrong to do it.

Obviously i was watching how i felt etc very carefully .

Good luck

Tab
Posted 11/5/2007 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hey icanrace

I also want off of Prednisone.  The side effects are too much for me to handle.  I spoke about this to my GI and went from tapering 5mg. every two weeks to every week.  She also prescribed me Imuran while tapering.  Something you might want to look into.  Also,  with the faster tapering schedule the side effects, for me, seem to be okay.  Just waiting to see what Imuran does to me now.

Posted 11/5/2007 7:39 PM (GMT 0)

WhiteSox1 said...
Hey icanrace


I also want off of Prednisone. The side effects are too much for me to handle. I spoke about this to my GI and went from tapering 5mg. every two weeks to every week. She also prescribed me Imuran while tapering. Something you might want to look into. Also, with the faster tapering schedule the side effects, for me, seem to be okay. Just waiting to see what Imuran does to me now.

how long have you been on it? more info please........
Posted 11/5/2007 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
I was started at 40 mg and reduced by 5 mg each week. At 10 mg, I'm supposed to go two weeks, then another two weeks at 5 mg, then stop if all goes well. But this was all with the caveat that I would call if I had started to have any problems and the tapering schedule would be adjusted. Luckily, I haven't had any issues, but it's a very individual thing.
Posted 11/5/2007 7:58 PM (GMT 0)

princesa said...
I was started at 40 mg and reduced by 5 mg each week. At 10 mg, I'm supposed to go two weeks, then another two weeks at 5 mg, then stop if all goes well. But this was all with the caveat that I would call if I had started to have any problems and the tapering schedule would be adjusted. Luckily, I haven't had any issues, but it's a very individual thing.

how long are / were you on pred?
Posted 11/5/2007 8:00 PM (GMT 0)

icanrace said...

WhiteSox1 said...
Hey icanrace


I also want off of Prednisone. The side effects are too much for me to handle. I spoke about this to my GI and went from tapering 5mg. every two weeks to every week. She also prescribed me Imuran while tapering. Something you might want to look into. Also, with the faster tapering schedule the side effects, for me, seem to be okay. Just waiting to see what Imuran does to me now.

how long have you been on it? more info please........

Well, my coloscopy was done on October 4th and that day I was admitted to the hospital for three days.  During that time they injected Prednisone directly into my vains (what dose, I'm really not sure) and then when I got out of the hospital I was on 40mg. of oral Prednisone, tapering 5mg. every two weeks.  So, I went in for my two week follow up but this time I was down to 35mg. of Prednisone and was having horrible side effects.  Weight gain, insomia, mood swings, crying fits,  you name it.  So the doctor said that I should taper 5mg. every week instead of every two and prescribed me Imuran.  I've been Prednisone for a little over a month and the quicker tapering has been okay.  Less side effects.

Posted 11/5/2007 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
interesting.

Thanks for your feedback
Posted 11/5/2007 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi - My UC was diagnosed 4/06 and I had already lost 30 pounds and had no appetite. Was put on 20 mg of prednisone for 12 weeks to rev my appetite (it did). Then began tapering by 2-1/2 mgs every 2 weeks down to 10 mgs. then 2-1/2 every 7 days to the finish. Anything faster, I was told, would case muscle aches, fever, fatigue, etc. 40 mgs is very high and for over a month beyond 20mgs will cause these side effects if tapered faster than I mentioned.

Asacol 400 mgs 2 capsules daily
Mercaptopurine (6-MP) 50mg once a day
1500 mgs calcium w/ D
nono
Posted 11/5/2007 11:15 PM (GMT 0)

icanrace said...

princesa said...
I was started at 40 mg and reduced by 5 mg each week. At 10 mg, I'm supposed to go two weeks, then another two weeks at 5 mg, then stop if all goes well. But this was all with the caveat that I would call if I had started to have any problems and the tapering schedule would be adjusted. Luckily, I haven't had any issues, but it's a very individual thing.

how long are / were you on pred?

I started the course mid-September. I'm on 10 mg now and have three weeks to go, if all goes well.
Posted 11/5/2007 11:42 PM (GMT 0)

tabitha m said...
Hi icanrace

I was like you , just wanted off as soon as possible, i had hardly any side effects ( luckily) and was in full remission.

I , rightly or wrongly tapered down 5mg every 5 days , i personally had no problems with that and even mentioned it to my Gi who never said i was wrong to do it.

Obviously i was watching how i felt etc very carefully .

Good luck

Tab

what was your dosage & how long were you on it before you started the taper?
Posted 11/6/2007 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
bump once
Posted 11/7/2007 2:46 AM (GMT 0)
What is most peoples side effects from prednisolone??
Posted 11/8/2007 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
I was started on 40 mgs and started to taper after being on it for about 8 weeks in total , i had a 7 day hospital stay during that time and was on massive amounts of steroids by injection . hope this helps.

Tabx
Posted 11/14/2007 10:36 AM (GMT 0)
current flare started at end october last year. lost over 40lbs.
im currently on 50mg of prednisolone a day for 3 weeks now and have another 3 weeks to go before doctor said to taper down by 10mg every 5 days.

i was hospitalized 4 weeks ago and had 7 days of hydrocortisone/steroid injections. 50mg 4x a day. i got out of hospital 3 weeks ago on monday, thats when i started the 50mg 1x day.

im having all the side effects except weight gain. i feel horrible and terrible and just off, and grumpy and moody etc...can't sleep at all. im a mad woman.

but, my psoraisis is gone and my skin looks fabulous.
everyone i see says im the best looking/glowing unhealthy person they've seen. i look great, but feel like crap.
Posted 11/14/2007 11:59 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for your update. I hope you get better soon!

I'm down to 25mg now. My joints hurt soooooooo bad. Other than that I guess I'm making it.
Posted 11/14/2007 3:18 PM (GMT 0)

I have been on 40mg the majority of seven years, as high as 80 and low as 10 - now down to zero.  When I  tapered by 10mg it was too fast for my body, had to do it in 5mg every month.  Remicade helped speed that up and now I am off steroids.  Best to keep off them, I now have Charkot foot disease and osteoporosis breaking down the bones in my feet and legs - now disabled wearing horrible braces for the rest of my life.

Learn from my mistakes! hehehe

bob

Posted 11/14/2007 5:09 PM (GMT 0)

I am now off prednisone!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed because this is the first time in over a year I have been able to taper. I was as high as 60mg this summer. My doctor put me on Immuran and Remicade in order to help get me off the prednisone. I think the taper schedule has a lot to do with the dosage and time you are on the drug. This was my schedule:

reduced to 50mg for one week, reduced to 40mg-stayed at 40 for almost one month, then reductions as follows each week--35,30,25,20,15,12.5,10,7.5,5,2.5, then done.

Posted 11/21/2007 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
been on Pred for 6 weeks and 3 days today.
I was as high as 40mg for a small amount of time and now am tapered to 20mg.
I'm tapering 5mg every 5-7 days and so far so good.
Hopefully things continue that way too. I want off this stuff!
Posted 11/21/2007 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
I think the slower the taper and lower the dosage the better chance you have of walking away without problems.
Posted 11/21/2007 4:43 AM (GMT 0)
Please don't change your taper schedule without checking with your doctor. The reason you have to taper slowly off steroids is to let your adrenal glands resume producing natural steroids. They stop when you take Pred or other steroid medications. If you taper too fast, it can make you really sick and could possibly be fatal.
Posted 5/30/2009 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
While tapering off Prednisone, will some symptoms become present at times? Such as a little bleeding? At what point do you know that you need to up the Prednisone or have become steroid dependent.
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