5mg of Prednisone Seems Ok

I tapered from 10mg to 5mg on Monday, and I have to admit after reading everything here and a few other places, I was nervous about it.

It seems to be ok, other than I'm still really tired. I don't know if that is the UC, tapering the prednisone, insane work stress, or a combination of all three.

It makes me glad I drive a big car - I have a GMC Acadia - and I now keep a pillow and blanket in the back seat for quick 20 minute naps at lunch while I'm at work. 50-60 hour work weeks are no fun while you are on all these drugs! Also, the Prednisone has killed my ability to proofread, which may cause the partners to kill ME.

Anyway I've noticed that I'm getting a little shaky once in a while during the day, and I had a pretty bad headache starting last night that is just starting to back off. Prednisone withdrawal? I wonder.

But as far as the UC symptoms go, I'm still only having 1 bathroom trip per day, sometimes only every other day. I'm still having the "am I done? Yep. Nope. Wait yep. wait..." thing on the days I do have trips to the bathroom, but they are getting better. Maybe just a sign my colon isn't going into overdrive as much and it is actually healing. I can go days with 0 blood, but then if I am in the bathroom for a long time there will be some, and now I think I have a hemmie giving me a little trouble which scared me for a minute until I realized, "oh, right, that's "normal" blood, not UC blood!"

I've also noticed that I think the VSL #3 might be making the bathroom trips worse? Almost like there is more stuff that wants to come out all at once, and without the VSL it isn't as uncomfortable. Also I feel like the VSL was giving me heartburn? I don't know, maybe once I'm off the prednisone altogether I'll try it again.

Sorry that was long and rambling. No one else "gets" this stuff so it is nice to vent it all out :)

I've been tapering off pred recently too. I drop 2.5 megs every 10 days. I've noticed that the first seven days or so are bad (tired, etc.). The next three days are ok. Then it's time to drop again!

The only part of what you way that is disconcerting is the "shakes." I've had and heard of them while on high pred doses, but not as an effect from tapering.

I used to get the shaky thing before UC when I was really tired, stressed, or both. I already produce WAY to many hormones naturally (extra estrogen which converts to testosterone which is part of my super-insomniac work all the time crazy type A personality) so adding to the mix with this prednisone has been...special. I used to take spironalactone which treats hormone induced / stress acne, and it totally leveled me out and made me less high strung. I had to go off that because we were considering having kids soon, and then this whole UC thing started, so kids have been put off - but the point there is my hormone levels were not normal before the prednisone.

When I saw my dermatologist last week (checking on the breakout that happened the day after I was in the ER, it was pred induced) he actually looked at the fact that I was on the prednisone and said "oh my god, are you ok on that?" He was the one that found the stress hormone issue with me years ago, so he was properly horrified. I think the comment was "I bet you were fun to be around on 40mg."

So anyway the point I think was my shaking is likely the stress/exhaustion/prednisone combo, not the pred by itself.

As a fellow taperer I can tell you that I get the shakes. What helps me is eating a little something sweet. I know most here say to avoid sugar, but I have to have it. My shakes are usually first thing in the morning (before breakfast) and mid afternoon (usually I don't get lunch at work). I've found that in the afternoon, if I eat a small piece of candy or a cookie or drink hot chocolate (you get the idea) the shakiness stops.

As for the VSL3... I took it for almost a year, then switched to Renew Life Critical 80 billion. Saw a difference within a couple days plus it is less expensive.

Yes, the faster the taper, the faster you should sail off pred. Doc is right.. Here's to a successful remission.