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6mp and prednisone questions

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/19/2013 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
hi guys and gals. I am on a high dose of 6mp, higher than my weight allows for, in an attempt to get into remission. My doctor is carefully watching my blood in 4 weeks. I have a somewhat sore throat, which is likely due to the 6mp. But i have more congestion than normal, anyone have congestion (nasal, throat) issues with 6mp.

Also, how often can one do a standard course of prednisone, is once or twice a year safe..every year???

Just want to get this thing under control because it's getting worse by the day.

thanks.

turn  

Posted 1/19/2013 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know if there is such a thing as a standard course of prednisone. Most doc's start out at 40mgs unless your weight is significantly different than average or you have a prednisone - UC history. From there it is anyone's guess as to how a particular doc is going to suggest tapering. Many times when tapering to a lower dose and the symptoms start getting worse the doc has the patient go back up on the dose and then some continue tapering as before or change the amount and timing of the taper. This means that one person may only be on pred for 2 months but someone else could be on it for 6 months or more. The important thing to know is that prednisone rarely puts anyone into a med free remission (AKA "cured"), it will only give your colon time to heal and once off your symptoms are pretty much guaranteed to return at some point, unless you have a maintanence strategy in place, such as your Imuran. If your particular therapy should wind up working the end result is that you will be off the pred hopefully forever but then you will have to take the Imuran forever if you want to stay in remission. That is your doctor's gameplan, unless he is stupid enough to think that the pred-imuran combo will cure you and then take you off all meds. That would be a mistake. UC is never cured and future flares always seem to be harder and harder to treat so the ultimate goal is to never have another flare by continuing meds or some other kind of remission therapy forever. Usually the best thing to keep you into remission is one of the things which got you there in the first place.
Posted 1/19/2013 8:44 PM (GMT 0)
There really us no standard, and you want to be on it as little as possible. Everyone is different so there is also no one "safe" amount if time to be on it. How long have you been on 6MP?
Posted 1/20/2013 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
No I dont think there is a standard iI remember my doctor telling me that they were pushing my prednisolone doses as far as they could to try and get remmision (50mg a day for around 4 months and IV steriods at hospital admissions).

I do however remember getting sore throats due to it aswell as oral thrush, nosebleeds also seemed fairly common.

Post Edited (Syd1993) : 1/19/2013 5:35:06 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/20/2013 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
I had a pred free remission of almost ten years after a few years of yo yo-ing pred use in my initial UC years. Nowadays I am prednisone dependent most if the time, and only holding off surgery because my UC is still too indeterminate vis crohns (working hard to try and resolve it but no guarantees)- no point in losing the colon only to end up back on pred anyway. But pred can induce med free remissions- perhaps only after initial attacks though.
Posted 1/21/2013 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
i've been on 6mp for years now, hoping the increased dosage will induce remission, it's 25mg above my weight.

 

Posted 1/21/2013 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
Has your doctor mentioned pairing the 6mp with allopurinol? That is another way to give a lower dose and make it more effective. I used the combo when I was unable to get into the theraputic range. It worked for me. Ask your GI or see someone who knows about this... I don't think 2x a year on pred is a good idea. Each course is usually 4 months or so, that would mean you're on pred more than you're off it each year? I am trying to never go on it again but I know that's wishful thinking.
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