Prednisone how much and how long ?

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Rex - 23 May 2005 22:11 GMT

HI:

Still alive but flaring real bad. Rheumy doubled dose of Pred to 20 mg.

Please share your info.

Rex

Reply to this Message

Duckie - 24 May 2005 05:01 GMT

Depends - usually until you feel better, inflammation
is under control with some other drug [DMARD] and then
the long taper.
Duckie

> HI:
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Rex

Signature

_('>
(_<_)

_
_('< -quack
(_<_)

_
__('< *QUACK!*
<_{__)

_('< "|,,|_"
(_<_)

_('< "AFLAC!"
(_<_)

Reply to this Message

Kim - 25 May 2005 09:07 GMT

CAnt really give any info but Im interested in responses to this too.

Ive only been on Plaquenil 10 weeks and have to give it 3-4 months to see if
it worka and the NSAI they have tried on me havnt worked at al, all thats
worked on me was pred and im on 15mg a day and have been for a couple of
months now, was on 10mg a day for a couple of weeks before that but need
15mg to control my joint pain.

You read so much about pred side effects that its quite scary being on it
each day but I must say it sure beats being unable to get out of bed from
the pain in the morning that was happening before pred.

Still Ill be happy once a DMARD starts to work so I can stop the pred
(hopefully)

Kim

> HI:
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Rex

Reply to this Message

Harvey R. Stone - 25 May 2005 13:58 GMT

> CAnt really give any info but Im interested in responses to this too.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Kim

Hi Kim,,,, Prednisone is quite a helper for someone that has inflam.arth.
but that is all it is and has a price for long term use,,,,, a year of
continuous use,,, lets say. Plaq. is a very mild DMARD..... IMO and MO
only,,,, please ask your RD for a stronger DMARD and THEN you can cut back
on Prednisone. If you take more than 10 mg a day,,,, you body is not
producing any and a person has to cut back very slowly so that the body
starts to produce it again.
It really is something a person and their doctor have to work out.
Thin skin,,, ulcers,,, weak bones are in the future of a person who uses
large amounts of pred. a day.
A side note,,,, some doctors are just plain lazy in the use of
prednisone to solve problems. With a stronger DMARD, blood tests are
regular and part of your future to watch your liver,,BUT inflam.arth. must
be controlled to continue an active life and after years of this,,,, life
itself.
You are in the right newsgroup to talk about all this and please read
what others have to say and continue to read and ask because we all do it
and you will also find friends as a side effect. :-)
Harv

Reply to this Message

Kim - 25 May 2005 21:57 GMT

>> CAnt really give any info but Im interested in responses to this too.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> and you will also find friends as a side effect. :-)
> Harv

HI Harv,

Thanks for the information. I am worried about the dose of pred, my dr
wanted me to be able to be on 7.5 - 10 mg a dy and I was at first but over
the last 8 weeks the pains came back and I had to increase it and it seems
15mg just controls it now, still have twinges but it controls the pain and I
refuse to take any more then 15mg until I've seen him and discussed it with
him next week.

He wanted to start me on methotrexate but as I was going on a honeymoon
overseas for 6 weeks he decided in Plaquenil as he wasn't comfortable
starting me on something like methotrexate when I couldn't be monitored for
6 weeks, hence the pred and him saying just take what you need to control
the pain and we will work out a better medication option once you get back.
He's also concerned because if I want to get pregnant he doesn't want me
starting on anything other then Plaquenil (I had a reaction to salazopyrin).

Anyway hopefully something can be sorted out when I see him next Tuesday
because Ide really like to lower the pred dose and try something else.

thanks again
Kim

Reply to this Message

Harvey R. Stone - 26 May 2005 04:22 GMT

> Anyway hopefully something can be sorted out when I see him next Tuesday
> because Ide really like to lower the pred dose and try something else.
>
> thanks again
> Kim

Hi Kim,,,, Life is all about making choices. I hope you have or had a
wonderful honeymoon. You will find that life and choices will continue to
get in the way of having an inflam.arth. problem. Just remember that the
disease marches on and it must be controlled. With being newly married,
it is not wise to become pregnant with some DMARDs. Arava and Methx are a
couple of them and the excessive use of prednisone may also be rough on a
baby as well.
You have the right idea,,,, work with your RD and remember that I am 65
and have had RA since I was 38 and I can still do most things and have had
no joints replaced or anything like that. Life is still good and it will
be for you too if we control what we have.
Harv

Reply to this Message

Kim - 26 May 2005 09:05 GMT

>> Anyway hopefully something can be sorted out when I see him next Tuesday
>> because Ide really like to lower the pred dose and try something else.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> will be for you too if we control what we have.
> Harv

Thanks for that Harv

It helps to read that. I was pretty upset to discover I had RA this January
and the internet can be both good and bad for information. many websites
scared the life out of me with tales of joints becoming knarled and
disfigured and tales of becoming unable to work in 5 - 10 years etc etc.

Then there are all the positive tales of people that have had this disease
for years and years and control it really well with medication and still
have really active and relatively pain free lives.

I know it seems to be the luck of the draw with the disease working so
differently on everyone so I guess I just have to make sure I constantly
stay educated about it and have a good relationship with my rheumatologist
and keep it well controlled so prevent (hopefully) the worse aspects of the
disease from happening to me.

I think I'm still adjusting to even having it at all, going from someone who
was pretty active and that virtually never even took a headache pill to
having to take all these things religiously each day and going through the
side effects they cause etc and knowing this thing is for life even if it
does go into remission with medication. Plus like you said ongoing blood
tests to make sure the treatment isn't hurting me as much or more then the
disease does.

Anyway I think I'm coping pretty well (although that's probably because even
though I know the long term side effects of prednisone it still sure as hell
beats being able to hardly get out of bed because everything hurt so much).
Just praying for the Plaquenil to work and if it doesn't then off to the
tougher DMARDS and probably no children.
I'm sure the fact my new husband is the most amazing and understanding man
in the world also helps me a great deal. He is wonderful when I cry about
it, is wonderful when im mad about it and does everything I used to do that
I cant now because it upsets my wrist joints.He even does all the vacuuming
now :) (hey there's got to be some positives doesn't there)

Anyway thanks again for the positive input, I appreciate it

Kim

Reply to this Message