Question for Pred Experts

[marta]

Hi gang,
How long can you take pred before you can cold turkey stop without having to wean? My dad was just put on it for kidney problems and I'm wondering how long he can take it before stopping abruptly without causing any damage. Thanks o'wise ones!!!

[Jack]

Not sure what the official guide lines are, but I would think anything more than a week must raise the possibility of reduced adrenal function and introduce the need to taper the dose before stopping. After a period of months, stopping may become problematical even with tapering. A great deal probably depends on the dose too.

[pberggren1]

I started back on Pred at 50mg for 2 weeks back in January and quit cold turkey.

[Jack]

Sounds a bit scary to me, but I've never been in that situation so have not investigated.

[marta]

I've heard a couple of weeks and then saw something online for a month, but that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I know that the body can go into shock if it's too long, and it can KILL ya.

Gracias Amigos.

[pwc51]

Can't advise on initial period - what I can say is that I have been on Pred for 14 months - starting at 60mg and reducing to 7.5mg a few months back. I have stabilised there and have now been given a 7 week program to reduce that to 5mg - tortuously slow when at this level!

[marta]

No kidding that's torterous. I'm reducing 2.5mg every two to four weeks (it's up to me - if that's not the most hillarious thing ever) I know that the super slow stuff comes after 10mg.

[pberggren1]

No kidding that's torterous. I'm reducing 2.5mg every two to four weeks (it's up to me - if that's not the most hillarious thing ever) I know that the super slow stuff comes after 10mg.

I would not say that is hillarious Marta because I would suspect Your doctor gave that choice to you based on how you feel one day to the next and one week to the next. I would say that if you feel you can do it faster I would go the fast rout, but like you said when getting to 10mg I would reduce by 1 or 2mg every month. Every doctor is going to have a different opion on this but most are goint to be on the same page that you have to taper slowly after being on the higher doses for 2 months or more.

I was going to ask my doc today about this but I forgot. Sorry Marta - we had a long visit, almost an hour, and we got talking about so many different things and he likes to explain everything in great detail.

[Sangye]

A JHU endocrinologist told me that adrenal suppression occurs after taking a minimum of 20mg pred for at least 3 weeks.

[pberggren1]

A JHU endocrinologist told me that adrenal suppression occurs after taking a minimum of 20mg pred for at least 3 weeks.

Quit speaking Greek. What is an endocrinologist?