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Sangye
06-30-2010, 09:57 AM
Many of us have learned different ways of tapering pred from our docs. I thought we could have a thread to list the various ways.

Please remember that tapering pred has 2 major risks-- triggering Wegs and causing the adrenals to fail. Do not attempt to lower your pred even a little bit without your doctor's okay, and definitely get his/her okay before trying any of the plans in this thread.

I googled "Weaning from prednisone" today and found a few methods I hadn't heard of. They both have good reasoning behind them. I don't know or endorse anything else about the websites.

WEANING FROM PREDNISONE (http://sarcinfo.com/weaning.htm)

HealingYou (http://www.healingyou.org/prednisone.html)

elephant
06-30-2010, 10:20 AM
Right now I am at 7 mg of Prednisone and hoping to reach 5 mg of Prednisone. I will stay on 7 mg of prednisone for 6 weeks and then reduce it to 6 mg and stay there for six weeks. Once I get to 5 mg I will have to discuss this with my WG specialist and local Rhuemy. I think in my situation they think that is will be very hard to stay on 5 mg because of my sinus involvement/maxillary damage.

Col 23
07-02-2010, 03:43 AM
Thanks Sangye for this thread, I read this and I am amazed that the docs dont give this out. They sort of inidcate this verbally but you know when you have it black and white you can refer to it if you are like me at the moment and forget things. Also for the new people like me to the WGs it takes a lot to get your head around the WGs and how it all works. Only just getting it now after 6 months and continuing to learn new things every day.
cheers Col 23

Col 23
07-02-2010, 03:45 AM
Hi Elephant
have you noticed any reduction in weight after you went below 10mg of the pred. I thought someone said that was the magic number for loosing some weight. I sooooo hope so.
cheers Col 23

elephant
07-02-2010, 06:58 AM
Yes, I lost ten pounds. Then I lost some more weight and that was concerning...it was only because I was so busy taking care of everyone after my surgery. I gained that weight back. I didn't gain alot of weight even being on Prednisone for two years ..on/off 60 mg of prednisone. That goes to show you every one's metabolism is different.
I am on 7 mg of prednisone and I noticed I am more tired and my upper eye lids slighty swollen...I just finished my two weeks of bactrim ( two tabs a day).
But I have been exercising daily walking for a hour, and not sleeping good. I probably over did it.

Col 23
07-03-2010, 06:03 AM
Wow elephant ten pounds, I am amazed you could walk for an hour though each day, were you regularly walking through out your treament?
Col 23

Victoria
07-04-2010, 05:47 AM
I just posted story about my Weg husband being dx'd with blastomycosis this past week. He was on 80 mg prednisone before hospital stay for a misdiagnosed wegener's flare. Since lung biopsy finally gave us the answer the docs cut his pred to 40 for 3 days and back to 20 when we left hospital. Has anyone ever come off so quick?

Jack
07-04-2010, 08:29 AM
Yes. Dropping from a very high dose to around 20 should not cause a problem because it is probably still a higher dose than your body needs to function. It is when you start to drop towards the 15 - 10mg doses and below that the withdrawal problems occure. This is because the adrenal glands need to restart in order to suplement the steroids. It also depends on how long the high dose lasted. If it was only for a short time, the adrenals have a good chance of kicking in without too much trouble.

Victoria
07-04-2010, 09:20 AM
Thank you Jack. That just seemed way too fast. He was only on the 80 mg for 2 weeks. You ever heard of blastomychosis?

Sangye
07-04-2010, 11:43 AM
Victoria, everything that Jack said is right on. I also wanted to add that adrenal suppression occurs if the dose is 20mg or higher for at least 3 weeks.

It sounds like he's going to stay at 20mg, is that correct?

Victoria
07-04-2010, 12:20 PM
No, he was instructed to do 20 mg until Tues. then 10 mg beginning Wed. He has felt so bad today. Not acting at all like himself. I actually packed an emergency bag for the hospital again. They told him to come back to ER if his fevers didn't subside after the weekend.

Jack
07-04-2010, 02:40 PM
My gut feeling is that he should settle down on 20mg for a bit longer than that before dropping again, especially if he is not feeling well, but you have to take into account that this is my "diagnosis by internet" so don't take this advice without asking your docs. some more questions.

Sangye
07-04-2010, 10:28 PM
If I did my math correctly, he'd be back at 10 mg within 3 weeks. That means his adrenals would not have become dependent on the higher doses.

Higher doses of pred could make it harder to fight the infection.

Please don't hesitate to bring him back to the ER. A change in behavior for someone with a serious infection is a red flag.

Jack
07-05-2010, 07:39 AM
I did not remember that it had only been 3 weeks at the higher dose. As Sangye says - dropping the dose after a short period like that should be OK.

Victoria
07-06-2010, 03:03 AM
Actually he is suppose to go back on 10mg Wed. He will have been on the 20 for 6 days. He has had a really rough weekend. Fever not as high last night finally. Sure hoping this new drug for the lung fungus kicks in and helps.

jola57
07-07-2010, 12:08 PM
When you are on pred for such a short time you can teper off quite easily and without "withdrawal" effects