Predinisone reductions

[annekat]

My doc has recently started letting me regulate my own taper from 20mg. to 10mg., since getting over my flare, showing that he realizes I'm the one in a position to know how it is going. That's good, and a big change from when I was first sick. I just think it may get trickier to negotiate with him about the dosages under 10mg. and 5mg., when the time comes, since I've learned on here that such small adjustments can do so much. Hopefully he understands all that and will give me some free rein. I'm curious, are people able to get pred in 1mg. tablets? Otherwise, that could be a lot of tiresome and inaccurate pill splitting.

[DEE]

I get 5mg ,2.5mg and 1mg so I can alter my dose to whatever is needed,did not get told about 2.5mg or 1mg found out about them on the internet and then asked GP for some ,Hope this helps

[Psyborg]

I get 1mg pred tabs. So they are definitely available.

[annekat]

I get 5mg ,2.5mg and 1mg so I can alter my dose to whatever is needed,did not get told about 2.5mg or 1mg found ouut abouut them o the internet and then asked GP for some ,Hope this helps

Yep, it helps a lot! I'd seen them on those "Canadian Pharmacy" online drug sites but don't want to go there, and very expensive. Will just badger my doc about it to make sure he knows they are available.

[Rose]

In South Africa there is nothing less than 5mg tabs. I have tried in the past to quarter the 5mg tabs but they just disintegrated. My Rheumatoloist said it was not such a bad idea to stay on 5mg and as I had no option this is what I have done for the past 4 years. The other day I again enquired about the 1mg tabs, thinking they may now be available. I had a very helpful pharmacist to whom I told my story about my problem reducing from 5mgs to 4.5mgs. He suggested that I take a 5mg tab, crush it, add 50ml of tepid water and stir until dissolved, then measure out 45ml of the solution which would give me 4.5mgs of pred. This is what I have been doing for the past 4 days and so far so good. I intend to stay on this for a few weeks and then reduce to 4mgs (40ml). If all goes to plan I hope to be off the pred in about 3 months or so.

[Rose]

Reading over the posts here maybe I should taper even slower, maybe go down half mg every month or so. Better safe than sorry!! and I have been on 5mgs for a long time..

[annekat]

That's a great tip from your pharmacist, Rose! I will remember that in case I run into any problems with not having the right kinds of tabs. Splitting pills is a big pain, and they almost never split evenly.