Prednisone Withdrawal

[Psyborg]

5 straight to 0 seems quick to me. Maybe if it is short term then things are different though?

[drz]

If you have been on large dosages for more than two weeks, then most physicians will strongly recommend a taper to avoid an adrenal crisis. There is more information about this in the links posted ahead in this thread.

[annekat]

A shorter term would make a difference. Sangye, a formerly very active member, always said if you had been on high dose pred (20mg. or more, not sure) for more than two months, that your adrenals would have shut down and you would need a very slow taper especially at the end in order to get them to kick back in, if they are going to. So it sounds like you've been on a six week taper from 30mg., which isn't quite 2 months, but I'd still feel a little wary, as you are. It doesn't seem like it would do any harm to let you go a little slower from 5 to 0 if you feel more comfortable doing that.

[chris.wg]

that's kind of been my thoughts doc wants the 5 to 0 jump he didn't feel I would suffer the issues so much as if I were on it longer and preventing me from being on it longer by not tapering the last 5 either way I will let everyone know the results.

[renidrag]

I went from 80 to 0 in ten months, the last being 5 to 0. I knew that most here thought that was too fast however I went with the Doctor and I am still Pred free.
Dale

[LisaT]

My problem with reading posts on this thread is I wonder about the logic of going straight from 5 to 0. My first bout with pred I was at 60 for a few weeks 3 I think somewhere around there. First attempt to taper was down to 50 but that didn't go so well so we went to 55. Stepped down 5 every so often for the next couple months. Doc I had didn't want me on pred if I didn't have to be. And I do understand why. But I am on it now with the drug swap between Cytoxan and Rituxan. For syptom control. Started at 30 and just tapered 5 a week I am currently in the last week. My concern is the jumping straight from 5 to 0 when last time I went down 1 mg at a time for like 3 or 4 days. It is a new doctor and all but I also wonder if the concern was time and dosage the first time I was on it vrs a much shorter time period as well as I wasn't experiencing a flare when I was put on it. Either way Friday will tell for sure how well I handle it that's the first pred free day again.

I think too many doctors know little about the whole adrenal gland problem. Or they know but don't pay attention. I would be inclined to go more slowly than the doc recommended, and if you have no problems continue... I'm having a lot of problems trying to go from 8 mg to 7 right now. So I'm going to alternate days and seek the help of a naturopath and/or endocrinologist before trying to decrease it much further.

[annekat]

My doc initially frowns on my regulating my own taper, slowing it down from what he says, but knows he can't do anything about it since I have enough pills prescribed of 10mg, 5mg, and 1mg, to be able to do so at my own discretion. In the end, he is OK with what I do. But I think he also doesn't fully get the adrenal gland thing and how difficult it can be at the lower doses.

[mishb]

My GP told me that until I came along with information from here and from my rheumy, that the normal practice for getting off pred was, after you get to 5mg then everything is alright.
He told me that they always advised patients to reduce 1mg a week until they were off - so 5 weeks and you are pred free. He said that he wasn't aware of anyone that had issues with the reduction (this clinic has been open for just iver 30 years)

It wasn't until my Aunty had terrible withdrawal symptoms (that I told him about) that he advised that their clinic will revisit the taper protacol.

So, I guess it is possible to get off them - either reducing 1mg a week or straight from 5 to zero.

[chris.wg]

Thanks for the input everyone. Lucky for me my first day I'm suppose to be pred free is Friday and my day off. I will probably try the jump down even though last time I went 1 mil down every 3 days. If I feel awful I will then dig into my pred stash also to self taper.

[Fran]

I too went from 80 to 0 in a year, but unlike Dale (?) the last month I was cutting the 5mg tablet into tiny pieces down to 0. I have been off pred for 15 years but still crossing my fingers as you never know with WG

Fran