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2 year struggle to get off prednisone still hard to get from 3 to 2mg
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: May 15 9:20am | Replies (39)Comment receiving replies
Hello, I live in the UK and have pmr. You may find these tapers a little more manageable than alternating days. The first one is 5 weeks and the second one is 7 weeks. In the UK our prednisolone (your prednisone) is not usually coated so we can cut the tablets in half. I think all prednisone is coated so unable to cut. If you can cut your tablets try and reduce by half an mg at a time instead of one mg. Tapers below. In the UK we try not to taper more than 10% of dose when under 10mg.
You can repeat any week if you feel it is getting a bit of a struggle.
TAPER (5 weeks);
Week 1 -
Sun, Thurs new dose –Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 2 -
Sun, Tues, Thurs new dose -Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 3 -
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs new dose -Mon, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 4-
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat new dose -Mon, Fri old dose
Week 5 -
Every day new dose
SLIGHTLY LONGER TAPER (7 weeks)
Week 1 -
Sun - new dose – Mon to Sat old dose
Week 2 -
Sun, Thurs new dose -Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 3-
Sun, Tues, Thurs new dose -Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 4 -
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs new dose -Mon, Fri, Sat old dose
Week 5 -
Sun, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri new dose - Mon, Sat old dose
Week 6 -
Sun to Fri inclusive new dose
- Sat old dose
Week 7 -
Every day new dose
Replies to "Hello, I live in the UK and have pmr. You may find these tapers a little..."
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Thank-you for sharing this information. It is always interesting how other countries treat their medical conditions.
In the USA, prednisone tablets actually come in two forms. One is the more common form — a "regular" immediate-release form that can be split or cut in half but it is tedious because the tablets are small. There is also a delayed-release formulation, called Rayos. Prednisone and Rayos are the same medication, but Rayos is designed to start working 4 hours after you take it. Rayos is the coated form of Prednisone that can't be divided.
I doubt anyone in the USA is allowed to have Rayos except possibly for rare circumstances. Insurance companies say it is too expensive and not medically necessary so they won't pay for it.
I'm always curious whether or not there is any medical research that supports a tapering plan like you suggest. There are many tapering strategies but no research that supports one strategy more than another. Whether one strategy works better than another is purely subjective. I think doctors in the USA would support it if there was evidence this tapering strategy works. Do doctors in the UK actually prescribe prednisolone that way?
I tried every tapering plan I could think of after PMR was diagnosed. I failed miserably for more than 12 years. It was hard on my ego not to be able to taper off prednisone quickly. I was able to successfully taper off Prednisone countless times during the 20 years before I was diagnosed with PMR. I was able to taper off Prednisone quickly when treated for a different autoimmune condition called uveitis which can also lead to blindness. A 100 mg to zero Prednisone taper in a month or two was never a problem. Granted that was to treat another autoimmune condition that was more "responsive" to prednisone and went into remission quickly. My ophthalmologist praised me for being "skilled with prednisone tapers."
In my opinion, the "pain symptoms of PMR" respond to prednisone but the "PMR condition" does not. I base this opinion on being able to taper off prednisone very quickly after a biologic was tried. PMR actually responded well to the biologic so I don't take prednisone anymore. My condition has improved dramatically! Once my PMR condition was targeted and treated ... then I was able to taper off Prednisone relatively quickly which is what my rheumatologist wanted to happen. Prednnisone is not recommended for long term use because of the known serious side effects that most patients experience sooner or later.