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Tapering and Dealing with a Flareup
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: May 30 12:11pm | Replies (32)Comment receiving replies
Tapering is a complex issue. I’ve been down to 8mg of prednisone three times now. Bad flares each time when I dropped from 9 to 8.5 and then to 8.
The taper has to be very slow especially once you get under 10mg of prednisone. As to dealing with the flares. My doc said well just go back up to 8.5mg of prednisone..the last level you felt reasonably well. Nope. Once you flare it often takes going back up a bit to get the inflammation under control. I was at 8mg last week. I am currently at 12mg. But yes talk to your doctor and try not to get discouraged. It just takes awhile.
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How long are you staying on each reduction before moving onto the next? And was there some slight increased aches/pains at 8.5mg which may have been a clue to stay on that a bit longer rather than keep reducing? I'm asking because I had my first flare at 6mg, but new (tolerable) aches started at the 6.5mg reduction. That's the point at which I should have gone back to 7 for a bit, rather than optimistically reducing to 6mg.
As I get closer to reducing to that dose this time, I intend to sit on around 7mg/6.5mg for a while longer this time. You're right that once the inflammation settles in, the rise to fix it has to be more. That's no good.