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The lowest effective dose, how is it defined?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (79)Comment receiving replies
Quite excited about having lowered my lowest effective dose by another .5mg of prednisolone, and have started this week reducing to 5.5mg - taken as 4.5mg morning plus 1mg early evening. I previously struggled at 6.5mg and flared at 6mg, so it feels good to be reducing this time with no pain or issues at all.
I've used this tapered reduction since reaching 7mg, and have found it helpful.
Dosage Reduction Schedule:
Week 1 (this week)
5.5 / 6 / 6 / 5.5 / 6 / 6 / 5.5
Week 2
6 / 5.5 / 6 / 5.5 / 6 / 5.5 / 6
Week 3
5.5 / 5.5 / 6 / 5.5 / 5.5 / 6 / 5.5
Week 4
Stay on 5.5, take it easy for the week and monitor for any return of pain.
It's a while since I felt hopeful about recovering from PMR, but hope and cautious optimism are high at the moment.
Replies to "Quite excited about having lowered my lowest effective dose by another .5mg of prednisolone, and have..."
Does the early evening split dose affect your sleep? I am trying to taper from 7 mg and your schedule looks more manageable than just dropping by .5 mg each week.
Hope and cautious optimism is the best we can do sometimes.
Just wondering how long you have actually been on the prednisone and what was your starting dose.
I was diagnosed with PMR 6mths ago and was on 7.5 but then saw a rheumatologist and was put on 10, also taking sulfasalazine 4 tabs a day, I’ve noticed on this forum that everyone just seems to be on prednisone and no other medication, they hope to have the prednisone gone by March and just on the other meds, they don’t have to be tapered off.
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This was the dosage lowering plan my PCP had me on and I was holding at 3. Sorry I moved on to a rheumatologist that reduces dosages at a much faster level which doesn't work for me. Back to 10 mg. due to pain and flare ups.