Can anyone share your experience with a successful prednisone taper?

I have taken as high as 60 mg for a week before. I have never done any tapering past 10 mg per my Dr. At 10 I'm done. I don't seem to have any delayed bad reactions to getting off at 10. I wasn't even aware they made a 5 or 1 mg. I have taken Predisone on and off for the last 50 years. I try to keep everything under control to stay off that stuff. Makes you eat like a horse and you won't sleep for days with high doses. Makes you feel mean too sometimes. Hits me differently every time. So just be aware. Its the drug! It is only temporary.

Hello. I am still tapering. I had to go back to 2.5 mg daily for an extended period. I tried breaking that in half but started coughing too much and needed to use my resume inhaler again so I went back to 2.5. This morning I took 1.25 mg so we’ll see how it goes this time. My endocrinologist has deferred my prednisone usage to my Pulmonologist. He said he wants me to try a biologic and if that doesn’t work I might have to stay on 2.5 mg daily for my asthma.
As far as withdrawal/adrenal insufficiency symptoms, I’ve done pretty good at the 2.5mg. I’m hoping to be able to get completely off of the prednisone and only use it when absolutely necessary for my asthma. I still have no solution to my chronic sinusitis but the pulmonologist thinks the biologic might help that also.

Thanks for your input. I’m glad to hear you’re able to successfully get off of the prednisone each time you have to use it.

Hope your day at 1.25 mg has gone well, @staylorrn2000.

I’m actually in cold clammy sweats right now unfortunately.

my doc put me on prednisone. 20 mg 2x day 5 days for a. cough I had for a month. an aim. a type 2 diabetes itmakws blood sugar. RISE anB P RISE I have a bad cough for 30 days. I hope it works 2 days so far

@staylorrn2000 - I also thought a few other Connect members who've talked about prednisone tapering might have some thoughts to share with you on your long taper and challenges along the way. Please meet @ricomark @nyxygirl @tadatada1 @thomason @dadcue @sharon44r @richardab @fazz @pu911 @vgen @tuckerp @jabrown0407 @jeff97 @ktgirl @wfroslansky.

For context, staylorrn2000 explained being put on the prednisone for multiple “bursts” for different reasons, including bronchitis, asthma flare, meta pneumo virus, and acute sinusitis that turned into chronic sinusitis.

Thank you!

@staylorrn2000 I am going to give you the short version on steroid tapering. Please go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatic (PMR) Mayo Connect chat room to know that many people have problems getting off steroids. You can search the terms 'tapering', 'titrating', and 'adrenal insufficiency' to see multiple posts on this problem. Also google adrenal insufficiency and read creditable websites to better understand what is happening.
Short version - Your adrenal glands normally produce the steroids your body needs naturally. What happens is once you take them orally long term, which I understand means approximately two weeks or longer, the adrenal glands quit working. Waking them back up can be difficult for some people. This is most likely what you are experiencing. Rheumatologist deal with this routinely with their PMR patients. You may need a very slow taper, everyone is different.

Thank you! I will definitely go to PMR chat room.