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How to Slowly and Safely Taper Off Prednisone but ... no set rules.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Apr 1 4:46am | Replies (65)Comment receiving replies
Someone posted recently with an interesting taper pattern. I think it was a decrease of .5 mg over a month. As I recall, it went something like this, starting with 3.5 to line up with your dose.
Week 1 3.5, 3.5, 3.0, 3.5, 3.5, 3.0, 3.5
Week 2 3.5, 3.0, 3.5, 3.5, 3.0, 3.0, 3.5
Week 3 3.5, 3.0, 3.0, 3.5, 3.0, 3.0, 3,5
Week 4 3.0, 3.5, 3.0, 3.0, 3.5, 3.0, 3.0
Now repeat the pattern beginning at 3.0 ...
If the person that posted the pattern sees this post, please correct me if I got the pattern wrong.
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I'm following a similar taper for a .5mg reduction every 4wks. My original prednisolone taper instructions were to decrease by 1mg every 4 - 8wks, and decreasing .5mg every 4 weeks is 1mg every 8wks, at the longer end of the range. I'm taking it more carefully this time after my first and only flare at 6.5mg, and having to increase again. I've had no problem so far doing it this way and will start on the same reduction schedule to 5mg in a few days.
Dosage Reduction Schedule, 6mg down to 5.5mg:
Week 1
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 (this week)
Stay on 5.5, take it easy for the week and monitor for any return of pain.