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← Return to Decreasing Prednisone
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Hmmm, I wonder if some people develop a tolerance for prednisone, or maybe a physical dependence on it?
I wish I'd bookmarked it, but there was some research done that showed people who controlled inflammation consistently had more success at reducing and getting off prednisone. Consistent disease control seemed to be the key. It makes sense that repeated flares and the return of inflammation could make it harder to get off prednisone. The one inflammation/pain flare I had last year felt like a huge setback and kicked off a few other nasty things - thrombosis, Morton's Neuroma, trigger finger, upper leg nerve pain etc. So I'm not in a hurry to get off prednisone any more, just happy to reduce slowly and surely while hopefully avoiding the return of inflammation.
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"The one inflammation/pain flare I had last year felt like a huge setback and kicked off a few other nasty things - thrombosis, Morton's Neuroma, trigger finger, upper leg nerve pain etc."
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That is a relatively short list compared to the other nasty things that happened to me. My list of medical complications expanded exponentially when I was on Prednisone for 12 years. Gone were the days when I could go from 60 mg to zero in a month to treat other autoimmune disorders that were diagnosed prior to PMR.
I needed a lot of Prednisone for a very long time after PMR was diagnosed. I was always amazed how my symptoms from the other nasty things were nothing like how PMR presented originally. PMR originally presented with my inability to lift my arms without extreme pain. There was widespread pain and stiffness everywhere else but I was mostly focused on the shoulder pain. I was always skeptical that all the other things were all because of PMR.
For the question of tolerance, dependence and addiction to Prednisone ... I think they are all possible. However everything I have read says the following.
Addiction: Prednisone is generally not considered addictive in the traditional sense.
Physical Dependence: Common with long-term use, requiring a gradual taper to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Tolerance: Less common with prednisone, and often linked to the underlying condition rather than the drug itself.
I do give prednisone credit for me not being addictive to other pain medications. I still remember a neurosurgeon questioning me about what pain medications I took for trigeminal neuralgia. He didn't see any pain medications on my list of medications. The surgeon said people usually presented with a mile long list of pain medications. The surgeon was astonished when I told him "just Prednisone" was all I took for pain.