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PMR: Are there treatment alternatives to Prednisone?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jun 3 6:29pm | Replies (266)Comment receiving replies
I have just had to reverse a tapering off of Prednisone. I started at 20mg and made it down to 8mg and the pain came back with a vengeance. My Dr. advised I go back to 10 which I have done. It is helping. However he wants me to consider Hydroxychloroquine, Methotrexate, or Kevzara as alternatives to Prednisone. Does anyone have any experience with any of these alternatives they would like to share? I have an appointment coming up very soon and any information I can get is helpful. I have read up on potential side effects of each of these but that is not a total deciding factor. The odds of a side effect can be million to one but if you are the one it does not help. Thank you for any info you may share.
Replies to "I have just had to reverse a tapering off of Prednisone. I started at 20mg and..."
@ttorre44 I'm in the middle of this process. Was on a tapering dose of prednisone for two months, starting Hydroxychloroquine the first month. The 2nd month's taper (May) was a bit easier, but after 8 days off of prednisone, I started waking up stiff and in pain again. Doc said it can take up to 3 months for the hydroxy to work full force. So she prescribed 30 days of 5mg prednisone 1x daily to help get through this next month. I hope it works. While prednisone helps the pain and stiffness, I do not like feeling weak and tired while taking it. Good luck to you!!
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@ttorre44 - You will notice that we merged your post into an existing discussion on the same topic so that you can connect with other members like @dadcue @cwbf @mun68 and others who have posted about alternatives to prednisone for PMR. If you click the link below it will take you to the beginning of the discussion to learn what others have shared.
--PMR: Are there treatment alternatives to Prednisone?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/alternatives-to-prednisone/