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← Return to Long term Prednisone for RA?
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@junieb1 thought i would chime in here since i’ve had RA for 34 years now. I’ve taken my share of prednisone over the years but never 10 mg for any extended time period. It seems like a very high dose for long term use. I agree with you, it’s one of the few drugs that gives immediate relief but i would be very careful taking that dosage for too long. I have seen moderate to severe deterioration in my L4-L5 vertebrae and i’m sure the prednisone has contributed to that. I try to only use it when i’m in a flare. i know it’s a question of quality of life. i’d rather lead a quality life than suffer and live to 90. When i was first diagnosed they were using gold injections as treatment. They’ve come a long way with new medications and i’ve found i don’t have near as many flares with the new biologics. xeljanz and rinvoq have given me the most relief and allowed me to take smaller doses of prednisone.
Best of luck on your journey, I know first hand it’s not an easy one.
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@brcc Thanks. Like you, I have had RA for a very long time, since 1982, and treatments have come a long way for sure. I also have deteriorating vertebrae but probably not from prednisone. My current rheumatologist tells me that he thinks the GLP-1's will be part of the treatment for RA soon. My sister has diabetes and is on Ozempic. Not only did it help her diabetes, it "cured" her thyroid, helped her lose a ton of weight, got rid of inflammation, she's off blood thinners, etc.. She has been going to the gym every day which she had not been able to do for years! They seem to be miracle drugs and they're being used for everything. My issue with the biologics is that I have lung issues and Actemra is the only one that is less likely to land me in the hospital with a lung infection. So, I am really anxious to see how they incorporate the GLP-1's with treatment for us. Let's all hang in there and live to fight another day, and see further improvements in treatments!