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PMR and the new Shingles vaccine
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Dec 27, 2021 | Replies (67)Comment receiving replies
I too am having trouble as I inch below 10 mg. I’ve been reducing by . 5 mg every 14 days or so but now that I’m at 9, I think I’ll adopt the feathering in process ( Dorset...) that Peggy alerted us to, and do a few days of 9.5 and ramp down even more slowly. I’ve been diagnosed for nearly 1 year, and had one relapse when I went down to 8.5 that included GCA symptoms, no good. So I’m super cautious this go around.
Replies to "I too am having trouble as I inch below 10 mg. I’ve been reducing by ...."
@karinaph, I have been diagnosed with GCA since June, 1919. Because I had already lost my vision in right eye, I was hospitalized and on IV infusion 1000 mg Prednisone for 3 days, to preserve the vision in my left eye. Following that, I was on quite high oral doses (was too ill then to now remember the exact doses), and had tapered down to 2.5 mg when I was suddenly taken off Prednisone because my WBC and neutrophils had bottomed out. At that time, I was also taken off Actemra injections for my GCA. I had been on the two Rx's since November, 2019. I was also taken off Clozapine at that time. All 3 of those meds can cause WBC and neutrophil drops for some patients. Terrible withdrawal happened, lasting for 6 weeks! I was also in a lot of pain, having stopped the GCA meds so suddenly.
I think stopping Prednisone too soon without tapering for long enough, was disastrous for me. Be careful and be sure to taper slowly! I'm only on the Actemra now - no more Prednisone or Clozapine.
Hope this might be helpful info for you, even though we don't share the same conditions.
Warm regards, Laurie
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When you are unable to reduce, it usually means the PMR is still there. I was on 6 mgs for a year and then had knee replacement and had a flare afterwards a few weeks later. I didn't recognize it as such until after three trips to the ER. They didn't recognize it either. I had to quickly up it to 15 mgs for a couple of days, then go back down l mg at a time to 7 mgs for months. That was in my second year of PMR.