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Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR): Meet others & Share Your Story
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jan 27 8:38am | Replies (1879)Comment receiving replies
I had a flare up in December when I went to 8 mg I had to go back up to 15 to stop the pain and stiffness tapered down 1 mg every to to 3 weeks to 10.5 during this time stiffness and pain was zero or 1 - 2 on pain scale. Yesterday reduced to 9.5 after 3 weeks now stiff and sore all over 3 - 4 level don’t want to flare again. Plan was to reduce 1/2 mg from here on each month. Should I stay here at 9.5 for awhile to see if settles down or go back up again till stiffness is gone and start taper again
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Don't taper until you're feeling reasonably well. If you do, the inflammation will slowly accumulate and you'll have a flare. We all have a plan, but unfortunately we have to let the disease dictate when and how much we taper. Remember the average duration of PMR is 5.9 years (according to Mayo) and your objective is not a relentless drive to 0 prednisone. What we're trying to do is find the lowest amount of prednisone to keep the pain at bay. Once you get to 10 mgs., you might try reducing by half a mg. If I were you, I'd go back to 10.5 until all is well. Then try 10 and if that works, wait a month and try 9.5 again. I hope that gets you back on track.