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Tapering off of Prednisone

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Feb 28 5:49am | Replies (313)
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@redboat

Thanks for your reply. My pain is not GCA related, it is in my hips, shoulders, arms.

I take prednisone around 8:30 am. My pains are there all day, but they are less in the evening. It is now 8:40 pm, and I am experiencing quite noticeable pain in my upper legs, hips, arms, and shoulders.

The question I really was hoping someone could answer is: Should all pain be gone before beginning to taper? As I read between the lines of your comments, it seems the answer is "no".

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Replies to "Thanks for your reply. My pain is not GCA related, it is in my hips, shoulders,..."
lfd28 | @lfd28 | Mar 1, 2023

Everything I have read (on two other PMR web sites) and been told (by my rheumatologist) is that it is important not to taper too quickly. Experts on the web sites say your pain should be minimal or non-existent before you reduce your dose and the reduction should not be more than 1-2 mg. at a time. Check out the PMRGCAuk section of healthunlocked.com (an excellent UK web site) and the PMR community on stuffthatworks.health (especially posts by Ed582, a physician who also has PMR). I hope this is helpful.

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