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How does one know when it is OK to start a slow taper?

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Mar 7, 2023 | Replies (13)
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@johnbishop

@christi48, How long have you been at 5 mg? How big of drop did you do for the previous taper? If you have setup any sort of timeline like trying to taper monthly or every two weeks and it's close to when you think it's time to taper, I would certainly give it a try by going down to 4 mg or 4.5 mg to see how you feel for a couple of days. I think it might also help if you are keeping a daily log of your dose and pain levels.

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Replies to "@christi48, How long have you been at 5 mg? How big of drop did you do..."
christi48 | @christi48 | Mar 5, 2023

I started on 5 mg last July. Tried my first ds taper starting mid-November. I slowly decreased 1/2 mg and finally reached seven straight days of 4 in February, but at that point the pain and stiffness gradually got worse until I went back to 5 mg on Feb. 19. I'm thinking I might have made a mistake and should have used 5 for my old dose and 4 1/2 for my new dose with a target of 4 1/2 at the end of the taper sequence. Back on 5 I have good days (and nights) and not-so-good. Pain and stiffness not terrible but a nuisance. So, when should I try another taper, and should I just make my goal minus 1/2 mg. at the end of the taper sequence?

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