Connect
← Return to What steroid dosage did you start on? Did you find the right dosage?
Discussion
What steroid dosage did you start on? Did you find the right dosage?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Apr 5 5:38pm | Replies (154)Comment receiving replies
Hi @bruce1951vet, It took me 3 and half years to taper off of prednisone my first time with PMR. I started at 20mg dose and didn't taper as fast as you have been doing. My second time with PMR six years after it went into remission, I started at the same 20mg dose but was able to taper off in 1 and half years. It is different for each of us but what I believe helped me get off quicker was making a few lifestyle changes, especially eating healthier, trying to eliminate most sugar and inflammatory foods along with some mild to moderate exercise daily.
Another thing that helped was keeping a daily log of my pain level when I woke up and my dose of prednisone for that day. That allowed me to work a little closer with my rheumatologist on a tapering plan. When it was time on my tapering plan to taper down, I didn't taper down if my pain level was more than a 2 on my scale of 0 to 10. If the pain flared, I sometimes increased my prednisone dose to half of the previous taper to see if that made the pain disappear.
Do you keep a daily log?
Replies to "Hi @bruce1951vet, It took me 3 and half years to taper off of prednisone my first..."
Connect
Hi @johnbishop, Thanks so much for sharing your story with me. I have to say I had mixed feelings of your first experience with PMR taking 3 and half years for a complete remission of your PMR. It just seemed like a life time of tapering down. Your second time experience with PMR of 1 and a half years seemed to be the experience I see with many people that are on this forum. Having only been on prednisone for only 3 and a half months, I realize I am chomping on the bit and want this to be done now. I understand this process of tapering down is unique to each of us. I am currently easing into a life style change of no sugar, eating healthier, and exercising.
I do keep a journal or daily log of the pain level and my dose of prednisone for the day. I then share my journal data with my rheumatologist. After moving from 15mg to 9mg in 3 months, I felt OK dealing with a day to day pain level of a 2 or 3. Upon moving from 9mg to 8mg after 2 days on 8mg, I then had flare ups of a pain level of 8 out of 10, reminding me why I was on steroids. I do not want to go back to those days of pain, so I am staying on 9mg for the time being. I like your train of thought of increasing dose to half of previous taper.
God bless you for helping people like me and others starting this journey though PMR. It seems you have been through a lot in your journey.
Thanks again for sharing your experience and knowledge.