Tapering

Actually they have prednisone 1mg tablets. My rheumy prescribed 5mg, 2.5mg and 1mg tablets when I was tapering. The first occurrence of PMR took me 3 and half years to taper off and the last six months was going back and forth between 1mg and 1/2mg until I could stop taking prednisone with no pain. Cutting the 1mg tablet in half with a pill cutter was a little tricky and didn't work well when I first tried but I finally figured out how to use the pill cutter 🙂

As John said, there are also 1mg tablets and the tablets I've always gotten are scored in the middle which makes cutting them in half much easier. That was very important for me, as I had a hard time getting below the 10mg "hurdle". I had to taper a 1/2mg at a time to avoid flaring. As you get to lower doses it becomes very important to be able to adjust the dose by as little as a 1/2mg, as reducing the dose by more than 10% causes many people to flare. I've read that some have even reduced by .25mg although that has to be fun cutting pills by .25mg!

Looking for advice on tapering...I was down to 8mg before getting the flu 2 weeks ago. I ended up with bronchitis as well and was given a steroid shot. I had NO pain for several days and even now, a week later, it is very slight. What a wonderful, amazing feeling to be "normal" again for even just a little while! I'm wondering at what point I should continue tapering? I am still recovering from bronchitis and have several more days of antibiotics, but eager to resume tapering to get off Pred. I have no idea how long the effects of the steroid shot stay in a person's body.

When I have been tapering.... I have to use the 1mg tablet to get the correct dose...

4mg= 4 1mg tablets... and so on..

Hi @hfoster, You are right, it is a wonderful feeling to feel normal again when you are dealing with PMR and a respiratory issue as well. I think this is a good question to ask your doctor since there might be other factors involved. I did find this information that speaks to the topic a little but doesn't mention bronchitis.

"How long does a steroid shot last for upper respiratory infection?
Steroid injections start working quickly and usually last for a long time. You only need to get another one if your symptoms return, which can happen anywhere from 3 to 12 months after the first injection. However, many people never need to get another injection."
-- Steroid Shot for Sinus Infection: Benefits, Process, and Side Effects:
https://www.healthline.com/health/steroid-shot-for-sinus-infection

I've had severe bronchitis before and it is the pits. If it were me, I wouldn't taper down until I was sure I've recovered from the bronchitis but I would still ask my doctor about it.

Hi..I hit a wall when I tried my usual method of tapering from 8mg to 7mg …the pain returned. I started alternating between 8 and 7.5 and then 7.5mg and 7mg. I’m wondering how long to continue this dosage before going to 7mg??
Thank you! June

@juneh I think it might depend on how you feel. If you are feeling good when you wake up and it's time to take the days dosage, it's OK to try. Your body should remind you if it's not going to work...in my non medical opinion.

Hi John
Thanks for your response! I guess it’s a try this and that situation. From what you and others have posted before it seems like it’s going to take longer to ramp down now.

Hopefully the time will go by fast. I struggled my first time around but made a few changes in my lifestyle and was lucky the second time around PMR. I changed my bad eating habits and added some exercises which helped some.

Thanks to everyone for your answers to my question. Every answer was helpful. Best wishes to all...