Prednisone taper how fast?

[Brit]

I am on day 8 of a 12-day taper schedule. I made the mistake of reading all the horror stories and got completely freaked out about starting, but I have dealt with a chronic sinus infection for a decade now and wanted some relief. I am writing to tell you that NOT everyone experiences the nasty side-effects. Inititally I started with 80mg/3 days, down to 60mg/3 days and currently at 40mg/3 days with 20/3 days coming up. Initially I felt energized and at times unable to think of certain words or complete sentences but that was it. I did not experience extreme hunger, never felt anxiety, depression or achy joints. I have a dull headache today but otherwise I feel amazing considering the awful sinus congestion I lived with for years, which is now GONE. I will say that I exercise everday and eat a well-balanced, low calorie, veggie/fruit rich diet and get 8 hours of sleep each night. Perhaps these actions have helped, I'm not sure. But I feel fine and hopefully won't experience any significant withdrawals as I end.

[hopeandfaith]

Brit wrote:

I am on day 8 of a 12-day taper schedule. I made the mistake of reading all the horror stories and got completely freaked out about starting, but I have dealt with a chronic sinus infection for a decade now and wanted some relief. I am writing to tell you that NOT everyone experiences the nasty side-effects. Inititally I started with 80mg/3 days, down to 60mg/3 days and currently at 40mg/3 days with 20/3 days coming up. Initially I felt energized and at times unable to think of certain words or complete sentences but that was it. I did not experience extreme hunger, never felt anxiety, depression or achy joints. I have a dull headache today but otherwise I feel amazing considering the awful sinus congestion I lived with for years, which is now GONE. I will say that I exercise everday and eat a well-balanced, low calorie, veggie/fruit rich diet and get 8 hours of sleep each night. Perhaps these actions have helped, I'm not sure. But I feel fine and hopefully won't experience any significant withdrawals as I end.

First of all, I have to tell you that my son's name is also Brit. Hopefully, you can get off prednisone and not have a reoccurence of your sinus problem. The side effects of prednisone are many, and I have been on it for eight months. I did not have any side effects that were bad until about a month or two into treatment, so hopefully, you will be fine. I understand that you felt you had no alternative but to take the drug. I have temporal arteritis which is a disease that inflames the arteries in your head. Prednisone is the only treatement. I started at 30 mg., then tapered slowly, and I am on 15 mg. now. Make sure you taper slowly....do not stop taking the drug suddenly. I am sure your Doctor has told you this. Don't panic...you should be off the drug soon. Stay well Brit.

[Frani PhT]

The heart palpitations can come from lowered potasium levels while on prednisone. Talk to your doctor. He should have advice on how to help. But don't just stop taking it! It can have bad side affects if you do.

Lakota wrote:

Is there anyone out there that has had good effects from prednisone without all the bad? i have been on it 3 days and i am already regretting it. i typed in my yahoo home page"coming off prednisone" and found this site. from all the postings, i know im not going crazy and the palpitations are not in my head. the comments are somewhat scary, but i need to know the truth. after just 3 days , i should be getting off this train, while im ahead, agree?

[Frani PhT]

I'm very sorry for what has happened to you. You're right, Prednisone be a very dangerous drug. BUT! to say that it doesn't make a difference whether you taper it or not is also dangerous! You give people the idea that they will be safer if they do. That simply isn't the case! Everything that happened to you could be worse for someone else if they chose not to taper off of it. If a doctor puts you on prednisone, get another oppinion first! Then talk to them to make sure you really need the dose they are giving you, BUT, please, don't just stop taking it! it is even more dangerouse if you do!

Andrew wrote:

The most dangerous drug ever known and invented! You just can take it if it's question of life! I had been taking it for RA for 3 months and stopped gradually. It does not matter! I developed extremely high blood pressure, weakness, panic attacks, depression! Practically it ruined my normal life! Doctors have no clue how to deal with its devastating side effects. DO NOT TRUST DOCTORS! They will never tell you the truth how dangerous this DEVIL's prednisone is!!!

[Jacob]

Hi everyone. I got into some poison oak really bad and had to go to the hospital to get it treated. They put me on 50mg pred for one week, than one week of tapering 5mg a day until i am done. Do you think that is too fast? also, could i start to taper myself off before the first week is over? all my symptoms are gone now after 4 days of 50mg. I have read a lot about the side effects, and, considering that i do not have any serious diseases or maladies i think prednisone could have been a little extreme...

[Dinah]

hi hopeandfaith
this temporal arteritis certainly makes me feel grateful for having my eyesight still, and not having polymyalgia rheumatica since they often go together, as they did with my mother at around the same age. I was started on 40mg pred, very early on in the illness (luckily timed doctor's visit booked for a completely different reason, after googling "tender temples" and finding TA so it was just 5 days after its onset). That was a month ago; after a fortnight at 40 I was reduced to 30, which felt a bit too fast so `I took 35 for a week and am now on 30. I was automatically prescribed a omeprazole to protect the gastric linings from the steroid blast, and also calcium + vit D for bone loss protection. I am eating very healthily and trying to walk a fair amount. Apparently in France they tell everyone on steroids to cut right down on the salt if they want to avoid moon face etc

[BBASH4]

Angela,

My mother has Dermatomyositis ..she was diagnosed several something like 33 years ago. She also took Prednisone for years, to my knowledge she did not have any of the side-effects I've read about on this site. At this time she is not taking any meds. Good luck to you!

[hopeandfaith]

Dinah wrote:

hi hopeandfaith
this temporal arteritis certainly makes me feel grateful for having my eyesight still, and not having polymyalgia rheumatica since they often go together, as they did with my mother at around the same age. I was started on 40mg pred, very early on in the illness (luckily timed doctor's visit booked for a completely different reason, after googling "tender temples" and finding TA so it was just 5 days after its onset). That was a month ago; after a fortnight at 40 I was reduced to 30, which felt a bit too fast so `I took 35 for a week and am now on 30. I was automatically prescribed a omeprazole to protect the gastric linings from the steroid blast, and also calcium + vit D for bone loss protection. I am eating very healthily and trying to walk a fair amount. Apparently in France they tell everyone on steroids to cut right down on the salt if they want to avoid moon face etc

Hi Dinah: Hope you are feeling better. I am about the same. I am on 10 mg. and my Dr. is sending me to a rheumatologist as my sed rate does not stay down. I have an appt. with the rheumatologist in July. From what I have read, there are other drugs (methotrexate) that can help with keeping inflammation down, but it is used together with prednisone. Even with my dosage of prednisone reduced to 10 mg., I have the swollen stomach, moon face and such fatigue. I have been on prednisone close to a year now, and I am weary of it. I, too, am thankful for my eyesight, and I try and remember how fortunate I am as so many people have so many battles to fight. God has blessed me greatly. Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark. So, we need to sing until we see the glimmer of light on the horizon. God is faithful.

[Sandra]

I ended up on 80mg of prednisone because of an actute asthma attack and it saved my life. I'm on a 2-week taper and yep, the side effects are awful but seeing how I'd otherwise be dead I don't have much to complain about.

I've gained 15 pounds (moonface anyone?), I'm sure most of it is bloating because I've been craving salt like crazy and eating anything that isn't rat poison. I have severe cramps in my legs, shoulders and arms, hypertension and eye pain with vision changes. I've developed bell's palsy on the left side of my face and my ear is ringing constantly.

Is all of this awful? Yep. But I tend to hyperrespond to medication in general, so I wasn't expecting a cake walk.

I get very angry when people say "OMG SO EVIL" to a drug without realizing that some people, like myself, would be long dead without it. Prednisone is intense. I've been on inhaled steroids for years and it's nothing like this. I try not to take medications unless I have to, but when my lung capacity is at 56% and I can't breathe, you do what you have to. The "other things work just as well" isn't always true. The reason prednisone has such nasty side effects is because it's a very, very potent drug.

It's okay though, because for the first time in two months I can play the flute again, and I can start exercising very soon. Long term quality of life trumps cruddy side effects any day.

[steverow50]

smokin Joe wrote:

I stopped taking predisone 2 day ago, after taking it for years due a kidney transplant. The kidney has since failed, and I gradually tapered down. I have been having the shakes for 2 days now? Is this normal?

The shakes are a normal withdrawal symptom when reducing or stopping pred

[BBASH4]

BBASH4 wrote:

Angela,
My mother has Dermatomyositis ..she was diagnosed several something like 33 years ago. She also took Prednisone for years, to my knowledge she did not have any of the side-effects I've read about on this site. At this time she is not taking any meds. Good luck to you!

To the people who "Judged" my comment from May as "Disagree" who cares. Do you even know what Dermatomyositis is? Do you know there is no known cause or cure? Do you know that some people have extensive pain, others not? Do you know that the disease dibilitating, possibly leaving the stricken person unable to walk? Or, maybe you do not agree that my mother had no side-effects. Do you know that EVERY drug has some side-effect and that EVERY person responds differently to EVERY drug. What one person experiences with a drug or disease will be that person's own experience, there will not be another exactly like it. So, just because my comments may not fit into your narrow-minded opinion or thoughts on either this drug or the disease, it does not mean they are wrong. In the future if you are going to "Judge" someone be man or woman enough to add comments as to why.

[annq]

Prednisone also saved my life and my eyesight.I have had fewer side effects than many people report. My rheumatologist thinks I should be taking zero prednisone now, but I can't get out of bed if I taper very much. I'm wondering if anyone has switched to hydrocortisone to make the taper easier. It is a potent medication, but some of us have aggr4ssive illnesses that require it.

[Person 99]

I've been taking prednisone for more than 10 years. I have tried to taper off more than once and I did it too fast each time. For most of the 10 years I was taking 15 to 20 mg per day. Currently I am not taking it and have not taken any since August 30. I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms now and wonder if I should consult a general practitioner, endocrinologist or start taking the drug again and begin a very, very slow taper. I did function well at 15 mg but I now have very dry skin, thinning hair and my joints make it painful to walk. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[escapepod]

I had ischemic enteritis of the small intestine and two feet of my intestines were removed August 17th. Four days later I developed a rash and was diagnosed with HSP (Henoch Schonlein Purpura).
I was put on intravenous steroids August 21st until released from the hospital August 28th. I started 60 mg/day of Prednisone on August 29th.
I tapered down to 40 mg/day 9/11/09; alternating 40 mg/day - 30 mg/day on 9/15/09; 30 mg/day 9/25/09; 20 mg/day 9/28/09; 10 mg/day 10/1/09; 5 mg/day 10/4/09; 2.5 mg/day 10/7/09 for 3 days and then done.
I lost 30 lbs due to the surgery, but I am now eating everything in sight...but haven't put on a whole lot of weight yet. I sweat a lot at night and urinate at night frequently. I have no energy at this point and have developed relationship problems with my girlfriend...aka pushing her away.
I thought my Rheumatologist's taper schedule was a bit aggressive, but actually, I am the one who made her give me a schedule and made the decision to get off the Prednisone myself against her recommendation.
Any opinions on my taper schedule?

[BKB]

This is the only medication that has worked for me. I developed granuloma in the face, the left side, an allergic reaction to a filler (Evolence).

Initially I thought it was acne, and was on accutane. I did not help. Then it was diagnosed as granuloma, a very difficult condition to treat. I did not want to go on prednisone due to the side effects, so went on a combo of accutane and Allopurinol. No effect. So prednisone was the only option.

At 60 mg per day for 3 weeks, I had no side effects except for swollen knees when excercising, some fatigue and a slightly fatter face,(healthy looking), but I didn't get the urge to eat which I am very grateful for . The granuloma stayed and did not really diminish. Then the dosage was upped to 100 mg for 7 days. I got all the side effects (except hunger), extreme water retention, flu from colds, a much more swollen face, bigger stomach, and I think a fatter back. I have gained 8 lbs, but think I have lost muscle, so there is more fat around. The granuloma went away, and I got off prednisone. I tapered very quickly,(for a week) which I know is dangerous, but I did not want to be on this drug anylonger. I has been a month, I think the adrenal gland takes a while to start working again- so water retention persists. I have started to run again, but my breathing is difficult, so I have to do interval training. I am on a no grain diet for a couple of weeks, to get my body back, have included apricots for potassium ( as well as meat products)and extreme low sodium, all designed to help with the water retention as well as fat burning.
I also take 8000IU of Vitamin D3 daily, for the bones. This I started 3 days agao, so will keep you all posted as to how this works.

[BKB]

Person 99 wrote:

I've been taking prednisone for more than 10 years. I have tried to taper off more than once and I did it too fast each time. For most of the 10 years I was taking 15 to 20 mg per day. Currently I am not taking it and have not taken any since August 30. I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms now and wonder if I should consult a general practitioner, endocrinologist or start taking the drug again and begin a very, very slow taper. I did function well at 15 mg but I now have very dry skin, thinning hair and my joints make it painful to walk. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Youcan do your own research regarding this, that the joints can be lubricated with MSM (I actually take 3000 mg per day) You can also take glucosamine. Fishoil as well for dry skin, vitamin D and calcium supplements and for thinning hair, Biotin (15 mg per day, especially combined with MSM, which makes the growth cycle longer). It can take long for the adrenal glands to start working again. Definitely see someone regarding withdrawal symptons. I stopped the drug very abruptly, and a lot of my friends did that as well. It really depends on the condition that is treated, since it can cause a horrible flare up when ceased. My conditionis more cosmetic and ot a big deal.(Except for me). I am now far more concerned with the after effects of the drug.