As most of us do, I would like to start trying to taper my prednisone dosage. I understand and appreciate the value of the DSNS regimen but am looking to try to shorten the process somewhat.
I am thinking of starting at 1 day new and 4 days old and then stopping at
1 day old and 4 days new.
I am aware that everyone is different but was wondering if anyone has had success with this scheme or something similar to this.
Thanks
above about 10mg/day it was relatively easy. A couple of days to reduce a couple of mg and feel stable.
getting from 5 to 3 was in 1/2 mg steps over more than a year.
the lower I get the slower I reduce.
If you had read my text properly you would have seen I do actually suggest that - and yes, there are people who have done it. The only way you can tell if it will work for you is to try it The DSNS approach has been recommended for people who come on the forums complaining they struggle to reduce - but everyone is different and many people reduce successfully starting with alternate days of old and new.
Eileen - Thank you for your response but I did read your text properly.
What I am asking for is folks who have used this or some other similar "mini" protocol to chimne in witht their experience.
Hi Scott
If you Google "the Ragnar method"you will find a post on patient.info posted by me in February 2017. It describes how I tested av new regime and succeeded to reach 0. It also mentions the DSNS method.
As you see, I am one of those persons you wanted information from. I have been free from pred for more than 8 years without problems. I think I succeeded due to my long time out. I thought it was better to take it easy and I had no flare ups. Good luck
Fair enough - but what I was saying is that it doesn't really matter what OTHERS experienced, I used to have to use a long drawn out approach to avoid discomfort, now I can do it with a shorter one. It's what works for you that matters.
Totally agree that it doesn't matter in absolute terms of whether it will work for me or not ( only time will tell ). However, it very much matters from a motivational and psychological standpoint to hear others voice how something new to me may have worked for them.
As always, your insight is appreciated.
Here are specifics from my taper
15--> 12.5 1 new, 1 old 3new 1 old ... done
12.5->10 "short DSNS" , 1n 3 old, etc
10->9 same
9--> 8 same
8--> 7.5 same
7.5-->7 1 new 4 old
7--> 6.5 1 new, 4 old
6.5 -->6 1 new 4 old
6 --> 5.5 1 new 4 old
5.5 --> 5 1 new 5 old
5 --> 4.5 1 new 5 old
4.5 --> 4.0 1 new 5 old ( currently in the middle of this transition)
It is my experience that the lower the dose, harder the transition is... Sometimes, if I feel I need more time, I would repeat steps in the transition until I feel comfortable to continue ( example, if I am in the middle ( at 1 new 1 old ) I may repeat the same step several times, until it feels fine to continue. Bottom line, experiment and find what works for you...knowing that the main purpose of DSNS is to let the body adopt to new dose gently.
Hi scotth42, I am going to try 3-1 DSNS to go from 20 to 10, then 6-1 from 10 down. Hopefully to zero, time will tell! I very active and PMR pain free on 20 mg. I will post my progress. Keep smiling 🙂
Hi Scott, I tried 4days instead of 6 it worked for a short time then i had to go back up so now im on 6days and down to 3- 3 1/2mg i try very hard not to panick at every ache an pain. To those who read my previous post m having x ray on my neck and hip on aug 2nd meanwhile given exercises to do. Physio on Jan 5th 2018!
Hi,
I started 1 year ago with 10 mg, so probably lower than most of the others on this forum.
One time I started at 1 new, 4 old,...and I felt good. When I tapered from 1.5 mg to 1 mg I used the 2nd half of the DSNS method and it worked also.
I had one flare up in January when I wanted to get off Pred too quickly, therefore right now I do the full DSNS 1mg/0.5 mg. Better safe than sorry. Listen to your body! Good luck!
Hi Scott, that is exactly what I have been doing for the past 7 months. It works out that you can make a step every month in a gradual way if you do this. I went from 60mg to 20mg now. Will begin tomorrow with 1 time 17.5mg and then 4 days 20mg etc.
Thanks to everyone who chimed in. J
ust want to confirm that everyone who does 1new, 4 old ( or something similar ) progresses through the front end of the cycle and then also does the back end of the cycle before settling in on the new dosage on a daily basis.
I do. It takes 26 days for me. The almost immediately start with a single day of the next lower dose.
noooonooonoononnonnnonnnno
Yup....by my calculation is should take 26 days to complete both ends of the cycle. Started it yesterday and keeping my fingers crossed.
Hi liz12234, nice to see that someone tried a mod DSNS, I plan to try 3-1 from 20 to 10. Good luck on your way to zero. Keep smiling! 🙂
Hi magy84286, great to see you were successful on mod DSNS. And I agree listen to your body, I do not reduce if I have any PMR pain. Good luck on your journey to zero. Keep smiling. 🙂
Hi koen1, so you are going to reduce by more than 10% by going to 17.5. I was going to 18, maybe I being too conservative. I could get lower quicker if I stay with the 2.5 reductions. Decisions!
Keep smiling as we push on! 🙂
That is my plan scotth 42! Do it all! 🙂
My 3 - 2 will take 16 days, koen1! 🙂