Prednisolone 5mg

Treatment and medication
1

Hi I have been given Prednisolone 5mg to be taken twice a day for bronchitis.  I also suffer from arthuritis in my spine, and hip and in the mornings am in agony  and some days can barely walk.  I have looked on your discussions and found that many people find it beneficial to take prednisolone for arthuritis.  I have only taken two - 1 days dose and this morning I feel like a new woman!  Already my agonising pain is better, and I have been able to walk pain free all day.  Can this really be my miricle cure.  I am worried about all the side effects and the fact that you have to come off them slowly.  My question is - has anyone else experienced this and is it a problem to stop taking them. I would appreciate your comments.

many thanks Isabell

2

I have PMR and am taking Prednisone for that.  I also have bits of arthritis here and there.  I do have less pain from the arthritis, but given the side effects from Prednisone, I would not want to be on it long term for arthritis.  Being on Pred. long term for  PMR is bad enough, but to date there is no other choice for me..

I would speak to my GP about the relief you are feeling and what else he may be able to offer.  Sound like you stiffen up a lot overnight since the mornings are especially difficult for you.  Perhaps addressing that part alone with your GP might open up some other treatment avenues.

I certainly get the agony and frustration of it all. Good luck.

3

I just came off of a three month course due to a flare on my UC.While on it my BP stayed elevated and I was wired up like I was on crack. Everything subsided but now I'm having dirreah and nausea and can't eat much the past few weeks I'm hoping it's just the withdraw symptom from the steroid I'm being checked for cdiff now as steroids kills good bacteria in the gut. I would advise taking a probiotic which I wasn't informed I needed to do while taking the med. And never stop taking it abruptly you have to always be weaned off as it can cause adrenal crisis.good luck and glad to hear it's making you feel better

4

I suggest you visit the polymyalgia rheumatica forum and discuss your symptoms with that group. A dramatic response to a moderate dose of pred can be an indication that what you have is polymyalgia rheumatica. 

I've been on pred for 8 years nearly - I've had problems with one form of steroid but now am on a form with no side effects I can see/feel. 

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/browse/polymyalgia-rheumatica-and-gca-1708

For many people, Long term low dose pred isn't half as bad as some people would have you believe - and if it gives you your life back, that is a major bonus.

5

Hello Isabell

Prednisone 5 mg twice a day is a very low dose.  Prednisone has been a blessing for me.  I suffered from Chronic Urticaria so specialist put me on cyclosporine along with Prednisone slowly going up, once it was leveled and hives gone I went slowly down...it's taken over a year.  I am now on 3mg for couple of months then alter 3mg one day next day 2mg and so on.  Prednisone has been around for many years and has helped many.  I have had no side effects and have been on very high doses.

please do not worry about your low dose.  I'm so glad you are feeling better!

Best,

Wendy

6

I wonder if You might be able to help me figure out what is going on and how to approach this with my rheumy.  

On 1/4/17 after two weeks on pred 15mg my ESR and CRP had come down from 107 to 39 and my CRP from  a high of 6.8 to 0.7.   My rheumy wanted to see lower numbers and put me up to 20mgs tor 3 weeks until 2/14.  We then started a taper.  On  2/24 my ESR was  15  and my CRP was  <.01.  At that time I was 17.5 mg.

After tapering slowly to 15, I switched to DR Pred on 3/11 and began sleeping and waking better.  I am currently on day ten of 14 mgs. DR .Pred.  

I feel really good.  I have no pain except what I might expect for my age, 75. Even my right bicep has stopped hurting.   Energy is good too. Not foggy.   I've lost weight on the low carb no sugar diet, almost 20 pounds now since December 21st. My lipids are better.  My BP is better.  My A1C is better.  

BUT, last Friday on 3/31 my ESR was up to 36 and my CRP was up to 1.0.

Now I'm looking for reasons why these markers might have gone up when my PMR symptoms seem so well controlled.  I've read here that the markers and symptoms don't track each other well and that the markers can be driven up by any inflammation going on in the body.  

My thoughts as to what might have driven them up:

1)I have had three styes over the last several weeks. Allergies here are murderous right now and I have blepheritis and dry eyes.  Both have left me with burning and itchy eyes.  No matter how I soak them, it is tough this time of year. I've gone through periods of styes/chalazion before but this is unusual for me.  I saw the opthamologist for a second time just before my blood test. (Does Pred thicken eyelid librications.) The first time, ten days before, I was given antibiotic eye drops.  I am now on low dose steroid/antibiotic eye drops.

2)Also, right after seeing the opthamologist, I had a small mole removed from my finger.  Licocaine, local anesthetic, left me a bit lightheaded for a few minutes. Then, with the dermatologist's blessings, I marched over to have my blood drawn.

3) Last Tuesday I learned that a relatively young person I've known well for years suddenly died of a stroke.  So it was also an emotional week.

Question:  If my PMR seems well controlled, do you think it would be necessary to go back up on Pred, or continue on the taper, or jusf stay at 14 and test again in a week or two.

I know that Interluken6 tracks PMR better than ESR adn CRP.  Do you know if it is even available outside of research settings?

 

 

7

No, I don't think you need to increase your pred immediately - all those things do make for a possible raised blood marker but you can't be sure. What you DO need to do is have the bloods checked again to see if there is a trend. If it is rising without any other reason for it, that is a different matter and it needs monitoring. In the meantime I wouldn't reduce any further.

There isn't actually any large body of evidence that IL-6 tracks PMR "better" - as far as I know, one study claimed it does. A far larger scale study would have to be done and they obviously haven't felt a need to do that. It isn't available everywhere, ESR and CRP are and the doctors have experience - but even then, no doctor should take them as gospel and only to do with the PMR but also go by symptoms. Most rheumatology departments will have access to IL-6 but probably not available quickly.

I think quite a few people suffer with "dry eyes" and blepharitis - but whether it is part of PMR I don't know. It is quite common amongst patients with autoimmune disorders and can even be a syndrome in its own right: Sjogren's. But there are a lot of people on the forums who complain about eye problems.

8

Thank you again and again.  Now I have a better context for talking to my rheumatologist.  

9

Rheumy called yesterday to discuss the rise in ESR and CRP.  She was reassuring that it wasn't a big rise.  She also said she doesn't usually go up on Pred right away under these circumstantces, but she'd recommend staying on 14mg another week and test my blood again this Friday, which will be one week from the last tests.

I do love my rheumy.  And you too, EileenH.