Just thought I`d post that I felt so ill this week, and dreaded taking the Pred, felling desperate like I was being poisoned! thought I would split the dose 7mg with breakfast, 7mg with evening meal....this being 3rd day, don`t feel as bad, blurred vison/balance has improved some....I know it may change in a few days, but is anyone else doing this? i`m not sure, but I think Eileen or someone else said the USA splits the dose....will be asking Rheumy next Tuesday what she thinks. Any comments welcome....thank you.
hi linda,
I have just reverted back from 7mg in am and 7mg in pm to 14mg with breakfast but not sure if that was wise, am now having more aches than usual in legs and shoulders but its only been 6 days (I live in UK) so will give it another week. If still problems will go back to split preds. Am waiting to see what Eileen has to say.
I have thought of doing that and would like to know the answer too.
I feel fine around 3 once the pred kicks in but as evening arrives I feel like it actually wears off. I dont feel ill on it though. Have you spoken to your doctor about those side effects?
Yes, and what with other things going on (bone test results) GP thought Rheumy may have the answers......we live in hope!
I've never realy got on top of PMR, always aching especially in the evening, I've not been able to get below 7 mg.
I talked it over with my GP and decided to split the dose so that I might get some respite in the evenings.
31/2 at 4 pm and 31/2 at 4 am. Within 2 days things got better, so much that I have now dropped to 6 mg overall, in 2 doses of 3.
I am not suffering at all now. However I've done some soft tissue dammage to my knee, I only stood up and it happened, nothing strenuous. My GP informs me that having PMR and taking preds can leave one a bit more susceptible to this sort of
injury. So now I'm walking with a stick and finally getting the sympathy we PMR sufferers deserve but don't get.
Oh I hope so. Although I find none of them seem to know much other than statistics which seem to prove time and time again to be different than reality
Thanks for that steve. As I take the coated type id have to do a different dose in the morning to that of the one in the evening, I wonder if it would work for me.
It all seems to be experimentation for us all. Wish I had the time release meds...Im sure that would help
Linda,
Your symptoms struck a chord with me. I was down to 7mg but thought I detected pain returning and increased the dise to 10mg. Whether ut is coincidence or not I dont know,but I began to feel dizzy and my balance became impaired. The issue is complicated because I have Glaucoma in both eyes and have hearing problems too. I have a soreness in the right side of my head which could be muscular caused by lying on a high pillow.So I dont know whether to blame pillows,Glaucoma,ear problems or Pred.Anyone have a theory.I have so many other chronic issues I dread opening up yet another can of worms.
There have been several patients from the USA whose doctors suggested splitting the dose, especially for people who have severe morning pain and stiffness problems - usually about 2/3 in the morning and 1/3 in the late afternoon. You choose a mix that fits your tablets - 1/2 and 1/2 as well, as long as the total dose adds up to the same you would take as a single dose.
For most people the single dose works well and it does mean less of some side-effects. But if it doesn't achieve the effect you need then there isn't a lot of point sticking to it for the sake of it.
I would never suggest that one goes against proper practice BUT I went from 121/2 mg to 111/4 mg and I only had 5mg tablets to do it with.
I was bollocked by my doctor and was told off by several posters to this forum, but, it worked and I'm still hear to tell the tale.
Sorry. I meamnt to say I only had 21/2 mg tablets .....the coate4d ones.
Who told you off? I hope I didn't - unless you were cutting the enteric coated tablets. If you weren't doing that and if I did it was by mistake since the reduction scheme described in the replies here
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316
can well be used to reduce 2.5mg at a time and I've suggested it to several people who can only take enteric coated tablets which you can't cut. You might need to repeat each stage if doing a 2.5mg drop rather than a 1mg drop but it does work I'm told.
Proper practice, what is it I ask myself! I think we sufferers know more than the Rheumy at times....if it works for you than keep it up say, it`s our pain after all! I wouuld agree that muscles/tendons ect feel far more vunerable.... Thanks for your reply....
I just assume now with all my health problems going on, that it`s either Pred or Pmr....my can of worms are stuggling to get out...but like you wouldn`t dare!!
Eileen where is that link supposed to take me and what shoud I look for?
Thanks for your help, Jen
also....ha ha...more questions! why does the single dose mean less side effects...would I get worseside effects in a split?
I was reading a submission for a study recently which said that "there is no proper evidence for any reducing scheme" or words to that effect. The group has already accepted the idea of slow reduction and is hoping to include it in an upcoming study.
The link I gave to Steve you mean? It takes you to another thread on this forum with a post to start it with a load of other links to various reliable sources of info about PMR and GCA in general - they are there because we can't post links without them being captured for moderation - these are all pre-approved so I only have to give an in-house link so to speak which is always OK.
In the replies part of the thread is a slow reduction scheme which has been used successfully to get much lower by many people.
The theory is that by taking your pred in a single dose in the morning it has less depressive effect on adrenal function. As I understand it, at doses above about 8mg that doesn't make much difference and if taking your dose that way doesn't work to achieve the symptom relief well or introduces other problem - why do it that way? Jam today is my theory...
Thanks for that...hope the sun is shing for you like here!
Thanks.