Could any one help me, I have been taking Prednisilone 60mg for 3 days as a precautionary measure, can i just stop taking this drug if no longer needed or does it have to be taper Ed Off?
You should theoretically be OK after such a short space of time, but what does your doctor say as it is quite a high dose? Why were you taking it originally?
I wouldn't just stop. Easier on the body if you halve (30 mg) it for a day or two, and then halve that to 15 mg for the next couple of days. Then 7 mg. After that you could probably safely stop. But I would urge you to contact your doctor for professional advice. Just to be on the safe side. Minamii
60 mg is a hugh dose...you need to speak about discontinuing with the physician who prescribed it.
Hi jean, I agree with the others who have posted. It would be best to consult your physician. Being on steroids means that your body stops making them itself so slow withdrawal helps the body to start making them again a little at a time.Good luck.
If you were just given them for 3 days and now have been told you don't need them then it is perfectly safe to stop - or, if you were normally at a lower steady regular dose you go back to that dose.
But you must be under a doctor to have been taking that?
What happened was, I went to my doctor with right temple headaches and pain and stiffness in my upper arms and shoulders.The doctor was concerned that I may have PMR I am 68 so of an age where it can occur.I think what concerned him most was the possibility of GCA because he phoned me for immediate blood tests. About 8 tubes of blood were taken and he put them through as urgent, but unfortunately being the weekend the most important ones showing inflammation have been delayed.
He phoned me at home and told me to go and immediately fetch a prescription for the 3 days 60mg prednisilone and start straight away. I shall certainly ask him what to do if the results are negative, but even doctors differ in the stopping process, I just wondered what others thought or if anyone has been in this situation. This is the first time I have ever had to take steroids an know nothing about them, except what I have read and even that differs. It is confusing.
Have you started the pred yet? If so did it make a lot of difference? I do hope so. Steroids are a wonder drug, but unfortunately they do have side effects.
This happened to a friend of mine and she was diagnosed with temporal arteritis. I wonder if your doctor considered this.
GCA is sometimes known as Temporal Arteritis as the arteries around the temples are the parts that are usually affected.
Yes, I think this was his concern. As he could not get the tests back that show inflammation he gave me the 3 day high dose to protect me just in case it turns out to be temporal arteritis. I do hope it isn't, as already it has affected my sleep, I am replying to your post and it is 4am on Monday morning and I haven't slept at all, it has not done anything for my arm and shoulder Either!
I was on high-dose steroidal chemotherapy for fourteen months to fight leukemia. I'm now in total remission and have to take only a low dose until the New Year as a precaution. I'm sorry to hear that your experience wasn't very good - it's never nice to have to go onto steroids but in my case it was life-saving. I hope you have some good results and can start to ease off the medication.
Good luck!
Minamii
Minamii, Congratulations!
It was a long time before I xould say, cancer free...I am so happy for you
The adrenal glands release corticosteroid. When we ingest steroid, our adrenal glands go on holiday...
So when we cease ingesting steroids, the adrenal glands may continue on holiday...and the body will protest in many ways.
This is why many advocate slowly withdrawing steroids so that the adrenal glands will be encouraged, nudged into producing corticosteroid to replace the steroid no longer being ingested.
The short answer depends upon...
how long one has been on steroids
what dosage of steroid was used
The higher the dose for the longer time will take longer to reactivate the adrenal glands.
Severe withdrawal symptoms are possible. This is the risk we want to avoid.
I no longer take steroids on a daily basis. If steroid use becomes necessary, I use a burst method....high, fast on...immediate dosage decrease...ofg. Example:
Day 1 50 mg
Day 2 45 mg
Day 3 40 mg
Day 4 35 mg
Day 5 30 mg
Day 6 25 mg
Day 7 20 mg
Day 8 15 mg
cut off...
Day 9 10 mg
Day 10 5 mg
Day 11 off
Yes I have just taken the 3 days worth, he did not give me any more than that, but I think it was a precautionary measure because of the risk of temporal arteritis. I am expecting the final blood tests to day and am hoping that I don't have to take them. They are already causing insomnia and have not done much for my arm and shoulder pains either.
If they haven't helped the arm and shoulder pains then I doubt it is PMR as that should respond well to a far lower dose. But your GP will tell you today I imagine.
If he had thought it was GCA then a better approach with it being the weekend would have been to send you to A&E as an emergency with a letter to the consultant asking for a rheumatology opinion. - they would have got the inflammatory markers done in an hour or so. GCA belongs in the hands of specialists - although your GP seems to have the right idea except if the rheumatologists want to do a biopsy the high dose pred may have affected the result.
This really isn't necessary if you have only been on pred - whatever the dose - for only 3 days.
I have just had the blood tests back, all are normal. I took the prednisolone for 3 days it gave me headaches and I couldn't sleep a wink, in addition it did nothing for my muscle aches. My doctor has made me an appointment with a rheumatologist but he still wants me to take 20mg of Prednisolone! Which I am not very keen to do. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on this, I really do not know what to do.
How soon is the appointment? Has he made it as an emergency?
To be honest - if 60mg didn't deal with the symptoms, 20mg certainly won't!. And being on pred may well make the assessment more difficult for the rheumatologist.