I am on 3mgs and can't believe how exhausted I am. I'm also in a bit of pain but not a flare. I was away most of last week visiting and taking out, plus plus an elderly relative. It was stressful and I think now it was too much but the deed is done. Any thoughts? It is a fairly busy week this week and the following one more so. I can't change next week but shall try to rest some of this week.
Low adrenal function plus stress - perfect scenario for that!!! You could try going back - were you OK at 4mg? Is the fatigue just since you have been down to 3mg?
Would you consider going up on the pred for a few days to just ease how your feeling and give you a bit of space and time to feel better.... very impressed you are at three mgs.. how long did it take you.. I'm struggling on nine mgs....good luck, take care x
Thank you, Eileen. That's what I thought. I was fine at 4mg but started to feel a change at 3.5. I know. Why did I go to 3?? I'll go back to 4mgs tomorrow.
Thank you, Mary. I have been on steroids since the middle of May 2015. I'm sorry to read you are struggling at 9mgs. I think I rested more at the beginning and perhaps I need to be kinder to myself while I am lowering. I normally am for a couple of weeks but misjudged this one.
Completely understand. My feelings about increasing pred - don't unless you have increased pain, or your fatigue is a sign you need more cortisol than current dose - every day, all the time, not just a feeling of fatigue after you've been active and a period of rest restores energy. I've been tapering at very low levels for over a year now, and on occasion I've had to repeat the first half of a taper before being able to get through the second half. On one or two occasions I've given myself just one day or at the most two of a slightly increased dose and gone straight back to the dose I'd been on. Have not done that for several months. Took me a year to taper from 3.5 to 1.5, Currently attempting to go to 1, but we'll see if this is going to work. Not halfway through the taper yet, company has left so I can be more relaxed now so maybe it will feel better over the next few days. But in general I'd say upping a pred dose in response to pred withdrawal (note I say pred withdrawal, not increased PMR activity) is counterproductive. Better to stay a bit longer at the present dose and not taper any more, or at the most give yourself a day or two of an extra .5mg or 1mg and then back to dose you've been on. As you have busy days coming up try to eliminate everything which isn't necessary; housework can wait, for example, and, whenever you can, snatch some quiet time, and eat healthily!
Thank you, Anhaga. I'm going to rest as much as I can and try an increase for a day or two to see if that works. I recognise withdrawal and I've only had one flare to date.
Good luck Silver49, are you trying the DSNS method to taper? Don't push to hard and listen to your body! Put that smile on your face! 🙂
Thank you, Michdonn. I must admit I stopped doing the DSNS method when I reached 4mgs and maybe it would be better to go back to it again. Despite all I tend to have a smile on my face and have never lost my warped sense of humour. Thank you for the timely reminder re the DSNS method.
Biased I know - but this is the stage where the DSNS really comes into its own.
I know you are absolutely right and I am going to go back to this method. It works and it must be more important at this stage to follow it. I am chided. 😀😀
More acceptable than Rod Hughes idea of keeping you at 5mg for up to 9 months. It seems to work though!
I agree. I know it's not a flare so I can keep going slowly until I reach either zero or a point where I have to stop.
Good!
I am not reducing at all if I have any PMR pain at all! 🙂
It's definitely withdrawal pain and not PER.
PMR.
Good Silver49, no body needs a flare! Got to keep smiling. 🙂
I only had one flare when I went from 12.5 to 10 so I went back to 12.5 and then to 11. I try to have a quietish week when I drop but it doesn't always work out. I hope you stay pain free.
I had only 1 flare also, when dropping from 8-7 mg, then had to go to 30 mg to get any relief. Now at 22 1/2 mg hoping to reduce to 20 mg on a week from Monday. I going to try to reduce to 10 mg 10 % at a time, then start the DSNS and see how low I can go pain free. I am also eating a diet to try to heal from virus's effects. Stay tuned I let you if it works! Moving forward with a smile on my face. 🙂