I am not an expert on the subject, but there are several different drugs they can try. For me, I am starting methotrexate. I am on the lowest dose combined with 15mg prednisone. I suspect when I go back to doc they will raise meth and begin tapering pred. With my history doc wants me off pred as soon as I can. So many side effects to all the meds.
Tricia

Hi Krissytin. I take Azathioprine. In America I think it's known as Imuran. Rheumatologist started it one month in to taking 60mgs Pred when my CK's started to fall. Started on low dose , labs every two weeks and finally settled on 100mgs daily. Six months later I am own to 9mgs Pred daily and will reduce further by 1mg a month. Azathioprine and MTX are known as 'sparing drugs' because they help to get us off the Pred which has so many side effects especially with Myositis, as Pred alone over the long term will cause muscle and joint weakness. Do so hope you have a good doctor. Everyone here will give you the benefit of their own experiences. Autumm

Each of us is different, and our doctors are different. The only med I took for my PM was prednisone. I was on it for 3 years, but have been off for close to 2 years. My neuro's philosophy was a little different. He said that he only uses one med at a time, and, as long as that med is working, he doesn't add another. For me the prednisone worked well, but that's not the case for everyone.

Krissytin, I think Nanny said it well, that each of us are different and our doctors are different. You will be placed on the meds that fit best to deal with your autoantibodies. If you do have DM or PM then the usual treatments are prednisone with a sparring drug. The sparring drugs could be methotrexate, Imuran, or cellcept. The doctor determines your body weight too in figuring a dosage amount.

I am currently on 8mg of prednisone. I took methotrexate and prednisone for three years until MTX began to make my head feel bad. I switched to cellcept for seven days and had to get off due to low blood pressure. I believe I am having liver problems and difficulties with medication toxicity.
Good luck with your treatment and keep us posted.

I'm hopefully going to be starting Imuran to get off of prednizone. I have been on prednizone since 2007 minus an 8 month span I was able to go off of it. I hate the side effects

Like others said, it all depends on your doctors. My doctor ran a test to see which medications would be most effective in my body. I tried imuran and it worked... for awhile, but my body is missing a natural enzyme that helps metabolize imuran so it turned out to be a bad choice for me. It will depend on what your doctor thinks is best for you. Let him know you would like to hear all your options as there are many out there.

Many docs like a month to see if you respond to steroids at all then add a steroid sparing drug. Methotrexate, immuran and cellcept are the common ones. Some do plaquinel and cyclophosphamide also. Then if still not improving or responding they call it resistant myositis and start looking at IVIG and rituximab as third line drugs. It is true steroids are not good if you are healthy but we are not so healthy and it will keep many of us alive. There are ways to alter some of the side effects, so get talking with your doctor and doing your own research.
Most folks can get relief from the rash and joint pain. Wishing you luck. How much prednisone are you on?? I saw imrpovement at two weeks and the first bout of antsy from the drug went away; mostly at 2 to 3 weeks as well. Good luck to you.

Hello Krissy,
I have PM and I'm on Prednisone. Rheumy prescribed Imuran even though my strength was basically back to normal. I began the Imuran but then wondered why I had agreed to take it when it seemed unnecessary. I stopped Imuran and have continued Prednisone taper.

Unfortunately, I'm dealing with a rise in my liver enzymes and have gone back up to 5 mg Prednisone to see if that lowers liver numbers.

I think that along with what the doctors are saying, you also have to advocate for yourself and listen to your body. I might be the only one with a rheumy who seems to have a rote schedule of what medications he is going to prescribe regardless of the patient, but I kind of doubt that.

Wishing you strength and peace.

Kathleen, you mentioned your liver enzymes were up. Before I was diagnosed with PM, I high high liver enzymes and pain in that area. Severe pain. My general practitioner said there was nothing I could do to improve it...so I took it upon myself to find a solution. I asked him if I could have my enzymes retested in 6 weeks. I found a natural liver supplement and took them at every meal. The pain subsided and at the 6 week mark, I had my blood retested. Lo and behold, my enzymes had returned to the normal range. He was shocked!

I was stupid and stopped taking these enzymes because the pain had subsided...but weeks later it returned. I was back in the same boat. Now I take them religiously at every meal. It makes a huge difference.

I DO think that my liver impairment had something to do with acquiring PM. The entire body is connected and when one thing goes wrong, it affects the rest of the body.

If you're interested in finding out what I took, you can read about it on my blog. With any prescription medication, levels of vitamins and minerals in the body decrease -- so you have to supplement above and beyond what you'd normally do. I take high levels of Vitamin C - about 3-4 grams every 2 hours throughout the day....plus Vit D3, Vit E, zinc and so on. Magnesium levels are crucial to keep up too...