Congrats on getting to taper! That is great news and hopefully means you are feeling good. For me, when I taper, I feel funny. A little out of it. I have phantom pains. I also get really tired. It lasts about 1-2 weeks and then I am back to normal. Everyone is different though. Hopefully it is smooth for you.

Thanks. I am feeling good and just hope it stays that way.

I tapered from 80 mg to 10 in just a few weeks. It was difficult, but worth it. I felt kind of like I had the flu for a while, body aches, etc. I felt weak when I made a big drop, but the little adjustments didn't really affect me that much. I've been on 10 mg for many months now and life is better at 10mg than at 80! Good luck.

I did a slow taper too. From 60 to 50 in two weeks, then 50 to 40 and so on. We got more aggressive the lower it went until I hit 5mg. Then I got mtx toxic and had to do a leukovorin rescue...that sucked. Anyway...you really shouldn't "expect" to "feel" any certain way. Perhaps some more fatigue as you go down, but that will kind of even out as your body adjusts. The beauty of it for me was about a year after we got to the 5mg....my moon face went away!! (ya hoo!!) You probably don't have that yet...but, the longer you're on it, you'll likely get it...don't fret. Just smile, take your meds and adjust your diet accordingly!! I don't recommend the diet of wings and beer that I adhered to during my prednisone kick!! (water retention...bleh!!)

Keep us posted!

Nevermind...I just re read your post...you won't get moon face! You're on too low a dose...LUCKY!!

It's too bad that not enough research has been done that would enable doctors to develop protocols that would minimize the problems some people have withdrawing from corticosteroids.

If you use Google, you can find tapering suggestions from people who have other diseases in which steroids are used.

I was on 50 mg prednisone for 3 months and then did a very slow taper by 5mg per month so I did get a bit of the moon face which is starting to go down a few friends have mentioned.

might want to take it easy for a few days after you start to taper, sometimes it's unnoticeable and other times it throws me off.

I have been on 10 mg for awhile and started tapering every other day (10 mg 1 day, 9g next day) for two weeks. I was getting flu like storms but once I got to 5mg I was like a rock and was harder to get out of chair, etc. So I. Had blood work done and was ok so it was due to the taper. So we slowed the taper from every two weeks to 1 month. The first two weeks are harder for me then I feel better.
Hope that helps
Love hugs and prayers -:)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm looking at getting back to work part-time and wasn't sure what to expect. I will just go for it and wait and see what happens. If it's mean't to be it will be.

Hi, Prednisone is a necessary evil causing multiple side effects while getting the bad guy.

I have PM and have been on prednisone alone for 9 months now. I started on 60mg and have now tapered down to 2.5 as you will. I went from walking 50 feet a day with a walker and doing 5 bench presses with a cane to working out an hour a day with 20# dumbells. I don't use any assisance walking any more and have given up my disability parking tag.

The side effects that have been with me the whole tapering period are, fuzzy thinking, swelling of the back, belly, face and especially feet and legs and the associated weight gain (50#). I've been taking Lasix now for 3 months to bring down the swelling. Not much difference but who knows where it would be with out it. Other lesser ones that are starting to wane more than the swelling are thin skin and tearing, bruising, moodiness and insomnia. Seeing a good PT and working out daily has really made me as strong, or stronger although my endurance is only half of what it was.

Good luck in your recovery and hang in there.

Since Dec. 1 I take 40 mgs prednisone every other day, and the day I do not take any pills, the rash is back and some mild pain. I just know that every other day I will have a bad one and the next good. I just plan my days accordingly, if I have to go out someone I go when I am taking the full 40 mgs. I am going to be doing this till late January,
so as of now I have been doing this over 2 weeks. I hope to be able to taper off much more in January.

Thanks for your responses. I agree with the physical exercise. That really has helped me as well!

Prednisone is such a mixed blessing! Every time I come down in dosage several things happen: I have a day when I do really ditz-brained things - so I tell people what I am doing and usually someone rescues me before a disaster occurs :-) The day after I lower the dose I usually end up being extremely tired and have to hold down a couch somewhere for a few hours. Occassionally I will have a mini-flare: that is mild itching, maybe a little increased redness and sometimes joint aches. It is the fatigue that is most annoying for me and has even caused me to add a little prednisone (dr's advise, of course) I really recommend planning your activities around your response to the decreased dose. Hope this helps - Blessings, Kathy

Thanks for posting this topic! I have been on 75mg since August and have just began to taper, because my CK is back in normal range!!! My Dr has me going down 5mg every 2 weeks. The first drop didn't seem to affect me at all but the 2nd one, WOW...I have been sooo fatigued. I wish I could go faster because at this rate I won't be at 10mg until the end of May. I have an EXTREME moon face and the buffalo hump, I have gained 30lbs and I really think the muscle weakness is from the Pred. But as I have learned from all the wonderful people on this site...paitience is very important with this disease!

PS TomTrump...thank you for posting that you can lift weights! I really miss my weight lifting days...at least theres hope I will be able to do it again!

Blessing all :)