Take the prednisone. You don't have to take it forever and you need to get through the flare. Ibuprofen won't do it. I hate prednisone and am off it mostly, but I do have my stash for if I flare. Love hate relationship with the pred, but when you need it you need it.

In October, I had knee surgery to clean up cartilage. The day before the surgery, I went to my rheumy and asked for Celebrex and demanded more blood tests (which eventually led to my RA diagnosis).

Up until surgery, I was a mess. I had been off all NSAIDs for a week and I could barely use my hands, my knees hurt, neck, etc. The day of surgery when I returned home, I felt great! (pain meds aside ;)). I continued to have absolutely no pain for about two weeks.

Later I talked with my RA doc about this phenomenon and insisted the knee surgeon must have given me a wonder drug. He looked in the medical records, and they had given me a massive dose of a steroids! So far, this is the only time I've had steroids, but it was a great experience :)

So yeah, take the prednisone to get things under control and then work on a med plan with your RA doc.

I have prednisone rebound where after the taper I return to a worse RA (not lung) state than before.

I have seen this happen countless times. it is one of the reasons that I additionally hate getting hospitalized for pneumonia and being forced onto high dose pred. I have also tried it for bridges on new meds (mostly during the dmard years) and when traveling. Each time a return to a level worse than before I did the pred.

this caused me to think this is a worse emotional agony roller coaster than just dealing physically.

But I am a weirdo. i don't see that kind of reply on here as much as I do see the reply that it's a great interim bridge and temp healer. I had to go through these trials myself. Your trial could be totally positive. One bridge script is not going to turn you into a pred monster. :)

depot

This is why Im afraid to take it years ago I had taken prednisone for dry cracked skin that they thought was either eczema or psorasis and it cleared it but as soon as i stopped the prednisone it came back worse and im afraid ill repeat the same thing. plus the side effects scare me. Can a flare go away after 2 weeks on prednisone and will it not cause side effects on that 2 week time frame?

I have found if I make my own "step down" plan with the prednisone that it doesn't give me a rebound flare when I'm off it completely.

I had a two script for my last big flare at Christmas and my personal step down plan dragged things out to 3 weeks.

It's the best Christmas I had in a decade.

You could also go for a shot of prednisone.... that way, there is no taper, but you get a big jolt of it in your system. That's what I try to do if I have a flare. Otherwise, I take 20 mg pred, then 15, then 10 then five, over four days.

You'll have side effects while you're taking it but a short term burst shouldn't cause long term physical damage to your adrenals or bones etc. I personally refuse to take it just because it hates me as much as I hate it. But sometimes it's a necessary evil depending on your pain and inflammation levels. It's a personal choice. But I've never heard of ibuprofen being a sufficient alternative to prednisone.

Emerald

Prednisone.....it's a love/hate relationship! Hated to go on it because I knew I would gain weight and have a moon face. Loved it because it stopped the stiffness and pain. I was on it for a year. Glad I am off of it but if things got really bad again, I probably would elect to go back on it. ugh!!!

According to Dr Brown's book, those who flare when starting Minocin, are the ones that end up going into remission on it within six months. So that's actually a good sign !

Thank you for those words of encouragement from your lips to gods ears.

I am happy for you Fiery with your best chritmas ever :) good for you! :).

most on here have great success with episodic prednisone use. it's a standard of care so I say go for it.

but for myself, I react so poorly to it RA wise that I would not take it if was offered to me for one of my children's weddings. i rather dance in the wheelchair than pay my cruel piper.

i have tried protracted stepdowns and I have had one shot injections in the doctor's office and I have had standard and custom plans of use, bridge and wean: . nothing works. i think my body thinks the prednisone taper is the invasion of the body snatchers. so for now, for myself, it is for use with pneumonia only because breathing trumps everything.

you feel any better Lonie????

Depot

I know a lot of people get a taper or a burst, whatever their doctor gives them. I am pre-diabetic so when I've needed it, I do more of a step up...taking 1/4th of a 5mg pill - just 1.25mg...and then in 8 hrs if not much improvement, another. If that worked, I'll take 2.5mg for two or three days then down to 1.25. It's more like cutting the edge off the major pain than feeling fully better. I think it also keeps rebound from happening.

Prednisone "Good guy, Bad guy".
Perfect title.
I'm kind like Depot. Will flare up when stopping. Usually only if on it for long periods.
Yet low dose at shorter time frames has been a life saver for me.
Each of us react different.
If your concerned perhaps trying the lowest dose that gets you by for the shortest time.
My Doc normally prescribes the 3 wk taper. 15mg, 10mg, 5mg. Each dose for one week.
Now I'm on 10mg for the last several months because of insurance & starting new med.
I know I'm going to have a hard time & pray it's short lived.
Yet the smaller dose for shorter time periods have worked out fine.

I have a love hate relationship with this med yet thank god it gives me relief that I so need.
My Doc also prescribes 800mg of Ibuprofen. It helps but not like prednisone. I cannot go without an anti inflammatory. Even tried pain meds & still not enough relief without that Anti in.
Wishing you the best of luck.
Sammy