Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
In response to flare symptoms and elevated CRP levels, my rheumy recommended I go back on Prednisone. I took 15mg for 4 days, then 10 mg for 5. I thought I felt a little better after a few days, but now I am back to the bad stiffness, pain, etc. How do you know if you took enough prednisone in the first place?
I started Orencia iV in Aug, after developing a reaction to Humira and before that Embrel.
I started Orencia iV in Aug, after developing a reaction to Humira and before that Embrel.
I know that I took enough steroids when I am not flaring. I take them for that singular purpose.
I hope you are feeling well.
Be good,
TheWino
That is a great question. I started Plaquenuil recently and started feeling rather well for about ten days. Then, dummy me, had to ruin the whole durn thing by trying to decrease my maintenance daily steroid dose which immediately threw me into a flare.
I had an emergency Medrol steroid dose pack already at home. So, when I woke up, I immediately started the steroid dose pack. You will find that once you start the dose pack, you will find relief on the very first day. You won't feel perfect but you will get some relief. It's almost like your first kiss, it just makes you feel so good so quickly.
My Rheumy is gonna cuss me out for trying to taper without calling him. I'll take it like a man because I deserve it. But, I do want off them as quickly as possible.
Melissa: remember the dose pack is very different from a daily dose of Prednisone. With the dose pack, I think the first day is six pills, second day is five pills and so forth. So you start with a very large dose and taper down to beat the flare-up.
This is the very reason a steroid dose pack can stop a flare quicker than a maintenance dose.
I sure hope you are feeling better by now.
Warm regards,
TheWino
Hopefully, your Rheumy has told you to decrease your steroid very, very slowly - 0.5mg at a time and stay there for about three weeks if you're on a low maintenance dose, say 10mg or under.
This is the only way that has worked for me with no problems.
Cheers
Each Medrol pill in the dose pack is 4mg.
Angel: I was trying to decrease my maintenance dose but didn't include my rheumatologist. I was going to surprise him. Well, I guess the surprise is on me.
Also, yes, Angel, I am familiar with the steroid taper protocol. Thank you for the heads-up. I appreciate it.
TheWino