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...

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Slowly decreasing prednisone

Lonie2
Lonie2

i have been on 5 mg prednisone for over 2 yrs now I also am on arava, plaquenil, and 2 months into xeljanz.  I saw my rheumatologist and he said I can slowly start decreasing the prednisone so for the past week I have taken 4 mg. Today I am feeling terrible I’m having aches and pains plus I feel like I could jump out of my skin. Is that a normal reaction?  He wants me to decrease 1 mg every month will I have this every time I decrease the dosage?  I have taken larger dosages at different times for flares and allergic reactions but have not been without prednisone for over 2 yrs.  any advice or experience would be most welcomed!

art4life19
art4life19
I can relate I was just weened off of prednisone myself weeks ago. I take Humira, methotrexate and Aleeve. I was taking meloxicam didn't work so well the aleeve prescription strength works better. I was in more pain when i stopped taking prednisone for a little and then it went away. I am getting pain now but it is not my arthritis it is fibromyalgia. I start new meds for that in 2 weeks. I use to take 20 mg of prednisone a day. I am glad I stopped taking it it makes me gain weight.
Lonie2
Lonie2
Thank you so much for the feedback. As long as I know there is an end in sight and eventually this stupid prednisone will be gone I’ll cope. Art4life19 I hate the weight gain too. I hope your new meds take away your pain. Linzsey thanks for the advice I feel calmer I got scared I thought the xeljanz stopped working.
MarleneJ
MarleneJ
I was in prednisone again, all summer because I am allergic to the forest fire smoke we had in western Canada all summer. So for my asthma, but also for RA, because my doctor keeps pulling me in and off mthx.

I am down to 2 mg, I drop 1 mg every 2 weeks, and I really feel it. I may have to speed up the weaning, because I think I have a broken bone that has not been healing.

Weaning is always a bit difficult, but your doc has given you lots of time. You might even want to cut those 1 mg pills in half, and do 4 1/2 mg for 2 weeks, then 4 mg for 2 weeks, 3 1/2 mg for 2 weeks. Of course, you might want to talk to your doctor, to see if it is ok.
nonightshades2
nonightshades2
Be very careful. As I understand it, if you come off too quickly that can really screw up your adrenal glands.

Art4, taking alleve and MTX please keep a very close watch on your liver numbers. In the beginning I was doing that and got absolutely chewed out by my RA for doing it.