Prednisone Withdrawal Support

[bluebread]

Hello,

I am currently withdrawing from prednisone after taking it for over a year.
My highest dose during this 12 months of treatment was 30mg.
I have been doing a very slow taper for months now strictly under a doctors
instructions.

This entire prednisone experience has been a long tough road.
The side effects from the medicine and the withdrawal symptoms both.

Once I was down to 4 it went like so:

4mg for one month.
3mg for one month.
2.5mg for one month.
2mg for one month.
1mg for one month. (current)
1mg every other day for one month
Stop.

Withdrawal symptoms:
Current dose - 1mg a day - Day three at this dose:

*) Extreme fatigue.
*) Low-grade fever.
   It feels like I have a fever in my entire body as if a flu is
   coming on.
*) Muscle weakness.
*) Joint aches.
*) The list goes on, however, those are the big ones.

If anyone wants to join in, comment, give me or anyone else on this thread
moral support please feel free.

Thanks and good luck.

[Foggy2]

I think you are making the right move by seeing an Endo. MD to help you with tapering off the Pred.  Like I said, it is very hard to do.  The longer you have been on it, and the higher the dose makes a difference.

I take a different type of steroid (Cortef), which is less of a synthetic steroid and because I am now allergic to Pred.  But I've tapered off of both (or tried to) in the past.  I know the feeling of having no energy, and when you have a flare it makes matters worse.  I hope you're still going to see the Rheum. because of the RA.

If you're going to do a taper, make a log in Excel on the computer to help you keep track of your dose, symptoms, dates, etc.  You can then make a copy to bring to the MD's off. as well.

You hang in there as well. :-)

[bluebread]

Thanks again for the reply Foggy2.  My cardiologist sent me to a rheumatoid arthritis specialist and he is controlling the taper. The RA doctor mention that if the fatigue and other symptoms do not improve quickly (now that I have been tapering for 6 months already) he may send me to an Endo. I think the time has come.

I can hardly find the energy to do anything and this has been going on since around the 4-5 mg mark of the taper.

Foggy2: I see that you have tapered off of prednisone before?

I am hanging in there.

Thanks again!

[Foggy2]

If you are finding it that difficult to taper that quickly at 1 mg at a time, talk to your Endo and ask him/her if you can do 0.5 mg instead since it is more tolerable.  

Believe me, I know how bad tapering is!!!  Hang in there.

[bluebread]

Thank you for the reply. I would have never thought prednisone withdrawal would be so difficult.  I am hangin' in there and staying positive.  Thank you very much Foggy2.  It seems the fatigue is the hardest to deal with.  I have never experienced fatigue in such an extreme fashion.

I am concerned with the last month which will be 1mg every other day.

So far it seems I am just one of those people that do better dropping .5mg at a time.  Now that I think back I should have been dropping.5mg since I hit 5mg in the taper.

Thanks again and take care.

Thanks again

[Foggy2]

Withdrawal from any steroid is extremely difficult, even if done slowly.  They symptoms you described are typical...and you feel like crap.  But hang in there and know that you are not alone.  It's a difficult road, but try to keep a positive attitude.