Weaning for prednisone(IN PAIN)

This is the 3rd attempt to lower prednisone to 10mg.Looks like no such luck again.RD lowered very slowly this time.The first 5 days after going to 10mg was OK-then pain -fingers-the joints want to lock up when holding something.Called Rd he told me to go back up to 15mg for 3 days, to then back to 10mg,and to put weekly dosage of MTX to 15mg. He let me know to call the following week if still in pain-because week after that he would be on vacation.It didn't work and I figured i would stick it out ,because i want to get off this prednisone-so i don't have a fat face anymore.I look like a chipmunk!! well pain just has gotten so bad Tylenol is not even dulling the pain,so i called and another doctor told me to go back to 15mg 2 days then 12.5 mg 1 week ,then rotate 12.5,10,12.5,10 for 1 week,by then I will have my appt with Rd on aug.19th.HAS ANYONE HAD A PROBLEM GETTING LOWER THEN 10 mg??Any ideas of what he is going to do next??i know he wants me off prednisone.I can move my joints due to the MTX -but lowering prednisone I am in extreme pain-it has been 2.5 weeks now-maybe relief in a few days after raising dosage.HELPI think I need a big band-aid!!Sherry

Hi Sherry,

Sorry to hear that you are having such a problem coming down off the Pred.  For me, backing off the Pred was a slower process than the schedule your doc put you on.  But I also had help.  When I explained to the doc that I was having such a hard time of it, he Rx'd me 2 low strength DMARDS. Plaquenil and Imuran and MTX which helped take me down from 35 mgs. of Pred a day to 15 mgs. a day.  I stayed at the 15  until I started the Remicade, because the flares and the pain was so intense.  But too, I had a lot of joint damage.  As you probably know the phrase "quality of life" has been floating around these threads recently and I'll tell you that I stayed on the amount of Pred I did because I didn't want to hurt.  Chipmunk face and all.  Getting off the Pred and continuing to hurt is not making you any better.  I'm sure that one day your rheumy will find the right mix so you can throw that Prednisone away and forget about it and your "chipmunk" face will just be bad memory.  Good Luck!

I have found that the Prednisone works awesome at 15 to 20mg but when reduced below 15 the flare ups come right back. My doc is trying to switch me to sulfadine es but it really isn't working all that well. I would rather be a little puffy and moody than deal with the pain. I find that even my family can't relate to how the pain affects your everyday life. With the Prednisone I am like a machine back to my old self, but wothout it simple things like lifting my 3 year old boy become monumental tasks. I guess you have to weight the long term effects of Prednisone to how you live your life now.