Correct way for high dose prednisone?

[DD2020]

I am currently flaring and therefore have been put on 40mg of prednisone daily. While one GI said take it together as a single dose (the dose was 30mg then) in the morning in empty stomach, another I met later said take it either in 1 dose or 2 doses depending on whichever suits me.

While I was trying the single dose, I observed my nights are sleepless/painful/horrible in general, so I tried the 2 dose theory, 20mg early morning and 20mg at 8pm. The night experience became somewhat better. But it is 10 days atleast since then and the flare-up though has been arrested, I am definitely not going into remission in a hurry. Yesterday I was just wondering whether to get a few good nights' sleep I am taking the dose in the incorrect way and therefore hampering my overall progress.

I request your advise on this. Most of you have been under flare-ups, therefore you had to take high dose of prednisone for some time, how your GI asked you to take it? Also, is it to be taken in empty stomach? I will go by majority opinion.

I have next app with GI this Friday.

 

[lowone]

I started at 40mg too and just took it in the mornings, i did not really notice too many side effects... My tapper schedule was/is 5days @40mg, then 5 @35, 5 @30, 5@25, then 7@20, 7@15, 7@10, 7@5, and done... On my tapper I am down to 5mg starting tomorrow and a bit worried as my output is slowly moving in the wrong direction on the bristol chart.

I did delay my tapper schedule a little bit as there was some stuff with immunizations and delaying the start of another med so i wound up sitting at 20mg for 14days before resuming the tapper down.

My prescription says take the prednisone with food or milk! so for me first thing upon waking is take 6mp, then shower/get ready for work, breakfast, then lialda and pred with a cup o milk (might as well do both and have tasty food and milk!). also my pred tastes awful!

 

[rygon]

I took 30mg all at once. What do the instructions on the box say, The information leaflet inside should give better info as well, as i am pretty sure i took it with food as well.

 

[DD2020]

Thank you very much for your responses, lowone and rygon, I guess you both are saying taking it all together, and also taking it with light food. Milk I heard before, during my first attack, but since I was (and still am) lactose intolerant, GI agreed with protein powder (I was taking that time) in warm water + some biscuits. I will ask my GI also on friday.

@lowone: my taper schedule was nearly same, this time to start the taper itself is becoming difficult :lol2:

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I too am on 40mg of the prednisone right now. I take all of it together in the morning when I first get up with my breakfast. I'm also lactose intolerant but, have some lactose free milk that I drink instead.

Have taken these supplements for about 3 or 4 years for lactose intolerance that seems to help me the best. It's called: Digestive Advantage for Lactose Intolerance. It helps me for those times that I do have lactose items. Hope this helps.

 

[FruitLoop]

I've always taken the whole dose in one go as soon as i get up.

It still disturbs my sleep but nowhere near as bad as if i take pred at night

 

[DD2020]

Thanks a lot for the responses.

Can anyone tell me whether the loss of sleep/head spinning/restlessness happens more due to the flare up or due to high dose prednisolone usage?

During my last years attack doctors had given mild sedatives (half a sleeping pill or something like that) for some 10 days only, which had helped. Why they are not giving this time or why not for 1 month?