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Low dose Prednisone

I am on bridge therapy with 5mg Prednisone for knee swelling and waiting until the stelara works for knee swelling. I have been on this dose for knee swelling for 4 months. One doctor says I should discontinue while another says it is fine to stay on a little longer until the stelara works. What are your thoughts? I haven't been getting much side effects on this low dose except rare headache.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
If it's for your joints
What is rheumo advising ?
For ds GI controls pred for GI symptoms
And rheumo controls pred for JSpA symptoms

Ds is currently on 7.5 mg of pred a day for JSpA
Waiting for Stelara to kick in

If one doc has a concern I make sure they conference the prescribing doc

Good luck
 
I've actually seen two rheumatologists. It's really a gray line.One says just stay on low dose Prednisone because I think I also have other joints affected. When I come off the pred I get achy joints and worsening knee swelling. I have tmj pain which I think might also be an arthritis because it gets better on pred. One of the ibd people I saw recommended for me to come off pred as soon as I can. I have been taking orders 7.5. I feel like they are really leaving me to decide.
 
I don't know why doctors don't want to prescribe prednisone ani more and instead prescribe treatments that have far more dangerous side effects than prednisone. I was on it for years on 5 mg for maintaining crohn's, 3 years after I stopped I went out of a 13 year remission. and had to have 3 surgeries since. I should have stayed on prednisone,
 
When stopping, I started to get mild symptoms that built after that until I got a stricture from repeated flaring and healing, flaring and healing over and over again,
 
My GI even said that low dose prednisone kept me in remission all those years, but maybe my case being for the bowel is different from what you need it for. Good luck with yours.
 
Hi Stephie82,

I've been on prednisone since 2008 (12 years) 6mg/day in remission with no symptoms. I agree it has a bad rap because in higher dosages it does have nasty side effects, and I experienced all of them when I was on 40mg/day. But at low dose I haven't had any symptoms. However, now I'm feeling so good lately so I'm wondering if the good run is finally over. I blame too many stupid Christmas cookies, I got a little out of control. Switching to my old standby's Ensure Plus liquid nutrition plus intermittent fasting to see if I can put this out. If not, I might have to see a doctor again...

I don't know why doctors don't want to prescribe prednisone ani more and instead prescribe treatments that have far more dangerous side effects than prednisone. I was on it for years on 5 mg for maintaining crohn's, 3 years after I stopped I went out of a 13 year remission. and had to have 3 surgeries since. I should have stayed on prednisone,
 
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