Reducing Pred ? and a LDN Q

[FruitLoop]

Hi - what is the fastest you can reduce pred ?

I am on 25mg but want to get off it asap so I can go onto LDN (if the consultant will prescribe it) and as far as I can tell you need to be off Pred to start it - is this correct ?

So what's the fastest you have reduced pred ?

Thanks guys

 

[drew_wymore]

I believe the fastest that you can safely drop Pred is about 10mg per week depending on how you're tolerating it. I dropped from 60mg in 10mg increments each week until I reached 10mg which I then was on for 2 weeks and then 5mg for 2 weeks. It wasn't easy for me though, the withdrawals absolutely sucked but I was able to get through it.

 

[Kev]

From what I understand, there's been no studies as to how quickly tapering off pred is safe.. there are thresholds that the body doesn't seem to like, but I don't recall what those are. In my case, I was off pred way to long before I got my LDN.. Heres the thing.. taking pred when starting LDN most likely will just delay the good effects of the LDN, but it takes weeks anyway for LDN to do its thing.. in the overall scheme of things, my personal advice is to taper off slow N safe, and start the LDN as soon as the pred is gone.. again just to be safe.. a couple of days, a week or so.. In the big picture, that timespan is too small to sweat, or to risk complications

 

[Sojourn]

I'm not aware of any conclusive studies either. My first GI was very strict about the tapering process though. I think by the time I was through I was splitting 5mg tablets into 2.5 doses. It seems like it took months. The GI I have now didn't seem to care much about it. At one point I had to remind him that I should be tapering. I think I quit at 15mg before I even finished the bottle I was on.

Side effects can be worse if you don't taper down appropriately from what I'm reading though I didn't notice much difference.

 

[FruitLoop]

Well been back to the GP today and he has upped me onto 30mg as this flare up is well and truly active.

So it looks like i am going to be on 30mg for at least the next month as i go on holiday in 2 weeks and it does not seem a good idea to start tapering before i go.

Oh well looks like the LDN may be further off than i thought - that's if they will even prescribe it to start off with !!

 

[Kev]

Well, in 5 mg decrements, you'd be off it in 6 weeks after you hit your max if there were no yo yo incidents. I did it in 5mg drops the 1st time.. 2nd time I did it in 2.5mg drops.. and it was worse. first, the split pills tastes horrible, and I went thru withdrawal.. As for LDN, without traditional meds like pred, its possible to get worse before you feel better, and that can take weeks (as do a lot of traditional meds). So, if going on holiday, and in a flare or start of a flare, starting LDN would seem risky to me, and I think most docs would never consider it to begin with. No, I'd postpone it till you are home, close to doc, and have no added stresses or active flares going on. but, unless I'm the miracle exception, if you go on it, take your LDN, & other non suppressant meds (like 5-ASA) and watch your diet, you should be a-OK.. Theres even folks on the LDN forum who got it to work by going with the SCD diet at same time (but how do you know which is working) or by taking stuff to reduce their candida.. my GI said I'd need to see one of the holistic docs to treat me for candida. but I never needed to go that far

 

[BWS1982]

I think it not only depends on the individual but the flare and condition too, just like at what dose does medication X work for patient X, it's all subjective, but I'm sure there's some statistical patterns that indicate where most thresholds are.

I had a much harder time my second time on pred, when tapering went as slow as 2.5 mg/week...damn drug.