A fair and balanced interpretation of the risk to benefit ratio of 5 mg of prednisone. Many people seem to think 5 mg is a safe dose. However, almost no one starts with 5 mg of prednisone to treat whatever condition they are treating. People then get "stuck" on 5 mg of prednisone and can't seem to taper any lower. When you consider the effects that long term prednisone use has on the HPA axis and how it causes adrenal suppression it seems likely that getting stuck on 5 mg is yet another side effect of long term prednisone use. An endocrinologist told me NOT to taper at all until my cortisol level improved after I reached a low dose of prednisone. Fortunately, my cortisol level improved but it took a long time. If 5 mg prevents an adrenal crisis from occurring then the benefits of a low dose of prednisone are skewed. I believe that taking prednisone on a long term basis is self perpetuating after the adrenals are suppressed. The body struggles to produce more cortisol when we reach a lower dose of prednisone. In some cases the adrenals are permanently suppressed. The treatment for adrenal insufficiency is low doses of corticosteroids like prednisone and higher doses when encountering stressful situations. The longer you take prednisone ... the longer a person will "need" a low dose of prednisone to offset a low cortisol level.
@mikem8246 Just curious of your opinion, I know you can't give medical advice on here. Do you think for someone stuck at say 5mg (for 3 years), if they just suffered through some symptoms for a while (muscle pain stiffness shoulders and neck from PMR) and kept tapering to 0, their own cortisol would take over and might feel better? Or is that dose low enough that their own cortisol is already working? Thanks😊
Dr. Megan wants to help but granted she isn't your personal physician. I'm wary of people on the internet who claim to be a "pro" but are patients just like me. Professional patients shouldn't be giving medical advice even though they mean well. Dr Megan does a lot of research for us and communicates what she finds. I respect that and also that she has personal experience with prednisone as a patient.
Do you know if 7.5mg of prednisone for me 130lb female long term (5years) is equal to a man 210lbs 7.5mg in side effects or long term damage? Thank you live your videos. My husband and I both have autoimmune diseases and take prednisone.
Hi! You can check out this video about "Prednisone Long-Term Side Effects You Should Know About" View the full video here: prednisonepharmacist.com/education/prednisone-long-term-side-effects/ For more information about prednisone, we have a bunch of content and articles that might be of help in your condition. You can browse our website at Prednisonepharmacist.com and discover ways to manage and counteract the side effects of prednisone.
A fair and balanced interpretation of the risk to benefit ratio of 5 mg of prednisone. Many people seem to think 5 mg is a safe dose. However, almost no one starts with 5 mg of prednisone to treat whatever condition they are treating. People then get "stuck" on 5 mg of prednisone and can't seem to taper any lower.
When you consider the effects that long term prednisone use has on the HPA axis and how it causes adrenal suppression it seems likely that getting stuck on 5 mg is yet another side effect of long term prednisone use. An endocrinologist told me NOT to taper at all until my cortisol level improved after I reached a low dose of prednisone. Fortunately, my cortisol level improved but it took a long time.
If 5 mg prevents an adrenal crisis from occurring then the benefits of a low dose of prednisone are skewed. I believe that taking prednisone on a long term basis is self perpetuating after the adrenals are suppressed. The body struggles to produce more cortisol when we reach a lower dose of prednisone. In some cases the adrenals are permanently suppressed. The treatment for adrenal insufficiency is low doses of corticosteroids like prednisone and higher doses when encountering stressful situations.
The longer you take prednisone ... the longer a person will "need" a low dose of prednisone to offset a low cortisol level.
@mikem8246
Just curious of your opinion, I know you can't give medical advice on here. Do you think for someone stuck at say 5mg (for 3 years), if they just suffered through some symptoms for a while (muscle pain stiffness shoulders and neck from PMR) and kept tapering to 0, their own cortisol would take over and might feel better? Or is that dose low enough that their own cortisol is already working? Thanks😊
Ive been on 5 mg for over 2 years. I can't eat any carbs. Tried 3 tapers and can't get off. No one wants to help me with side effects .
Dr. Megan wants to help but granted she isn't your personal physician. I'm wary of people on the internet who claim to be a "pro" but are patients just like me. Professional patients shouldn't be giving medical advice even though they mean well. Dr Megan does a lot of research for us and communicates what she finds. I respect that and also that she has personal experience with prednisone as a patient.
Do you know if 7.5mg of prednisone for me 130lb female long term (5years) is equal to a man 210lbs 7.5mg in side effects or long term damage? Thank you live your videos. My husband and I both have autoimmune diseases and take prednisone.
Hi! You can check out this video about "Prednisone Long-Term Side Effects You Should Know About"
View the full video here:
prednisonepharmacist.com/education/prednisone-long-term-side-effects/
For more information about prednisone, we have a bunch of content and articles that might be of help in your condition. You can browse our website at Prednisonepharmacist.com and discover ways to manage and counteract the side effects of prednisone.
Thank you
I take 2.5 mg EOD. So 1/4 the dose you speak of ....how do you assess that?
I take 10 MG a day and have been on Predniso ne with Burts for 25 years
I've been on prednisone for 18 months had no relief from pain at all my condition is ploymyalgia rheumatica ❤❤