[KarolH]

Hi Everyone,

Happy Springtime although here in New Jersey I am hard pressed to believe it is Spring.:hehe::hehe::hehe:

My Rheumy doctor has put me on daily prednisone moving forward and I will be starting Methotrexate shortly.

My dosage of Prednisone is 7.5mg daily and that will be increased at my next visit but I am not sure how much this will be increased by.......I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Anyway I am just wondering what your daily dose of prednisone is? From what I have read it seems many take a much higher daily dose.

I am not complaining as I have not agreed to steriods before now. I have finally given in yet will 7.5 a day give me relief?

I hope your all well and get out and enjoy the weekend.:wink2::wink2:

I forgot to mention he also told me to take calcium everyday but I cant remember how much he told me to take. Any other supplements you would recommend I add to help protect bones, etc...?

 

[KarolH]

I just read Kate88 and her post about the same thing I just posed about, sorry. I just jumped on here this morning and posted away without reading first.

I am curious still about daily supplements to protect our bones and what you take/how much you take of these supplements daily.

I do not produce estrogen due to removal of ovaries 7 years ago so I am concerned about the bones and keeping them strong.

It seems that 7.5 mg will really help with pain and inflammation so I think I am glad I finally agreed to take roids everyday.

 

[Katharine]

Hello Karol,

7.5mg is a pretty good dose if we're talking about a "maintenance" dose. At that level many take lower doses even than that. I'd say he wants to see how you react to that rather than put it up straight away. The less you can take the better. The very high doses people take are often short bursts to try and control flares or if they have very severe aggressive disease activity (and again, they often take it until control is gained with other meds).

Maybe and hopefully the plan is that the metho will agree with you and you'll be able to taper back down off pred after.

I started with a 10mg dose (but I actually couldn't walk due to pain, no wieght bearing at all) which was quickly put up to fifteen. Last year after starting imuran I started a taper which unfortunately didn't work out due to my breathing problems. I am now on a maintenance dose of 12.5mg which is pretty high for maintenance.

I am hoping that we can look into other treatment options and that maybe one day I can come off the pred (though the lung specialist is not really for, nor the rheumy for the moment).

It's all up to the individual, how they react to the meds and how their disease activity manifests.

Katharine

 

[KarolH]

Thanks for your reply Katharine.

Do you take any supplements to help the bones?

Maybe calcium, folic acid, anything?

I hope for your sake and only if it is what you want that you can eventually taper off of the roids too.

You know that the docs must be on your side in order to do this though but hopefully someday it can happen for you.:wink2:

 

[Katharine]

My rheumy only introduced calcium supplements after I had been on pred for 18 months. I do also have a perfect DEXA result. I won't bother telling you which ones or how much calcium as I have a question concerning them and the fact that they have extra vit K (as well as D) in them and that MAYBE that vit K is not having such a good effect on my headaches (also maybe it's far too little and the headaches are unrelated).

So, I'll let someone else with more experience answer that one

Katharine

 

[x_claire_x]

Hiya, I am on 6mgs pred, trying to come down lower but it seems I may end up with a maintenance dose of around 5mgs and plaquenil.. I also take calcichew D3 Forte tabs.. two a day, each tablet has calcium carbonate equivalent to 500mgs calcium/ 400IU Colecalciferol.... read if off the pot! I think Vit D helps the absorption if I understand it right :lol: I have been put on these whilst on the pred to protect my bones. I still have one ovary so body still producing oestrogen at the moment. I won't bother going into everything else I am on, but do take omega oils for joints etc etc
Take care, Claire X

 

[KarolH]

Thanks again Katharine and Claire.

Very helpful.

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Karol,

My rheumy has me aiming for 1600 mgs of calcium a day. The calcium tablet I take is combined with vitamin D. I also take Actonel. My dose is probably higher than some because I do have osteoporosis.

I would normally say you can also get calcium from dairy, juices and various foods but with your digestive problems I suggest you discuss the issue with your doctor.

Weight bearing exercise is good for the bones also. You don't have to get fancy, good old walking will do.

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[nicky00]

Hi KarolH

I'm on 5mg after tapering down (twice) from 45mg per day.

My General doctor told me that I would need some calcium tablets after 3months.
My Dermatologist put me on calcium tablets after two months.
They are called Calcishew -D3 ( Calcum carbonate / colecalciferol equivalent to 500mg calcium/ 200IU colecalciferol.
Bascially they have 5micrograms of vitamin D in with them.

The Rhumatologist told me that I a person only needs to worry about oesteoporosis and steroids around about 2 years and there is the ability to recover so long as your not menaupausal.

Im not banking on being on steroids for that long but who knows.
I walk religiously.

By the way I have been prescribed of late Ranitidine 150mg tablets which are meant to protect my system by taking one tab the night before I take my steroid tablet in the morning. Although I mentioned the steroid has protective enteric coating, he said somethign about it being a systemic protection (acid?) or something.

Sorry the latter is a bif waffly

Im glad to have been given the chance to at least try steroids even by side effect misfortune.
They can give one a break or at least come up for air.

The effects of changing by a couple of mg for me are significant.

There is also the concern for me in my situation to want to be below the natrual cortisol levels thebody would produce ie 7.5mg. So Im happier to keep under that level although I would have no doubts should my symtoms worsen in upping the level to above if required as its a necessity.

Nicky

 

[KarolH]

This information provided to me is wonderful.

Thank you all for sharing with me what you take.

I just looked in my cabinet and the calcium I have been on for years is 1200mg + Vitamin D. I will continue with this for now and at my next visit make sure it is suffiecient for the docs liking.

I hope your all doing well.

 

[Maia]

Your one pill has 1200mg calcium in it? I have read that the body cannot "absorb" more than about 500mg at a time, so anything you ingest beyond that amount in pill or food form is wasted. I wonder if they are still thinking along those lines as it's been years since I read that information. But I'm pretty sure that is why the calcium chews and most pills are 500mg, and why you just need to take them 2-3 times a day depending on how much calcium you need.

Might be something you want to investigate a little further and see if you should take a smaller dose more often...

 

[ROSJAC]

Hey Jersey Girl, It's beginning to warm up here in Soy Bean country! Predicting lots of rain Tues. into Wed...it will probably come your way soon. I started off on 5mg. pred., then doubled the dose. Anything higher gives me unbearable heartburn. I am not on pred. at this time. My MD. started me on caltrate a few years back( when I was taken off Hormones) but my latest bone scan showed Ostiopenia. Have you had a bone scan? I'm not familiar with Methoterate. Could you explain it's purpose. Hoping warm ocean breezes will soon be coming your way. Rosie

 

[KarolH]

Maia,
Thank you for the heads up in this. Yes, the calcium I take is from Nauturs Bounty and it reads Absorbable Calcium 1200mg per serving plus Vitamin D in softgel form. I will look into this as I found what you typed very, very interesting.

Rosie,
You wanna know what Methotrexate is???:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Ummmmm, not sure! LOL
Really I have not started it yet and I am just learning for myself what it is.
I have not been able to spend much time doing my research but when life calms down some I will.
As for warm ocean winds, please blow them my way. I will take whatever warmth I can get.

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Karol,

Late last year my doctor told me to spread out my calcium intake as the body could only absorb 500 mgs at a time. Also when you take Actonel or one of the other similar drugs you should take the calcuim at least 4 hours later. I had been taking it all at once like you.


Hi Rosie,

The following site has some information about Methotrexate.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682019.html#about-your-treat

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[onetay]

karol,
The doctor has to find the smallest dose that also makes you comfortable at the same time. They wanted to put me on the low dose preds also but my main concern was if I take the low dose everyday then how much would it take to help a real flare when it happens. Any pharmacy can help with other things to add to help protect your bones. I wish you luck with your preds. I hope you are feeling well and doing well.

 

[KarolH]

Thanks again for the replies and Lazylegs for the link provided.

 

[x_claire_x]

Well I am glad I followed this thread, had been chomping through two tabs of calcichew... total 1000mgs at the same time... will have to try and remember it one tab at a time!!!!!!!! I learn something every day!:lol:

 

[Jynnieneal]

Karol,
My prednisone intake varies to my condition. The most I have been on at one dose was 90mg. The lowest I made it to was 5mg, and that only lasted 2 weeks. I have been on prednisone for almost 3 years now. I started in September 2006. Currently I take 30 mg, but I just had a major flare in Oct. Well my doctors believe I was never in remission since 2006. I was on Cellcept, but now am off because of cytoxan treatment. I am weaning off the prednisone again. Hopefully I will make it off this time. But everytime we reduce I am in such pain. Time will tell.

I to take calcium with Vit D in it. I take 500mg 3x a day. My Dexa scan came back great too. They were going to start me on iv fosomax, but after the results of the dexascan the decided I only need to take 1/2 the normal dose of oral fosamax.

Good luck Karol

Jyneal

 

[KarolH]

Thanks Jyneal.

I hope your condition improves.