Steroid trial
So my doctor started me on a steroid trial of Prednisone to hold me over until I go see the rhumetologist I had positive ANA and other labs positive the first 3 days were 40 mg then it tapered down from there the second day I started feeling a little better pain was bearable third day I felt a lot better but then the 4th day was when I had to decrease to 30 mg for 3 days I decrease I was ok that day then the next which was yesterday my pain started to come back and my hands and face started swelling my rash is bad as well and today is the 3rd day on the 30mg and I am just miserable I am a nurse and this pain and weakness is making my job very hard and I was hopeful the steroids where working anyone have this happen I'm not diagnosed with lupus yet but my father has lupus and I have positive labs plus a lot of symptoms
Hi,
!
I am sorry you are in pain and in limbo right now as you wait for a firm diagnosis. So, the problem with prednisone is that it's kind of a short term solution. I mean, many people stay on a low dose of prednisone for a long period of time, although that kind of usage does come with some risks. What I mean is that it doesn't really treat the source of the problem, but it does offer relief from the pain and inflammation that can come with Lupus and other autoimmune conditions. As long as you are taking it (and your body hasn't developed a tolerance to it), you will probably feel pretty darned good. However, if you taper down, you might find that there is a threshold dose that, if you go below it, your pain comes back. And, your body can also get used to a certain dose and your doctor may have to up your dose to maintain the same relief you got at a lower dose. As a nurse, I bet you know all this already, so apologies for the info you probably didn't need. 😉
All that said, you and the rheumatologist should have a conversation about what treatment options to consider. Prednisone is definitely a good tool to have at your disposal. And, the doctor may also recommend other meds to get to the source of the issue and help get your symptoms under control.
I know some of our members have experienced the return of pain and stiffness when tapering down/off steroids, so you are not alone in this! I do hope they see your post and reply, too. I wanted to share this article on stopping steroid use. Of particular interest are the member comments at the end of the piece -- https://lupus.net/clinical/stop-prednisone. I thought you might find those comments useful as you navigate this potential Lupus diagnosis.
I hope you are doing ok this week and you are not in too much pain. Please keep us posted, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Best, Erin, Team Member.
