When Dr. Alyea cleared me to decrease my prednisone
from 2 milligrams a day to 1 mg. a few weeks ago, I was very happy.
Prednisone suppresses your immune system, and getting
off of it means also getting off the other drugs that I take to prevent
pneumonia and CMV – Cytomegalovirus – which
I have had several times.
I also got the go-ahead to taper another drug, Nexium,
and he wanted me to do that first so that if I have problems I will know which
taper to blame.
So far, so good. Now it is just about time to decrease
the prednisone. Yet I am reluctant, and here is why: Prednisone mimics
cortisol, a hormone naturally made by your adrenal glands. If you take
prednisone for more than a few weeks, your adrenal glands decrease cortisol
production. People must gradually reduce prednisone dosage to give their
adrenal glands time to resume their normal function. The time it takes to
recover depends on dose, individual physiology and duration of use.
Withdrawal symptoms can include fatigue, weakness,
body aches, joint pain and depression.
I have certainly tapered slowly, from 40 mgs. at my
high point, but I have been on it so long – almost six years – that I am
concerned about getting symptoms anyway. Dr. Alyea told me that it should be
fine because I am on such a low dose that my adrenal glands are already
working.
Still I am concerned. I remember my friend Patricia
(PJ) getting so depressed when she went off that she basically begged to get
back on.
With things to do such as Chinese food with the
Chipkins tonight and a trip to New York on Saturday with Katie to see “On the
Town,” I don’t want to risk it.
All things considered, my New Year’s resolution is
pretty easy: Take one less pill a day.
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