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I have been on the 30mg for 2 1/2 weeks and it went really well. Found much relief and very little side effects. Spoke to the GI doc and he wants me to go down to 20mg starting tomorrow and call him in a week to let him know how its going.
I have to admit, as much as i was against going on the prednisone to begin with, i am nervous about tapering since i have been feeling good. I don't want to go back to feeling the way i did before for the past 8 months as its been nice to have my 'life back' for a couple of weeks and i am also nervous about any withdrawal symptoms. I know everyone handles the tapering differently so i am trying to remain positive through it.
Would i notice any just going to 20 or is it when you get to lower doses that you notice symptoms of withdrawal and return of D?
Diagnosed with MC on 1/8/2008 after 7 months of flare. 2nd colonoscopy and new diagnosis of UC on 3/11/2008.
I just started my taper from 30mg to 20 mg yesterday. I am feeling exactly as you are about fears the symptoms will return. I too felt great on the 30 mg. I wish you the best. My plan is to call my GI at the very first sign of the symptoms returning. I can say that when he tapered me more quickly last time my symptoms returned at the 20 mg dose and started with severe pain/cramps after dinner for two nights and moved on to severe pain/cramps/D after dinner the third night. It was not subtle at all.
I really started to feel the changes on tapering when I got around 15mgs. Feeling very low, moody and tearful and this seem to last for a few weeks after I completed my course.
Will be thinking of you lots and fingers crossed hope all goes well
You may have told us this, but if you have, my CRS is flaring, and I don't seem to remember it. Does this mean that you will be completely off all meds for a while, (after the Pred is gone), or will you be starting another med treatment before the tapered Prednisone dosage treatment is over?
Best of luck to you during the withdrawal period.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks for the info on the tapering, i am nervous!
Shirley - what did you end up with for withdrawal side effects?
Kitty - How are you feeling so far? have you noticed anything yet? Also did it help you any doing the smaller meals throughout the day?
Mini - I felt like that on the Entocort. I cried over anything and everything. So far i have had more the 'euphoria' feeling on Prednisone so i will be curious to see if that changes as i lower the dose. Are you off of all meds now? I am sorry, i can't remember
Tex - My GI's plan is to start tapering me tomorrow down to 20mg. I have to call him in a week and let him know how i am doing with that and he said if i am stable on the 20mg he is going to start me back on Asacol in conjunction with the Prednisone until i finally wean off the pred and will just maintain on Asacol. I did take Asacol when first diagnosed with the first Dr. alone and it did help some, just not enough to put me into a remission. I am hoping it will help.
Diagnosed with MC on 1/8/2008 after 7 months of flare. 2nd colonoscopy and new diagnosis of UC on 3/11/2008.
I took Pred for 2 months and it really turned things around for me, like you and a few others here I just felt great. It also halted all my CC symptoms of muscle and joint pain, fatigue and D that I had been living with for a very long time so I too had lot's of anxiety about weaning off it. You seem to have about the best plan going you could since you have already done Dr. Fines stool tests and adjusted your diet accordingly. Here's to you pulling out of this in better shape than when you started!
I don't remember the dosages as I weaned off Pred but never had any withdrawal problems to speak of. Just wanted to mention when I did take it I had not made any dietary changes so my symptoms came back soon after I stopped using it.
and i am also nervous about any withdrawal symptoms. I know everyone handles the tapering differently so i am trying to remain positive through it. 
