dear jet

hello,

i have been on pred for a year in varying doses. i started high, 60mg daily and am now down to 5mg.

ivig did jack for me and when i was near paralysis, my neuro told me it was time to do pred and i agreed. prednisone is not good for long term use for all the reasons you’ve read about. on the one hand, it will pick you up from the dead, and on the other hand, it will damage your body in more ways than i care to list.

the thing is, if you are so down, so sick– it can be a great intervention to give you back some strength and reduce pain, etc. but generally, it is not recommended for lifetime use. 100mg sounds high… but then, maybe you’re a big guy and perhaps it makes sense for your weight.

my best healing took place after my jerk-off insurer told me i could no longer see my neuro and i began treating myself. i had the prednisone on hand and when i began to relapse again, i put myself on first 20mg, then 15, then 10 and finally 5mg… it made me wonder if a lower dose was more efficacious as i did so much better, in every way, on the lower doses. who the heck knows. but when i was on 60mg, i was climbing the walls. i’m still jittery from the effects of the pred, but its tolerable.

also, know this– at first it makes you feel so much better, as you described. and that’s great. but beware, that initial elation will give way to the effects of steroids on your body. obviously i’m no doctor– but my own experience tells me i never needed such high doses. the docs seem to think you need these high doses for efficacy; they also say that the effects will take a few months. now we both know that is untrue as you are already feeling much better. the same thing happened with me. when i took my very 1st dose of prednisone, i felt improvement within hours! i was unable at that point to simply get up from the couch– i was in agonizing pain, couldn’t walk and was so numb… by the next morning, i could get up from the couch and, while holding walls, could make it to the bathroom. it’s kind of a miracle drug, but its a deal with the devil at the same time.

be careful. and be your own advocate– collaborate with your neuro, express your concerns, etc. you can read about what pred does to your body, its adverse effects, etc. so i won’t list them here. i’ll add this though– the effects of prednisone are cumulative– meaning, what you feel now may not hold steady and you may develop other side effects as time passes.

i don’t know if any of this helps but if you ever want to talk or write privately, i’d be happy to communicate with you. just let me know. my website, with my contact information is: [url]www.alicedicroce.com[/url]

best of luck brother.
alice