Pred Withdrawal

Well I've been tapering the Prednisone now for a bit, from 40mg to 25mg. I am on 6MP as well because I'm apparently steroid dependent. Which brings me to my question!

Anyone else getting violent shakes after a certain amount of tapering? This week, once I'd been down to 25mg for a few doses, I started getting the shakes to the point of not being able to bring a fork to my mouth - for about thirty minutes until I take my evening dose of Pred. Then, it goes away.

I know the body is sensitive to steroids and can react as such when the taper gets to a point - but the shakes seem a little extreme to me. Maybe not? Let me know.

(Also, do you think that the 6MP could be the culprit, more likely?)

I used to be on 6-MP, don't remember why, but I don't believe it ever gave me the shakes. I have been on prednisone for a long time though; years. I was recently upped to 60mg IV and released from the hospital on 50mg oral prednisone, now I'm on 25mg as well. I have throughout my days on prednisone had muscle spasms where I would either wake up at night or at random instances during the day get twitching in my limbs that I couldn't really control, but not really shaking. It was more like a electrical imbalance. It also seemed to happen more often when it was humid outside or raining. It may not have been prednisone related at all with me, hard to say for sure.
Can I ask how 6-MP is supposed to help with prednisone dependence, or is it a separate treatment in itself? It's been so many years since I was on it and I was so sick at the time I can't even remember why I took it, but I remember my doctor saying it wasn't working anymore.

Well 6MP suppresses the immune system, so that's why it's often used for Crohn's. It's used as a maintenance drug in my case because you can use it long term (provided your labs stay good) - but you can't keep someone my age on Pred very long, I'm very young with moderate to severe Crohn's. So while the steroids treat my symptoms, I need something that will do so and not cause problems down the road, thus the 6MP.

Hmm, interesting about your muscle spasms. Never had that but I would be curious to know if that was related.

Hiya Shannon

I'm on 20mg of Pred now, tapered from 30mg last month. Going down to 15mg next week.
I shake, I call it the jitters! But I just ignore it, I don't think about it, cos I know it's the Pred, and that it will eventually go away, it did last time I was on it. If I think about it, I get anxious! I just go with it, and burn the energy up by bombing round, then I rest!
Shannon, why are you taking a dose at night? I take all mine in the morning after breakfast and the shakes have gone by about 3PM. Have you got insomnia cos of the evening dose?
xxx

They have me on 10mg in the morning, and 15mg at night - no insomnia. I get the shakes around evening time when I'm due for the 15mg. After I take it, I settle down. Like I need my fix or something!

Hiya Shannon

Never heard of this, splitting the dose!
It says on my leaflet to take all of them in the morning after breakfast, how about you ask your doc?
here's a link on it, it says here to take all in the morning

http://www.patient.co.uk/medicine/[wiki2="Prednisolone"]Prednisolone[/wiki2].htm

it may reduce the shakes in the evening?
xxx

Hmm, maybe. I was ordered to split the dose by the GI - may have something to do with my age, I dunno.

ShannonSankey said:

Hmm, maybe. I was ordered to split the dose by the GI - may have something to do with my age, I dunno.

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I've been on 60 mg of prednisone before and I was just recently taking 40 mg and we're the same age. I've never heard of splitting the dosage either. I'd ask your doc why he wants you to do it.

I was looking around the web - apparently for high doses of Pred docs sometimes split the dose during the day, like in my case. I started at 40mg, so I guess they consider that high - I'm 17 and was about 96lbs at 5'3" at my sickest, so that may have been the seller.

I just got done tapering off the pred. Was on it for about 2 months. I probably tapered too fast but I really don't even care, I wanted off that drug so bad.

I tapered at ~5mg/5 days. Once I got down to 15 mg I tapered faster. And once I got down to 10 mg I completely cut myself off last Thursday because I had had it, and I felt like the Humira is doing its job.

I had night sweats, the shakes, mood swings, fatigue, tired quite a bit, and weakness. I didn't have "violent shakes" but I noticed my hands shaking uncontrollably more often. My hair isn't falling out anymore though and I can start lifting again so I'm happy. I don't think I'll ever go on that drug ever again, even if it's a life or death situation.

I went from 50mg for 3 months to nothing and I had major withdrawals. I didn't have any energy even to go to the bathroom even though I couldn't stop my legs from shaking. That only lasted 2 weeks though then it went away. My body probably got my adrenal glands working properly on it's own.

Wow, alright then! Well, I'm sticking it out but I hope it smooths out soon, it can feel pretty intense at times. I'm on the taper my GI ordered, too, so I guess this is normal. Thanks for sharing!

ShannonSankey said:

Well 6MP suppresses the immune system, so that's why it's often used for Crohn's. It's used as a maintenance drug in my case because you can use it long term (provided your labs stay good) - but you can't keep someone my age on Pred very long, I'm very young with moderate to severe Crohn's. So while the steroids treat my symptoms, I need something that will do so and not cause problems down the road, thus the 6MP.

Hmm, interesting about your muscle spasms. Never had that but I would be curious to know if that was related.

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This is exactly what the GI is doing with me and my meds. I am tapering off the pred starting this Friday again when I go see my doctor. I started on 60mg with my last release frofrom the hospital, these last 2weeks I've been on 40mg well 20 and 20. So, Im guessing my GI is doing the 6MP for the same reasons you started yours. Anyways, Im rambling and I also have the muscle spasms/shakes when my pred is tapering off as well.

Poppysocks said:

I just got done tapering off the pred. Was on it for about 2 months. I probably tapered too fast but I really don't even care, I wanted off that drug so bad.

I tapered at ~5mg/5 days. Once I got down to 15 mg I tapered faster. And once I got down to 10 mg I completely cut myself off last Thursday because I had had it, and I felt like the Humira is doing its job.

I had night sweats, the shakes, mood swings, fatigue, tired quite a bit, and weakness. I didn't have "violent shakes" but I noticed my hands shaking uncontrollably more often. My hair isn't falling out anymore though and I can start lifting again so I'm happy. I don't think I'll ever go on that drug ever again, even if it's a life or death situation.

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I hope my taper isn't this bad... I do feel the shakes and sweats though when my pred wears off before my afternoon dosage of 20mg. I have all your side effects expect for the hair falling out.

Glad you got off of it completely though, i can't wait to be pred free !

I don't remember ever getting the shakes (just all the other wonderful side effects) from tapering Prednisone. Whenever I was tapering, my doc usually would have me drop 10mg every 7-10 days until I got to 20mg, then I'd drop 5mg every 7-10 days until I was done. It was never a short term thing for me, though, and I'm not sure how tapering after short term vs. long term is different, as well as with varying dosages.