Anyone here on prednisone and progesterone and are you tapering?

[Calcifer]

Hi i'm looking for anyone who may be on low dose steroids and progesterone to support pregnancy? I'm tapering the prednisone from today, from 5mg to 2.5mg to then 0. I'm finding it so hard, psychologically, in case it's in fact sustaining the pregnancy. My OB says as such a low dose, it's not... anyone?

 

[Leilani]

That is a very low dose! I'm on 25mg, which is still considered relatively low, by OB said over 40mg is starting to get up there, but plenty of women take a higher dose for a number of reasons throughout their pregnancies. I will be on prednisone for as long as I'm pregnant.

The progesterone could possibly sustain a non-viable pregnancy, but not the prednisone. I understand your trepidation.

 

[Calcifer]

That is a very low dose! I'm on 25mg, which is still considered relatively low, by OB said over 40mg is starting to get up there, but plenty of women take a higher dose for a number of reasons throughout their pregnancies. I will be on prednisone for as long as I'm pregnant.

The progesterone could possibly sustain a non-viable pregnancy, but not the prednisone. I understand your trepidation.

It's lovely to hear from someone else taking this medication!! Yes, I know it's low... it's supposed to be a kind of a preventative dose to dampen my antibodies for auto-immunity but there's no real evidence it really works for my exact disease. I think it was psychological to be honest. Still it's never easy to stop something that is part of the mix, especially as we have a heartbeat as of Friday...

 

[DanielleTTC]

I'm on prednisone 40mg , I'll be on these for the rest of pregnancy and I'm also ustrogest perssaries three time a day. I have to inject clexane everyday too....

With the prednisone I've felt really hurry the first two weeks, it's not the first time I've been on these so far that the only thing I've noticed..

 

[Lana Farrell]

Hi I understand your worry. I've felt the same too. I've been taking 20mg prednisone daily, two cyclogest daily, and clexane. I'm meant to stop all of these at 12 weeks (I'm 7 now)
I don't get how can just suddenly stop these? I'm a little scared because I have lots of autoimmune issues and worrying without the steroids I'll have bad flare ups. I know once you're past 12weeks the placenta would have taken over so don't worry about stopping the progesterone. With steroids I think it depends on what you're actually taking them for as some conditions left untreated can be a threat to a fetus if our bodies/immune systems attack them instead of protecting. This is what I'm praying doesn't happen to me.

 

[DanielleTTC]

Hi I understand your worry. I've felt the same too. I've been taking 20mg prednisone daily, two cyclogest daily, and clexane. I'm meant to stop all of these at 12 weeks (I'm 7 now)
I don't get how can just suddenly stop these? I'm a little scared because I have lots of autoimmune issues and worrying without the steroids I'll have bad flare ups. I know once you're past 12weeks the placenta would have taken over so don't worry about stopping the progesterone. With steroids I think it depends on what you're actually taking them for as some conditions left untreated can be a threat to a fetus if our bodies/immune systems attack them instead of protecting. This is what I'm praying doesn't happen to me.

Hey, so we have been told to slowly cut the prednisone down so for three days take 5 mg less then the next three decrease by 5 mg and slowly ween off them .. how are you feeling taking the 20mg?

 

[Lana Farrell]

Hi Danielle, I felt great the first few weeks (apart from ohss) but for the last two weeks I've been really sick with flare ups of arthritis and tightening in my ribs that wakes me 2am every morning. I hate to imagine if I wasn't on any steroids at all! My clinic just said stop taking them at 12 weeks. I wonder why they haven't suggested the weaning

 

[DanielleTTC]

It's really bad just to stop it can cause more problems than needed.

 

[ttc126]

I'm tapering my progesterone after being told to quit cold turkey. It's very hard psychologically for me too!

About your steroids...From doing a lot of research, immune issues are normally resolved by the end of first tri. I have a friend with a very dangerous blood antibody that can cause fetal hydrops. She gets IVIG first 10 weeks only because after that your immune system doesn't cause issues in the same way. She has to take steps later because her antibody can cross the placenta but that's a different issue. I think you'll be ok especially as you are on a low dose and it sounds prophylactic and not like it's pinpointed to a specific immune disorder.

 

[Lana Farrell]

Thanks ladies. I've read about that too, the immune issues calming down after first trimester. I think what is read is about 75% of ladies. I'm under investigation at the moment with suspected AS/lupus, but already have rheumatoid factor. Really hoping it's neither really! I may cut down to 15mg a day for a few days at 11 weeks pregnant and taper them out. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Calcifer]

Just thought i'd update that the prednisone was stopped successfully a couple of weeks ago. I tapered from 10 to 5 to 2.5 to 0 over the course of about a week on each.

Still on progesterone and aspirin, til 12 weeks

 

[Lana Farrell]

Can I ask do you feel better now in anyway that you've successfully weaned off the prednisone?

And whilst on it did you get any bad chest/throat viruses or infections? Or high blood pressure?

 

[Calcifer]

Can I ask do you feel better now in anyway that you've successfully weaned off the prednisone?

And whilst on it did you get any bad chest/throat viruses or infections? Or high blood pressure?

Hi Lana,

Prednisone was fine when i was on it, but it caused oedema in my left foot actually when i weaned off it. It's gone down now though. In my case though the doses were tiny and very short term (over one month only), couldn't say if that's the case for someone on larger doses for longer.

I didn't get sick or get any problems with blood pressure either.

Are you experiencing problems with yours?

 

[Lana Farrell]

Oh I see. I'm on 20mg for 6 weeks now, I've reduced it to 15mg last few days. I've been really suffering with a whole array of different things. It's all started since I've been pregnant and this just so happens to coincide with starting the steroids too. It took about 2 weeks for the symptoms to get bad. I've got high blood pressure, high resting heart rate, a tightness in my ribs that wakes me every morning 2am and I'm struggling to breath, a chest infection, and just feeling not great!

 

[Calcifer]

Oh I see. I'm on 20mg for 6 weeks now, I've reduced it to 15mg last few days. I've been really suffering with a whole array of different things. It's all started since I've been pregnant and this just so happens to coincide with starting the steroids too. It took about 2 weeks for the symptoms to get bad. I've got high blood pressure, high resting heart rate, a tightness in my ribs that wakes me every morning 2am and I'm struggling to breath, a chest infection, and just feeling not great!

Are you sure those are all symptoms of steroids? They could well be, steroids are nasty things. But the high resting heart rate is something that's also linked to thyroid issues, have you had any blood tests done recently?

 

[Lana Farrell]

Thyroid is something that my doctors have not thought of. It's hard for me to suggest they test for something, they don't like 'suggestions' if you get what I mean. I have low heamoglobin and low vit d and high white blood cells amongst the rest which I can't remember. I'm starting to think more and more it's the steroids disagreeing with me. But equally I'm successfully pregnant and have been taking these the whole time. Oh it's difficult!

 

[sarah2211]

Hey ladies, I didn't think this post was initially relevant to me, but maybe it is

I have been on Prednisone and just managed to wean off but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay off it. I was on 40mg and I got down to 5mg last week. I had pneumonia and also have Lupus and I'm on Clexane injections too!

 

[sarah2211]

Danielle and Lana, have you got Lupus/APS too?

 

[Lana Farrell]

Hi sarah2211, I don't have those but I have always wondered considering all my bad health and unusual and serious things happening to me over my years. I'm seeing a private consultant this coming week which I can't really afford my hope is to have lots of tests and finally be diagnosed with something! I have RA and denegaragive disease on my spine with two discs completely herniated also. Nhs have failed me and never tested me or put 2 and 2 together. Even after an episode in icu when my body was shutting down and blood was clotting and had this freaky circular rash and told it was a 'close call' which began with a sore throat which lead to serious complications of strep.

How did you get diagnosed? What's your symptoms? I'm beginning to think that my chest infection could be pneumonia or something similar. The antibiotics I'm taking haven't done much yet. The pains I get in my lungs and ribs are awful and won't let me sleep. I struggle to breath normally and get breathless so easily. On top of the cough and feeling like death etc

 

[sarah2211]

Oh no that sounds like you've had a really rough time. RA is similar to Lupus. All those autoimmune arthritis conditions overlap lots. I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid when I was 8 and then things either got better for a few years or got worse. In my early 20s I was diagnosed with undifferentiated connective tissue disease and then that changed to Lupus a few years ago. The diagnosis was made based on blood tests (a high ANA and anti-dsDNA) plus symptoms (fatigue, rashes, joint pain and swelling, dry eyes and mouth, liver inflammation).

I don't have APS but my obstetrician seems to be overly cautious and prescribed clexane just because I have Lupus. I'm hopeful they might change their mind about me needing it at all.

I wasn't as sick as I expected with pneumonia. I had a cough and my chest was tight and I had trouble breathing but it was similar to a chest infection. It wasn't that severe and I didn't end up in hospital, so maybe that's why. I ended up with a chest, threat and ear infection after finishing the antibiotics for pneumonia so I had another course which I finished yesterday!

How many weeks are you now? I think if I had come down with all of this in the first trimester I would have wondered what the point in living was.... I hope your antibiotics kick in soon.