The dose of Pred isn't the only issue. Some people cannot even handle 5 mg. of it. It depends so much on metabolic issues and whether someone is sensitive to drugs.

Beyond all of the side effects, what is truly the most important thing to think about with Pred is how quickly your adrenal glands "shut off" and how hard it is while withdrawing from Pred to get them to kick back in! Why would the adrenals need to work when Pred is doing their job for them? Even at a very small dose, you still do get long-term side effects.

And like any drug, you can have "rebound" effects when you go off. MG can become worse while withdrawing or when you do get off of it.

In case you don't know, when an MGer has an exacerbation or crisis, IV Solu-Medrol is often given in a hospital and then followed by a low dose of Pred, fairly quickly followed by a withdrawal timetable.

MG can also temporarily get worse on Pred before it gets better. I didn't think it was working too well after my crisis but within 2 weeks, my face looked like I'd had a facelift. It still took another two weeks before I could get out of bed to make ONE meal. During my crisis, even my nose was drooping. I can't even stand to look at the photos I took from then!

If Pred were so easy to take, there wouldn't be all of those books out there telling you how to live well while on it. The tendency is to think that "It won't happen to me" when looking at all of the potential side effects of any treatment. If you talk to people who've been on any drugs, you'll know that's not true.

Good luck with whatever treatments you do, Steph.