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Home / Ask the Expert / RA and Prednisone

RA and Prednisone

April 5, 2007 By Arthritis Center

Question

This is my third time trying to tapper off the Prednisone and this time I am also on Methotrexate. I am reducing the Prednisone and increasing the Methotrexate at the same time. This time the pain and the swelling did not return but my joints are more tender. Could this tenderness get worse or hopefully better the more I reduce the Prednisone?

Answer

The tenderness is likely a milder version of your RA pain that is returning with the taper of prednisone. You may want to be careful not to taper prednisone too rapidly before the MTX is titrated to the right level.

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