Have lupus.struggling with prednisone taper below 5mg (fog,muscle aches,stiff).adrenal fxn normal.rheummd referred me to endo to help w/ taper.common?

Prednisone taper: Prednisone tapering can be complex and difficult, particularly with autoimmune disease. Success depends upon how long you have been taking prednisone and how fast the taper is. If taking prednisone for 3 months or more, pituitary adrenal suppression is established. More than 6 months, very difficult. A program that works is every other day tapering, over several weeks. Adrenal wake up takes months

Prednisone: If it's necessary to stay on 5 mgs of prednisone daily to suppress your lupus activity, this is considered a mild dose with little adverse side effects. However the least amount of prednisone needed, the better. In view of your lupus, I feel that the rheumatologist is better qualified to determine the proper prednisone dose to minimize the lupus activity and damage.