Hi Karen,
I am concerned that your disappointment may be clouding your thinking on this. I really agree with Steve and Janet. A Pred taper is no small med to mess around with, in absence of a diagnosis and serious pain.
In my 29 yrs with AS I have never been on steroids, not because it wasn't warranted but because of a time when my doc tossed me in hospital when my AS was massively out of control and he felt employing steroids was the only fast and aggressive enough strategy that could possibly help. And by massively out of control, I mean I couldn't walk (or crawl as it turned out), from my livingroom to kitchen about 15 ft away. I only made it half way. Plus, I'd had a bone scan result that shook my Rheumy into action.
A bad reaction (something to do with my liver or kidneys, I can't recall it was so long ago now) ... showed up in my bloodwork and was scary enough that my doc yanked me back off it! He 'rechallenged' me with another dose but the problem didn't repeat. Still, it was concerning enough to him that he's never given me steroids since that time. Now, if I ever suffer an infusion reaction they will give me steroids and we'll have to hope I don't suffer any consequences but that's a chance I'm prepared to take.
I fear the abuse of steroids by sports figures has given folks a dangerously false sense that these meds are not such a big deal but they are. They come with very real risks that should be weighed against a clear expectation of benefit.
Steroids are not prescribed for fragility, but for severe uncontrolled inflammatory pain... and surely not as a preventative measure.
I do not know what you're dealing with Karen, and wish I had the knowledge to help you figure it out... but I would be careful of what you ask for, you know the saying?
Hugs,
mig
