Alternatively, a Medic Alert bracelet, containing diagnosis and medications taken, is essential. Steroids must never be stopped suddenly and their reduction must be carried out under strict medical supervision. At first, the reduction can be steep but flattens later. For example, a dosage of 60 mgs can be reduced quickly to 40 mgs or 20 mgs daily, but after that, reduction must be slower. Often for a patient at 10 mgs daily, reduction can be as little as 1 mg every month .
Most steroid tablets are enteric coated which irritate the stomach less.
Side effects of steroids Low doses of 7.5 mgs daily have very few side effects, especially in the short term. The two common side effects are sleep disturbances and increased appetite. Immunosuppressives These drugs help to calm the immune system down and are important as part of the management of lupus, in some patients. There are a large number of these drugs and considerable experience has been built up over the years, notably in patients with cancer. Generally, far lower doses are used in lupus.