I'm not sure if it's even possible to find an answer to my questions... but I figured I'd try anyway.

Basically, I suffer from an as yet unidentified form of serum-negative rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment for this was salazopyrin and naprosyn, until we got started on IVF, and my FS took me off the naprosyn after first saying it was ok. As we approached winter my joint pains and ability to move got worse, so my rheumy put me back on prednisone. Only 10mg per day, but it was enough to give me relief. I started on that a couple of weeks before the FET cycle that I'm now currently pregnant from.

My rheumy isn't a fan of prednisone at all and wants me on the lowest dose possible. I was supposed to reduce the dose by increments of 2.5mg every couple of weeks until I found the right dose for me. I got down to 5mg and found it wasn't good, and gave myself a few extra days on 10mg before planning on going back to 7.5mg. Only the weather in Sydney turned mad, we had the FET and I wasn't game to mess with anything in the TWW - I stayed on 10mg.

When I hit 5 weeks I figured that things were pretty well established, I was starting to notice that what the rheumy had said about pregnancy reducing my arthritis symptoms was true, so I cut back to 7.5mg - and promptly experienced a few days of brown spotting. I didn't twig at that stage, but also didn't feel entirely comfortable on 7.5mg - dealing with the fatigue of pregnancy and the arthritis niggles was just too much! Back to 10mg...

I saw my rheumy just as I was hitting 7 weeks. He's not thrilled about me still being on 10mg, but as my weight is stable (even with being pregnant), he said he can live with me staying on that dose. He'd rather I get back to at least 7.5mg, as that is the normal and natural level in the body, apparently. He also gave me a script for 1mg prednisone tablets so I could reduce the dose in smaller increments, dispense with the cutting of tablets and generally take it a bit slower.

Sure, taking 5 tablets to get 9mg was probably as frustrating as cutting tablets in half, but I decided I'd go for it. Only my first day at 9mg of prednisone resulted in me having more brown spotting over night. I went straight back to 10mg the following morning, and don't intend to change that at all until I can consult with a doctor.

Problem: can't get in to see my GP until the 13th of July - with my rather complex medical history I'm not comfortable with seeing just anyone with regards to this. We've had our final appointment with the FS, and don't have our first OB appointment until the 23rd. Feel a bit like I'm in limbo with the FS finished and the OB not yet started, don't have another rheumy appointment for 2 months.

So... does anyone know anything about prednisone? Should this apparent link with reducing my dose and having spotting worry me? Too bad if it shouldn't, because it does, anyway! I'm supposed to be letting my rheumy know of my OB's details so they can communicate while I'm under the treatment of both, I guess the easiest solution would be to try to talk to him rather than only giving the info to the receptionist. Do you think it would be worth giving my FS/clinic a call to see if I can get answers from there?

I know it could just be a freakish coincidence... but...

BW