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Should I taper hydrocortisone suppositories?

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Posted 6/25/2018 2:38 PM (GMT -5)
Hi all! I’ve recently posted about my issue with hair loss which I suspect is from hydrocortisone suppositories. I started using them in September, every day for around three weeks. I then tapered down to every fourth day (dosage for the majority of the time) and around a month ago I managed to taper down to every fifth day. I wasn’t able to get a hold of my GI yet to discuss this, but I would like to taper off the suppositories to see how I will do. (I don’t know if they are doing anything at this point, since the dosage is infrequent.) My question is – should I just stop them at once, or taper them even further (every sixth day, every seventh day, etc.)
Posted 6/25/2018 8:46 PM (GMT -5)
You can stop them at this point.

q
Posted 6/25/2018 9:01 PM (GMT -5)
If you're feeling well at every 5 days, you should be okay to stop at this point. It sounds like you already tapered smile Best of luck to you. If you're concerned about symptoms from your MRI, you may want to do them every few days for a week or two, just to ease your mind, but I think your issues are in-line with the barium you drank.
Posted 6/27/2018 8:30 AM (GMT -5)
Thank you for the replies. I still wasn't able to get a hold of my GI to ask him about this, as he is out of town. I am also hoping that if I'm at every 5 days, I should be able to stop, but I am still extremely scared. My hair loss issue continues more and more every day, so I think I'm determined to stop the hydrocortisone to see if it helps.
Posted 6/27/2018 10:21 AM (GMT -5)
The steroid supps are not the cause of your hairloss.....and please remember that a new growing hair pushes out the dormant hair.

q
Posted 6/27/2018 10:33 AM (GMT -5)
Ditto Quincy, hair loss is unlikely to be caused by a medication. Flares cause hair loss, and that might include anemia, malnutrition, low vitamin B12, B, or D as driving factors. Hair is the first thing our bodies shed when stressed and lacking minerals, and it does regrow in time once the underlying problem is resolved. Always a delayed reaction, hair loss and hair regrowth, occurring a few months after problem and resolution. Be patient, stay calm, and know it is only a temporary affect.

Stopping your meds is likely to cause you to flare again, and would not be a good idea. In fact, flaring worse would likely accelerate the hair loss.
Posted 6/27/2018 11:24 AM (GMT -5)
The thing is, I'm not sure if the hydrocrt suppository done every fifth day is doing anything beneficial for my symptoms. If I just do morning canasa and evening rowasa, and continue feeling as I do now, it would be great! I think I just have a fear of symptoms returning once I discontinue the hydrocort, that's why I've been so reluctant to stop them.
Posted 6/27/2018 11:43 AM (GMT -5)
oh gotcha. At every 5th day, it isn't doing squat. Let me take that back;I'd discontinue without hesitation. Worstcase, add them back if you worsen. Steroids do work fast for emergencies.
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