How many don't take Prednisone when encountering a flare?

Hey Guys,

I've been in a flare since October and having a hard time coming out of it. I've been doing the Pred yoyo where I'll start relatively high and then try and cut down and then have to go higher then I was initially. I just went back to 40mg and also doing the steroid enemas at night. I have a flex-sig this Friday to see whats going on.

I'm currently taking Entyvio, which worked great for a little over a year. My Doctor (And I) didn't keep up on checking the medication levels in my blood and when I started flaring, we finally checked them. Come to find out that my levels were 11.8 and they're supposed to be maintained around 15, or higher. So they moved my infusions to every 4 weeks to try and get my levels back up. I think I'm having my 3rd infusion next week since this began.

In the meantime, I've been on Prednisone the whole time and I hate it, but there's nothing else I can take that will allow me to function through out the day. I'm a Father of three small children and my wife stays home with them. I own and manage 2 businesses. The stress and pressure sometimes is unbearable, especially when I can barely get out of bed. I'm 38, and concerned the Pred is going to really mess me up down the road, but I don't think I really have any other option when I begin to flare.

Any thoughts on taking Pred, because there is no other option?? Obviously the quicker you get off the better, and I take Vitamin D3 supplement every day to try and offset osteoporosis.

Thank you in advance for your comments.

Never took it and never will.

Like you I could not function with the symptoms I experienced without it. I was on it for 2 years while trying different medications and now have osteoporosis. "Never" is a strong word, but I would only use it again in a medical emergency. Otherwise I would go for surgery.

For those who don't take pred, what helped you out of flares?
I have a feeling my dr will lean that way for this one too once I hear back and I hate the thought

I took Uceris, lialda (4 a day) and a rectal med (don't remember which one) and another medication that I don't remember. I'm sorry, my last flare was years ago.

I try hard not to have to use pred, but nothing else works when I get a bad flare. Last time I waited until I was in pretty bad shape before I asked for it. I shouldn't have waited as long as I did. Pred is one of those drugs that is a miracle and hell at the same time. Wish someone could develop something that works as well without all the bad stuff it does. That pharma would reap profits they can't even dream about lol

I tried budesonide (cortiment) before prednisone. It's a much weaker steroid and it did nothing for me...