Carefully and slowly. If your RA remains active you may need a medication or increase in medication to replace the effect of the steroids. In rare cases, after so many years of taking steroids, the adrenal glands stop making natural steroids which are important for normal physiology. This can be assessed after you stop taking the steroids.
About Alan Matsumoto, M.D.
Part-time Faculty, Division of Rheumatology
Johns Hopkins University