I've been ill for the past 2 weeks with a bad, chronic tracheal infection plus bronchitis. Was seeing an allergist and got ill, so he put me on antibiotics and prednisone plus cough meds. Well, I've been on pred before. However, its been going on a week now and he's said he wants to "gradually" get me off of it, and we've done this before, howeve this time he has me going from say two pills a day, up to three, to two again, to one, to none, then back up the three and so forth....

Is this normal? It wasn't last time, at least it wasn't how he did it last time and I've gained 5 lbs in 3 days. I am going to see him tomorrow and I want to mention to him the weight gain and also, this horrible aching in my joints and muscles. I've done some reading up on prednisone and it mentioned aching joints, sore muscles as a sign of an overdose and this scares me. I mean, I trust my dr but I wonder if he's read my charts from my general physician from before--as he had me on this stuff for awhile too, though not as long as a few weeks but back in May and a few months even before that I was on prednisone--same deal, bad cough and infection that wouldn't go away. Even now I think that it is lingering some. Dr wanted to keep me on the antibiotic (Avelox) however, I responded by getting diarea and cramping so he took me off after 1 week and said that the manufacturer says that 7 days should be enough on it, so we'd try that. Yet, some of my phlegm in my throat is still colored, yet thankfully not in the nose anymore. Was worried about that. I don't know but I do know I will mention my symptoms to him, but I just wonder, has anyone else had this on prednisone? I never got achy joints and such before--only bad, bad cotton mouth despite drinking my fluids.