Reducing Prascend dosage?

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soloequestrian

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I have two horses on Prascend now. My mare (22) was diagnosed last autumn when she got laminitis. Her initial reading was fairly low (49 I think) but not accurate because something had happened to the blood sample, so the actual value may have been higher. She didn't have any of the well known symptoms other than the (very low grade but chronic) laminitis and a slightly scruffy looking coat. My gelding was tested with the voucher and came back borderline (about 30). He has no symptoms, but my understanding of the physiology is that the medication can slow the disease fairly dramatically, so he is medicated too. His feet do seem better this spring.
So, they were both tested last week and came back as mare 15 and gelding 14. The vet was very supportive of the idea of reducing their dosage from 1 tablet per day to a half, but she was a bit clueless in other respects so don't have total faith in her opinion! I wondered if anyone else has reduced the dose and sustained a low ACTH value?
 
When my lady started on the Prascend about 4 years ago the vet did say to me once the levels were lower she could be tried on maybe half a tablet over the summer and then re test in autumn as this is when the seasonal rises happen. He's a very knowledgeable vet on EMS and Cushings and for all of us treated by him with the Cushings/EMS we all agree he's a superb vet With this topic :)
 
My TB gelding was diagnosed PPID in June 2009 after struggling with his low grade laminitis for twelve months.
To cut a long story short, I started him on a new diet a year ago now and he was doing so well after a few months I decided to try reducing his Pergolide dose.
Also after a mixup over the tablets he ended up on less than a quarter of a tablet by December last year and his ACTH levels were still coming back there abouts normal so I stopped the Pergolide early January this year.
Touch wood he has maintained the improvement (he's 25 now) and doing really well for his age.
I put his improvement mostly down to his new diet because his temperement is much calmer too. I will test him again next month and again in the autumn just to be on the safe side and am prepared to start him on the drugs again if really necessary.
 
Thanks for the replies
Class Act - did you reduce the dosage and was it successful?
Muff - why did you reintroduce the drug, and at what dosage?

Feeling a bit more confident about trying it out!
 
We never did unfortunately because she has quite severe Cushings and is a chronic laminitic but a lady on my new yard has successful reduced the doses every summer and her horse has been fine, even though its levels were very high when first diagnosed! Just keep an eye on how they are acting and test the levels autumn / spring :)
 
Thanks for the input on this, it's prompted me to get my old boy retested with a view to reducing the dose. I didn't know there could be a seasonal fluctuation. Lucky that to date he's not had laminitis, it was increase in drinking that rang the bell with me but the initial reading was very high but he now looks fab for a 25year old. Just for info, you all probably know that you can get a prescription from vet and buy much cheaper online or i asked my vet for a discount and got 15%.
 
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