Is It always necessary to take omprazamol with preds or is there an alternative on lower doses

[JOHNONE28]

[Suzylee]

I can only tell you that my doctor gave me omp. because I am bothered with reflux I go back in a fortnight so all I can say is that they are helping so far 20mg twice a day

[iforget]

It is a preventative med because pred is known to cause GI problems. Is there a particular reason you are concerned about taking it?

[JOHNONE28]

Yes i am now om 71/2 mg of pred & also take omprazamole but my stomache seems to generally achey & unsettled ( nothing to serious) i am thinking it may be due to the omprazamole

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to JOHNONE28]

Omeprazole and Lansoprazole both caused almost immediate unwanted side effects for me and my rheumatologist took me off it. I decided to eat a 'live' yoghurt each morning with my breakfast before taking the steroids which seemed to do the job of lining my stomach because I never had any further problems in spite of a high steroid starting dose (40mgs).

As you are currently down to 7.5 of Pred you are approaching what is considered a fairly 'safe dose' (ie very few side effects, if any) so provided you haven't suffered any stomach/esophagus problems in the past, then perhaps you could try going without the Omeprazole, eat a 'live' yoghurt each morning and see if your stomach problem settles. If it doesn't, you can always return to the Omeprazole or ask your GP if he can recommend an alternative. Good luck.

[Annodomini]

Omeprazole should settle your stomach. I've been taking it for reflux problems since long before I had PMR. and it has never caused problems for me. But everyone is different. Your doctor may have a solution. I also take Gaviscon Advance which you might find helpful.

[polkadotcom]

I am unable to take Omezaprole but have been fine on Lansoprazole for many years. There is a difference between the two - I researched it many years ago, but can't now remember exactly what it was. It might be worth asking for a swap.

[Polywotsit PMRGCAuk team member]

Dear John

Not everybody needs a drug to protect them against gastritis by any means. I for one didn't need one. The use of 'enteric-coated' steroid tablets was terminated by NICE in the UK because there simply wasn't the evidence base that they protected people from gastric disturbance. So unless you have a particular tendency towards gastric trouble, or have had an ulcer, you may be able to get away with not having anything else. If you should want to take steps to protect your stomach lining, you may find that drinking green tea and avoiding alcohol do the trick.