Worried

[Angela123]

I can't believe I did this but this morning I forgot to take my prednisolone. Am down to 5mgs now after nine months. This morning I was a bit distracted and only just remembered. Wondering if I'll be OK till I get home around 5pm. Angela

[iforget]

I forgot to take mine once... I started hurting later in the day and when I got home and saw my pred laid out on the coffee table I realised what had happened. It was too late for me to take them by then so I waited until my usual dose next day. I was sore and achy for two days but then all was fine again.

If you do find it does cause you problems then it might be an idea to carry a dose with you in case this happens again.

[Angela123 in reply to iforget]

Thank you so much for your quick reply. This is definitely a lesson learnt for me and I will carry some spares in my bag from now on. I think I'm more shocked at myself for forgetting than anything else, but it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one and hopefully will get by without too much damage. Thanks again. Angela.

[polkadotcom in reply to Angela123]

Believe it or not I've done this twice recently. Mornings tend to be a bit brain foggy round here and I have scads of pills to take first thing - not surprising some get muddled and/or omitted (I've done it the other way and taken 2 lots of Pred, too).

However, as iforget says, it really is advisable to carry a spare of all the long-term pills with you and most patients with GCA are instructed to carry a loading dose of 40 - 60mg at all times as symptoms can develop a long way from home. I have also found it hard to get through to emergency medical staff that I am a long term steroid user even though I wear a medical ID which says so!

Buy a nice little pill box and keep it in your handbag.

[Angela123 in reply to polkadotcom]

Many thanks. I've just been thinking about a pill box and definitely going to never leave home without emergency supplies in future. I'm so used to organising all my Mum's pills and now I'm forgetting my own! Angela.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

We've all done it at some point! The worst that will happen is you might feel a bit stiff. Stopping pred suddenly is risky - but that doesn't mean just one day, it means for a longer period of time. And you are at a fairly low dose now so that also helps. I used to take my pred as a double dose on alternate days - the 48 hours between doses never posed a problem. It is a recognised way of reducing side effects in some illnesses where pred is taken long term - it can work in PMR but isn't reliable and should never be tried in GCA.

[Angela123 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRPro. I seem to be OK despite my mistake. Just a bit more in the way of aches this morning. I wasn't sure what would happen but glad to know one day is not a major issue especially at a low dose. I paid more attention to my pred this morning and have some in my bag now.!

[Angela123 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRPro. I seem to be OK despite my mistake. Just a bit more in the way of aches this morning. I wasn't sure what would happen but glad to know one day is not a major issue especially at a low dose. I paid more attention to my pred this morning and have some in my bag now.!

[Angela123 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRPro. I seem to be OK despite my mistake. Just a bit more in the way of aches this morning. I wasn't sure what would happen but glad to know one day is not a major issue especially at a low dose. I paid more attention to my pred this morning and have some in my bag now.!

[piglette]

I forgot mine at 20mg I was rushing off to do something else and did not realise until the evening when I really started to hurt, I swore I would never do it again. So a few weeks later I did it again, but I think I have now learnt!!!

[Angela123 in reply to piglette]

Thanks Piglette. Glad to know I'm not the only one. I'm on my way to work now having taken my pred with breakfast and putting an emergency supply in my handbag because as you say, it will probably happen again at some point as we are all on this long-term! Angela.

[optimist-ok]

I don't know if this will help but as I have to take medication 6 times a day & 7 times once a week I have a small note book & write down each day's meds when I get up. As I take each one I write the time beside it! Its easy to keep track that way.

[Angela123 in reply to optimist-ok]

Thanks Optimist. That's a great idea. I have a few tablets which are once a week, others are daily a.m or p.m. Some before meals and some after food. My calcium & vitamin D needs to be taken without having tea, pulses or chocolate within 4 hours of each other, either way, so that one's a nightmare. I can see a little notepad coming shortly! Angela.

[Angela123 in reply to optimist-ok]

Thanks Optimist. That's a great idea. I have a few tablets which are once a week, others are daily a.m or p.m. Some before meals and some after food. My calcium & vitamin D needs to be taken without having tea, pulses or chocolate within 4 hours of each other, either way, so that one's a nightmare. I can see a little notepad coming shortly! Angela.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Angela123]

Angela - WHY is it so complex to take calcium tabs? It should be taken with a small amount of fat, like in the milk in a cup of tea, to transport the vit D and it shouldn't be taken too close to your pred as they interfere with one another. But in all the research I did originally to answer questions about taking tablets together I NEVER came across tea, chocolate or peas as a no-no! It seems to have worked for me for the last 5 years - no change in bone density worth talking about at least.

[Angela123]

I don't know either. I take Calceos chewable tablets. Two to be taken after my evening meal. It's the leaflet that says that tea chocolate and pulses interfere with the absorption of vitamin D and not to have these within 2 hours of the Calceos. So I have to go without these for 4 hours. I hate it but I do it just to be sure. I love pulses and suffer tea withdrawal symptoms until it's safe.