Digestive system issues

[missmylefteye]

Does anyone have problems down under? Sorry, i couldnt resist the double entendre. But what im asking about is bowel problems. To put it plainly, my bowels seem to have lost the normal signal for proper functioning. Ugh.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

What other medication are you on besides pred? (You are still on pred aren't you?). Constipation or the runs?

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

Constipation. When i developed the papillodema two months ago now, i also felt weird neuro change in this area. Seemed like signals had stopped, been managing it with difficulty ever since. Pretty sure i dont have MS, i know this canhappen with thatterrible disease. I am still on pred, downto 30mg now.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to missmylefteye]

And what do your doctors say?

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

Hi put me on linzess seems to help, but not back to normal. Hopefully I can just use for awhile then go back to probiotic, magnesium, fiber. Dont need another med when I'm taking so ma.y already. The big gi tests set up also

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

Lots of meds. Will post list later

[Rabbit1951]

I am taking 8 mg of Prednisone and every two days need to take a laxative to keep bowels moving. I am using Laxoberon which I bought overseas. It is a tiny tablet but works brilliantly with no pain or side effects.

Hope this helps

[Hidden in reply to Rabbit1951]

Hi Rabbit,

just noticed you take a laxative. Ex nurse here worrying you will become laxative dependent which means yikes!

Try magnesium supplement it works naturally and trust me you will feel so much better. I also took laxatives until my sister turned me on to magnesium. So much for being a nurse lololo.

Hugs ☕️

Lin

[Rabbit1951 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your helpful advice Lin. Is the magnesium in tablet form or liquid. How much do I take?

Hugs

Liz 🌺

[Bethy]

Yes when I was on steroids I had lots of problems with my bowels/digestive system even though I took the tablets to protect my stomach.

[missmylefteye in reply to Bethy]

What did you take for protecting your stomach?

[Bethy in reply to Bethy]

Omeprazol

[missmylefteye in reply to Bethy]

Thx, yeah I'm taking nexium. Despite the issues with it for now

[Bethy in reply to missmylefteye]

In my opinion no medication is without side effects. I am sure that is why doctors try to get you off steroids as soon as possible.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bethy]

Which is fine - except pred is the only management option for PMR and GCA. As long as the underlying autoimmune disorder that causes the symptoms we call PMR or GCA is active we need pred. Either you take it and use it properly or you don't bother in the first place. Pred has side effects - so do all of the drugs used in, for example, rheumatoid arthritis. Pred is our DMARD.

[missmylefteye in reply to PMRpro]

I was slowly slipping away as they made me taper. Better back on 60mg, but not out of the woods yet. I still get pulsating, mostly on my left side, but some on my right also. Burning pain up in a swath around my occipitals. Still have to hold left side of my head most of the day from the pain...left temple, over my left ear. Still getting left orbit pain on and off.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to missmylefteye]

Have they not considered trying even higher? 80mg isn't unusual if it is really bad.

[Ida-June128]

The pred has the same effect on me and Tramadol makes it even worse. I have a packet of dates (and after the initial backlog was cleared with tinned prunes) I eat one before bedtime. Hope this may work for you.

[missmylefteye in reply to Ida-June128]

Tramadol big backlog problem for me too. Fyi, my brother swears by xylitol gum, says he chews it all day & helps with n & off constipation. Natural supplement too

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to missmylefteye]

"Like most sugar alcohols, xylitol has a laxative effect because sugar alcohols are not fully broken down during digestion; however, the effect varies from person to person."

You get a similar effect if you eat too many sweets with sorbitol in them...

[jayboy05]

I have have the same problem and it was worse when taking calcium tablets.

[missmylefteye in reply to jayboy05]

Me too on the Calcium.

[Hidden]

I have found that magnesium supplement helps greatly. I take it at night and right after my coffee in a.m. whalla! If you have not taken it before you can take two if you get diarrhea oops take one. Your body will let you know how much. If I skip it for a day or two I am back to major problem of constipation. It is supposed to be taken along with our calcium supplements.

Good luck

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Magnesium in the form of Epsom Salts was a staple in our grandparents cupboard for exactly that purpose...

[hopeful-1]

I also suffered from unaccustomed blockage, and had success after taking to drinking more water than the fair amount I drink normally, as it eases the transit.

However, I think a further major factor in success was starting to take magnesium supplement, first in a combination supplement tablet, then on it's own.

I did this for a number of reasons.

I had been having migraines much more frequently, plus some stubborn cramps, and various other things.

Looking into the subject, magnesium plays a major part in a whole load of functions within the body.

As Pred causes more magnesium to be excreted from the body, and a higher calcium intake takes a heavier toll on the available magnesium, there is a double whammy effect on what magnesium is in the body, so I thought I'd try to even up the balance.

Contrary to calcium's debit effect on magnesium, magnesium actually enhances the effect of calcium, so redressing the balance and then some.

As the form of magnesium I'm taking is a supplement form rather than the unblocking form like in Epsom Salts, it doesn't have the same dramatic effect.

The form I was taking originally was magnesium oxide, which is in the majority of UK supplements, and then I switched to magnesium citrate, which is several times more effective in the absorbtion/retention/utiliisation of the mineral.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to hopeful-1]

The "unblocking" effect is only due to the amount you have taken - take a few supplement tablets and it is quite capable of inducing a good effect! The magnesium attracts water into the gut - to counteract the water-removal process that occurs as waste moves through the gut which is what results in you getting "bunged up".

[missmylefteye in reply to hopeful-1]

I used to have to take mag citrate until a few months ago since other mags gave me the runs. Now I can take 1000mg of the stearate, & don't even feel it. Strange.

[missmylefteye in reply to missmylefteye]

Magnesium oxide, that is. Mag stearate just some lesser ingredient in tablet.

[missmylefteye in reply to hopeful-1]

Right with you on this. I used same strategy for years, but then everything changed same time as my vision loss. I had chronic migraine most of my life, and muscle cramping. I think magnesium is the wonder supplement. Gi has me on linzess right now, seems good, but I would rather go probiotic, magnesium, fiber route when things settle down.