Pred and stomach problems

[Snookerball]

Hi has anyone like me suffered stomach aches and pains through taking pred. I had the camera in my stomach yesterday and he said it was more than likely pred related. Although there was two spots that needed a biopsy.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Were you given a PPI or ranitidine at the same time as you were prescribed the pred? Many doctors do so "just in case" because pred can irritate the stomach lining and cause problems. On the other hand - many of us have no problems at all just by always taking it with food or yoghurt.

[Snookerball in reply to PMRpro]

I did take a stomach protecting tablet but it didn't work.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Snookerball]

It is possible to manage PMR and GCA using methyl prednisolone depot injections - if the stomach problems are severe you could perhaps ask your rheumatologist about that. It is mentioned in the 2015 Recommendations for managing PMR.

rheumatology.org/Portals/0/...

Recommendation 5

[ClarkB in reply to PMRpro]

I have been given Lansoprazole, but get more pain in my ‘belly’ than my stomach. (I was always useless at anatomy due to being squeamish. Still unsure as to where it is.) I had diverticulitis and wonder if this, or the steroids are affecting me, hence the pains. My doctor recommended Lansoprazole, not the Rheumatologist, who just put me on steroids. I wonder if food would be sufficient. It’s always more difficult when you have more than one medical condition!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to ClarkB]

If by belly you mean your abdomen below your waist - it could even be the lansoprazole causing the problem. PPIs can cause bloating, wind and diarrhoea - or degrees thereof.

It might be worth trying ranitidine to see if that helps at all.

[ClarkB in reply to PMRpro]

Thankyou! Will ask the doctor or more likely the Pharmacist, as I won’t have to wait for an appointment. Had bloating before with diverticulitis, I think, and I bloat when eating pulses, soya products, cheese and wheat but now almost permanently.

[Chihuahua1 in reply to ClarkB]

I have diverticulae as well as hiatus and umblical hernias. I was on esomeprazole because none of the others controlled it all. The doctor decided it was too expensive and swapped me to the cheaper omeprazole. I started getting very severe stomach pains with it so rather than changing me again he DOUBLED the dose. Strangely enough it worked!By the time they started me on pred for the first time my stomach was well under control and the pred made no difference to it at all. Ranatidine never did it for me but that was because of all the extra issues and my weight not helping.

I hope you get it sorted sooner rather than later and don't be shy about reminding the doctor about the diverticulae, which are still there even when not having a flare of the diverticulitis

[ClarkB in reply to Chihuahua1]

I am not overly bothered by the pain, as it is in occasional short bursts, and in the abdomen rather than the stomach. It’s more the constant bloating, and the weakness I had when having diverticulitis flare ups. Before PMR, I hadn’t really suffered from them in a long time, which I put down to taking Symprove daily. I take 15mg of Lansoprazole, and hadn’t thought there was an alternative which wouldn’t create its own problems. Knowing what are side effects and what is due to the conditions themselves is so mind boggling! All so complicated. It’s like being at college and starting from scratch to learn about and absorb all the medical information!

[SnazzyD]

Hello, my stomach was in so much trouble when I started Pred. Nothing seemed to help so I went onto Coated Pred with Gaviscon at bedtime and that was ok. Still tended towards a bit of indigestion until I got to about 10mg. You don’t need a very big area of stomach to be unhappy to cause pains. Hope the biopsy turns out ok.

[Snookerball in reply to SnazzyD]

Iam on coated pred have been for 5 months out of the 9 months of taking them.may give your method a try and see he that goes whilst waiting for results

[SnazzyD in reply to Snookerball]

What stomach protector did you try?

[Snookerball in reply to SnazzyD]

Iam on lanzoprazole 30 mil

[SnazzyD in reply to Snookerball]

I found that and it’s friends in the PPI group really upset me after a few days mad appeared to make the problem worse. You could try Ranitidine which is a different class of drug.

[piglette in reply to Snookerball]

Out of interest I was reading the BMJ today and they were saying you should not leave Lanzaprozol lying around in the light and it must be in an airtight container. The article was on people setting up their tablets in those box things, so in the original container is fine. Interesting though. They were also saying there were some tablets that should not be left out if their original packaging.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

I think there are several such drugs - my anticoagulant doesn't like humidity and MUST be kept in its aluminium foil packaging until taken. It is big and requires careful folding to load it into the dosette box! No-one sells one that is big enough for me to set out more than tomorrow's medication,

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

I was quite surprised the list they had. I suppose you think you should not leave drugs out of their packaging for any length of time as common sense, but I would not have thought of sunlight, possibly humidity might have entered my head. I actually just pile the majority on the table in its original packaging and then dump it back in a bowl when taken. I have various packs over the house depending when it should be taken. I have a rather complicated system if you have to take things more than once a day. It is the nerd in me.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

It's bad enough fitting them all in at the right time - but whether they can be taken out of their packaging or not makes it a real minefield!

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

I think it is laziness in my case, sitting down and taking them out of their packaging and putting them into more containers just does not appeal. The really difficult ones are those that you must not take within x hours of a meal I find. Also not taking some at the same time as others. No wonder there is such a problem with drug taking, so many people must get it wrong even if the pharmacist packs it for them. It also seems a lot of people just do not take the ones they do not like according to this article, I assume because of side effects or perhaps not!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Compliance was ever a major problem - in all sorts of ways.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

I always keep all medications and supplements in a cupboard or closed basket, out of the light and hopefully not too humid, although with this weather..... PS I do love my heat pump!

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

When you say you can't get one big enough for more than tomorrows medication, do you mean you can only get a 2 day box?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Telian]

No - a one day box with 4 large enough compartments. I suppose there might be one with a set of 7 of them - but that seems a bit pointless!! All medications are in a 1 litre ziplock bag (a la airport security), all except the Pradaxa are in original packs but the Pradaxa box for 1 month is enormous (would need at least a 2l bag!) so enough for a week is put into the ziplock bag in a small bag together with the data sheet.

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

I do use 2 x 7 day ones for OH, and make the two weeks supply at a time, my choice, he has the majority of his pre-packed by pharmacy but again some are not suitable for that packaging plus there isn't enough room for all his meds in those. I do similar to you though when travelling and for airport security, couldn't deal with being questioned, they have all the answers in front of them that way... For me I keep them all in the original blister pack in a plastic box with lid and take them out each morning, mine are far easier to do after sorting OH out. I've bought all size boxes over time but as you say it's what suits.

The reason I asked was thinking you couldn't get anything else over there as we have dozens to choose from here - sounds like you've got your system anyway.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Telian]

I've always put my drugs in a ziplock bag for airport security and chucked them in with the liquids bag - this last trip was the first time I saw the instructions to do so at security.

With that 1 day at a time isn't a problem - I sit on the bed, take the 10pm lot and fill tomorrow's doses at the same time. If we are to be away from the house even for a short time I carry the day-box in my handbag and if we go away overnight the ziplock bag goes in the bag. And I check about 10 times! Not that I'm OCD or anything...

[Telian in reply to PMRpro]

It's true we don't always notice the subtle changes at airports as we've always done it right anyway!

I understand the 10 times but and I'm not OCD either, put it this way I never was! Perhaps it crept up on us....

[ClarkB in reply to piglette]

I have to put mine in weekly boxes, or I wouldn’t remember which I’d taken. I put the Lansoprazole in a dish by my bed to take first thing. It never occurred to me that they are temperamental!

[Telian in reply to ClarkB]

You can ask your Pharmacist if that's okay.

[piglette in reply to ClarkB]

It was a bit of a surprise to me too!

[sondya]

I was prescribed Omeprazole to reduce acid buildup in the stomach. Never had any problems.

[Telian in reply to sondya]

Me neither sondya....

[AndrewT]

Dear Snookerball,

Just a thought but, for some years, I was put on 'Enteric Coated' Prednisolone tablets. The Coating apparently 'helps' stop indigestion, and general 'Tummy Problems'. I am also on Omeprazole, to stop any Drug Interactions.

I hope that this is helpful.

AndrewT

[Snookerball in reply to AndrewT]

Yes Andrew I done omprazole and doctor put me on a stronger one after telling him about my stomach condition. Just waiting for biopsy result although the camera says it' is more than likely down to pred

Thanks

[AndrewT in reply to Snookerball]

I've never had a camera, into my stomach, sounds unpleasant. However I have had one, up my bum and, would you believe one up my Penis- actually true. (I had a Kidney Transplant, in July 2013, and about a year later my Doctor wanted the Inside, of my bladder, checked.)

I hope all goes well, for you.

AndrewT

[AussiePolyDee]

Hi Snookerball,

I am Coeliac as well as Pmr (etc!) and regularly have the 'endoscopies' to ensure all ok.from Coeliac perspective. But in June had such low Iron stores had to go for Iron Infusion.

Also ..... the gastroscopy and colonoscopy showed Adenomas, which were removed, and thought to be causing the prob. but still Iron stores going south..... then was sent for 'Capsule' endoscopy which showed high part of small intestine totally ulcerated despite me being on Lansoprazole for last 8 years with Pred.

And, as my friends will confirm.... I ALWAYS have food in my tummy esp. when taking the Pred each day. Now I did have abdo discomfort etc. but was still shocked with this result in June.

My Endocrinologist said there is a section hard to 'see' with the gastroscope etc. and that's why the Capsule endoscopy.

Same prep. as the other, but you swallow a large capsule that contains a camera, battery and transmitter. You just wear a monitor (like the ones for heart/bp tests) and the results are downloaded (had on from 9am to 5pm)

If your probs. continue ask about this, I had absolutely no idea this was happening apart from the fact I was deadly tired all the time and just put it down to being a bit of a chubby chops and not very active.

this has taught me to keep asking more questions if I don't feel 'right'!

Hope you are feeling a bit better now. xD

[Snookerball in reply to AussiePolyDee]

Hi polly dee I just had the jelly on my stomach today looking further into the causes. Waiting for the specialst to see the results now.will update when I get them.

Thanks

[AussiePolyDee]

Not Endocrinologist..... Gastroenterologist!!! Silly me, my grandson has T1D and has just been to Endo. for his Insulin pump!! (getting old!!)