Gastric troubles

[Thelmarina]

Hi, I’ve been on Pred since June 2017, currently on 10mgs. I’ve had three very violent gastric attacks this year, two landing me in hospital for overnight hydration etc. Released the next morning wan but back in the land of the living. My GP and I are looking into underlying causes in case these attacks are nothing to do with the steroids or their side effects or my suppressed immune system. In all other areas I’m pretty fit. However, I did wonder if any of you have experienced the same thing? Would Omeprazole help although I am very reluctant to add to drugs and have so far relied on yoghurt. I’d be so grateful for some input on this as the attacks are very sudden and just plain nasty. The last one was like dysentery and I have never never had anything like it 😱😱😱. At least no vomiting or high temp 😀. Rarely I get a clutchy pain and my heart sinks as I think it’s going to happen again but it doesn’t....and a bit of indigestion but also extremely rare. Thanks for going through this!

[jaycee444]

Are you talking of pain in your stomach - ie gastric - or colicky pain in your intestines and resultant diarrhoea? . Think Omeprazole would only help with the former. Yoghurt has been fine for me but if its gastric pain you could otherwise ask for Enteric coated Prednisolone. As you say you have been hospitalised with dehydration it seems that diarrhoea has been the main problem?

[Thelmarina in reply to jaycee444]

Actually I ran a high temp 40 degrees on the hospital occasions, and did both! Enteric coated might be a good idea - thanks. And for the info about Omeprazole.

[HeronNS]

You may find plain kefir will be more helpful than yoghurt, although don't stop eating yoghurt. Kefir contains many more strains of helpful bacteria than yoghurt and should help improve your gut health. A variety of fermented foods is always a good idea, but start with very small amounts if you aren't used to them. There's also a chance you've developed a sensitivity to certain foods.

[piglette]

I think it is very sensible of your GP to see if it is something else rather than the fault of the steroids. It does sound unusual for steroids to cause it, we blame everything on steroids!

[Hidden]

I presume they have done all the necessary samples? I started with a gastric issue at the end of May which shows sign of settlling recently as long as I stay away from dairy. So I just get mild cramps instead of gut wrenching ones. Dr prescribed buscopan and sample sent off. There was some colitis type inflammation so I have been referred to gastro. I hope you get it sorted I can sympathise with that heart sinking feeling.

[Thelmarina in reply to Hidden]

That’s all very interesting - thanks. We’re starting with blood tests. I do have one of those elegant annual poo tests and that was ok earlier in the year. We’ll probably get onto samples. I have wondered about dairy so may experiment with that. It’s a bit like Brexit - struggle to deal with the fall- out of a self imposed problem 😀(if it is the steroids that is)

[jinasc]

If you do decide to go down the PPI route, please forget Omeprazole one of the side effects is that it can cause aches and pains. The last thing you want.

The oldest one Zantac, no called Ranitidine seems to suit more people.

You could also try this...........one lemon, unwaxed, microwave 1 minutes, divide by three and add a small amount of water and drink about one hour before meals. It can stop acid reflux......which can sometimes be silent.

BTW Is the Yoghurt you are using a plain one and not low fat?

I do hope this can be sorted out for you.

[Thelmarina]

Thanks Jinasc - I use full fat Natural or Greek probiotic yoghurts- and thanks for the lemon tip 😀

[Hildalew in reply to Thelmarina]

This may be of no use at all, but if you do withdraw from cow's milk dairy and something is resolved, but you'd still like to get back to all those friendly bacteria, I suggest you give goat's milk yoghurt and cheese a whirl. (and/or sheep's milk cheese. My intolerance to cow's milk yoghurt and, I think, cheese shows itself in mouth ulcers not, as far as I know, in any other way.

[Thelmarina in reply to Hildalew]

Thanks so much. I’m willing to try almost anything!

[Carrollee in reply to Thelmarina]

Hi Thelmarina. I also try to keep away from too much cows dairy and I don’t enjoy goats products so I use Woodlands organic sheep milk yoghurt from Waitrose. Comes in 450g tub. Also there’s a wide variety of sheep’s milk cheese. All the best cc 🤗

[KellyInTexas]

Good morning Thelmarina,

I’m going to ask you a few questions from an auto immune and neuro auto immune stand point only because, traditionally speaking in the connective tissue would, auto immune diseases like play mates.

I’m not sure how it works with the particular form of auto immune arthritis you have, if that’s the case or not, so we will depend on the astute admins and well seasoned folks on here to lend expertise.

Personal disclaimer: 😊-I do not have your form of progressive autoimmune arthritis , or GCA, but I have A very high Rheumatoid Factor, and some form of Vasculitis, and it’s all auto immune and I’m on high dose steroids for the moment learning all about it- so your group has kindly granted me the grace of joining here while I learn about steroids.

My two thoughts about you from an auto immune lens: in absence of any positive tests for positive dairy intolerance, mechanical obstruction, Endoscopy biopsies, etc, then query dysautonomia of some kind.

It’s also possible you have an actual mechanical ileus that’s very hard to detect: not straight forward. ( example: meso enteric congestion of the bowels. Plain English: tiny little sludging problems of the blood, being a little too thick and not flowing well to the bowels. This causes abdominal angina and can cause ileus in some cases- it will resolve on its own- it’s not a kink in the bowel or a large clot in an artery.)

Do you remember during your exams, during your nausea , if there was mention of an absence of bowel sounds, or... too high pitched or ,”sing song” sounds?

This would indicate the bowels were in ileus.

I have BOTH of these condition in my bowels. I have dysautonomia and clotting. I have larger DVT’s in limbs, but subtle, tiny clots, and micro clots to organs such as heart and bowels.

I used to wind up in surgery quite often. Scans would show the ileus. It took a while to work out what was happening. Now I’m anti coagulated and it’s all fine with my tummy.

[Thelmarina in reply to KellyInTexas]

Thank you Kelly - fascinating. I’ll take it on board

[PMRpro Ambassador]

When do these episodes happen? I used to have something similar - and the assumption on the part of the immunologist became it was an allergic reaction to something in food as it was a typical pattern. If I woke/wake with a similar feeling and immediately take antihistamines it will stop it in its tracks. It seemed to be associated with having drunk red wine in the evening before, it never happened with white wines and red wines I know I have never reacted to. It was most peculiar! And exceedingly unpleasant - especially if it happened away from home.

[KellyInTexas in reply to PMRpro]

Mast cells destabilizing is what causes this. You have a very good doctor. Patient with lupus / APS are very prone to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. I have a specialist in this that trained under Professor Hughes in London at the Lupus Centre. She Dr Jill Schofield, and she is now in Denver Colorado. My doctor in Texas sent me to her last week for a consultation.

PM me for more information, I’ll give you references for a book, website on specific histimine high foods to avoid if you’d like.

[Thelmarina]

That’s interesting. So far I put it down to suppressed immune system = vulnerability to infection, hence over- reaction. I must admit I have been thinking about diet and what’s not helping. And my niece, who has all sorts of gastric problems has been helped by anti histamines. Hm. Food for thought!