Bloated

[rose1962]

Hello All,

I came off Pred at the beginning of the year after weaning my self off gradually. however, after 4 months my symptoms started to re-appear. so I'm now back on 5mls pred, plus 20mg of omeprazole daily. what I noticed when i stopped taking the pills, is this layer of extra flesh around my middle disappeared, but is now back.I feel bloated, full of gas and water! I have gained that extra 2lbs which I had previously, but I am not eating any extra. Has anyone else experienced this and if so how can I alleviate the problem?

Many thanks.

[SnazzyD]

Hello. I hope the 5mg does the trick. Omeprazole definitely gave me a bloated intestine which went when I stopped it. You may also be very sensitive to Pred and therefore it’s sodium retentive properties, so try cutting down salt drastically at first to see if it helps.

[rose1962 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you for your reply. I don't have a lot of salt in my diet anyway, but i'll try taking my pred in the evening with my main meal and cut out the omeprazole . thanks

[SnazzyD in reply to rose1962]

If you’ve been on it for more than a few days, you need to reduce it slowly to avoid rebound acidity.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to rose1962]

Do you not eat breakfast? Careful with taking it late in the day - it MAY (not necessarily) keep you awake which is part of why they say to take it in the mornings.

[rose1962 in reply to PMRpro]

Okay, I'll do as you suggest, many thanks.

[Nancydk in reply to PMRpro]

It depends on the type of prednisone. For example the way that Rayos works best is to take it at night.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nancydk]

That is because it is designed to be taken at night, at 10pm within 3 hours of a meal or with a substantial snack which creates the correct conditions in the stomach for the coating to break down 4 hours later, at 2am, the optimum time to take plain uncoated pred to minimise morning stiffness. The outer coating breaks, releasing the entire dose at once, in the stomach, in the same way as if you had woken up and taken ordinary pred.

There isn't any point taking Rayos/Lodotra for any other reason. There is no stomach protective effect so taking pred any other time of day might as well be the cheap stuff! But I know people who do.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

After trying with Snazzy's suggestions - if that doesn't work try cutting carbs. Had you done that while on pred? I have to say - at 5mg pred I'd prefer to try taking pred in the middle of a meal or with plain unsweetened yoghurt (or both) - the omeprazole seems a bit OTT to me.

[SnazzyD in reply to PMRpro]

Yes, I certainly wasn’t out of the low carb needed range at 5mg.

[kbd1968]

The bloating may be helped with antacids(tums?)You can have all you need/ they are full of calcium.... and Metamucil or store brand..has helped me with this plus, I've been "regular to a fault" I am a nurse and we call prednisone a "necessary evil" I was on 80mg a day for a year due to an auto immune disorder called ITP. My spleen was chewing up my red blood cells/platelets. I was actually bleeding to death. Fine now, off the pred. It will/can keep you up(not sure about such a low dose). But I would take it with a full breakfast Ask your Doc. ..I'm so sorry you have to be on it. Watch your blood sugar....Pred is insulin sparing....I ended up getting diabetes because of it...again, check with your doc.

[Nancydk]

Wow really? Prednisone can cause diabetes?? I wonder if even the low doses would since those with PMR respond so intensely.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nancydk]

Pred causes the liver to release random spikes of glucose from the liver - and it can tip you over the edge into steroid-induced diabetes when added to the glucose spikes from meals. This risk can be reduced by cutting carbs as much as you can when taking pred. Quite a few on the forum have got to the diabetes level of Hba1c when on pred and by cutting carbs have got their Hba1c level back to normal levels. My Hba1c level is never raised even when I'm on 15mg pred - because I eat few carbs. It also has the errect of helping avoid the weight gain that is so common when on pred.