I’ve been tapering slowly and was stable at 11mg. I seem to have a slight tummy upset , maybe something I ate ? Would this cause the Pred to work less well? I’ve upped to 12mg this last couple of days but still lots of aches and pains in shoulders, back and legs.
Your thoughts would be welcome please
Hi,
Tummy upset might mean you’re not getting full benefit from meds - depends how much is absorbed before the inevitable happens.
If you’re having issues after food, perhaps you could take Pred with yogurt (if you can) at different times....maybe splitting into 2or 3 doses ..just to ensure you get some.
Are you taking anything for tummy?
Hopefully will soo be better - and then maybe up your dose for a few days.
Thanks for your thoughts.I do split the dose as I find it suits me best. Not taking anything for tummy upset as I prefer nature to clear out whatever has been causing the upset.
I also have diverticular disease so don’t like to cause any obstruction by taking Imodium or similar. Life’s never simple is it ? 😊
Hi,
No, life’s never simple! Hope it soon gets back on a more even keel.🌸
I have diverticula disease and when my tum shows symptoms I go for a low fibre diet for a couple of days - white bread, bananas, eggs and so on. It seems to give my system the rest it needs. Here’s a link healthline.com/health/low-f...
You are not on your own! 😀
Thank you. I’ve tried all sorts of strategies but the research on gut health indicates we still understand very little on how best to manage “problems”. I also had a gall bladder removal op. a few years back which went badly wrong and nearly finished me off ! This caused me “issues” which still echo on now. As I said to “Dorset Lady” , life is never simple 🤷♀️
Yes that and being poorly will do it. Maybe try an extra 5 mgs for a week to cover all bases and then go straight back down to 11 mgs. Get well soon!
Thank you
It sounds more as if the stress of being unwell is causing a flare. It is unlikely you aren't absorbing the pred unless you are vomiting or you use enteric coated pred - then an upset lower gut might reduce how much you get.
Are the aches and pains typical of PMR?
Yes typical PMR pains unfortunately 😔
We need to listen to our bodies at all times. Your tummy upset could be something you ate or might be something else. Can I ask, how long have you been taking prednisolone?
I’ve been taking Pred since Boxing Day 2019
Do you take any other medications?
Yes. 75 micrograms Thyroxine, 20mg Omeprazole, AdCal and Vit K .
I’ve increased my Pred to 13mg ,too early to say if things have improved 😔
How do you take them? What sequence? I ask because thyroid drugs should be taken at least 40 to 60mins before other meds on an empty stomach no caffeine... but could be taken at night. Similarly prazoles say require empty tummy. Pred and adcal should be kept seperate by a min of 2hrs. It all gets quite complicated sometimes.
I take the thyroxine when I wake. (as I have done for years ) Pred 3/4 with breakfast and 1/4 before bed) . Adcal with lunch and omeprazole before dinner( as I have always done )
The omeprazole could be causing problems - is that new since pred? Not that that makes much difference, its delightful effects can kick in at any time.
No have taken omeprazole for a long time- hiatus hernia
Any other symptom? Thinking a bad tummy can be a symptom of covid. No sore or sensitive eye, sore throat, chills, fever, cough, aching muscles, sore stomach and diarrhea? Lots more new symptoms are being recorded now. I fill the covid19 app in and it's gone from cough and sore throat to about 6 to 8 different symptoms. These have been added after discussion with NHS and the Zoe team that run the app.
Thanks . I’m quite content it’s not Covid , the tummy is settling down .
We’ve not been in the community since 13/3 and have washed everything very thoroughly that has come into the house. My main aim is to try and stabilise the PMR symptoms now.
Good. 👍🌻
The reason I ask is that I believe that all patients prescribed prednisolone should be aware that long-term use of this drug can (emphasis on the word "can") cause some very nasty and life-threatening side-effects.
In my case, I had been taking prednisolone for over a year when I was diagnosed with steroid-induced diabetes M2. Because my PMR was flaring up every time I had weaned off the steroids, I was to all intents and purposes taking them between 2011 and 2016. For most of that time, I suffered from IBS and I also had several episodes of nausea and vomiting. Several investigations could not detect the cause and then, suddenly, in September 2016 I was rushed into hospital with severe vomiting, diarrhoea and pains in my abdomen.
To cut a long story short, I spent a couple of days on ICU and was then moved to a general ward feeling a lot better.. The diagnosis was severe pancreatitis. After about two days on that ward, I collapsed unconscious and was rushed in to ICU for resuscitation. the next ten days or so, I was fighting for my life on a ventilator. My partner was told to prepare for the worst as the medics did not expect me to recover. I had acute/chronic pancreatitis which had destroyed around 80% of my pancreas and this had then caused sepsis.
Thankfully, I eventually recovered but had spent so long in a hospital bed and on a ventilator that I had to learn to talk and walk all over again! The consultants were convinced it had been caused by heavy drinking. My partner laughed at them, I had been a very light drinker, maybe a single glass of wine every couple of weeks maximum. They then said it must have been caused by gallstones and would need to remove my gallbladder but test after test failed to throw up any evidence of gallstones. Subsequent to my discharge, I started researching the condition and discovered that some medical studies have indicated that long-term steroid use may cause pancreatitis or other organ failure. Not my gastro consultant will not say that steroids caused my pancreatitis but, equally, they will not say that they did not. I have a feeling that they are reluctant to state that because the big pharmo corporations employ a huge number of litigation specialists.
The outcome has left me unable to eat anything without taking enzyme medication as I no longer have a fully functioning pancreas.
I don't wish to frighten anyone on prednisolone but please listen to your body and if anything is not quite right and continues for over a week, don't dismiss it but refer to your GP and insist on tests to identify the problem.
How long is this journey?
How to take Prednisolone
How does prednisolone work
What is the slow taper method to reduce prednisolone? 
Is codeine ok with prednisolone.
