Is Anyone in the UK Managing to get 1 Mg Gastro resistant Pred?

[Ronnie101]

I've not been able to get 1 mg gastro resistant pred for several months now, and I suspect taking non gastro resistant has something to do with my ongoing heartburn. Both my local pharmacy and Boots say they can't get hold of it, and it seems to be out of stock at Lloyds. Is there anyone managing to get any?

[SnazzyD]

When I had problems last year, I ended up mixing the two. I took my enteric coated and then about 3 hours later took the uncoated. It was a pain but seemed ok. By 2mg I was ok without enteric coated if I had them with a decent feed.

[Ronnie101 in reply to SnazzyD]

I tend to take them in the late evening, but maybe I'll make sure I take them with food, thanks.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

There were people saying they had problems last autumn I think but they then resolved. Boots has always been difficult, they denied it existed which is surprising since the company that makes it is the same group as Boots!

Are you on any stomach protection meds? As Snazzy says, a small dose of plain pred is usually OK taken in the middle of a meal - what dose are you on?

[Ronnie101 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for you reply. I'm on 6.5, so I use 5 gastro resistant and 1.5 non gr. I'm currently taking 40 mg of esomeprozole ppi, which doesn't seem to be doing any good. I've been referred for a gastroscopy, but the flare up in my reflux seemed to coincide with me having to use the non gr pred, but who knows...I thought I should try and eliminate one possible source.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ronnie101]

Oh absolutely and some people are very sensitive. But it does help a lot to take plain pred in the middle of a meal - eat half, take the tabs, eat the rest.

[miss-philosopher in reply to Ronnie101]

You could buy empty gel capsules from amazon or anywhere else and put the plain pred in. I do that. It helps a lot.

[Ronnie101 in reply to miss-philosopher]

Thats very interesting, could you let me have a link to a supplier? Thanks.

[miss-philosopher in reply to Ronnie101]

amazon.co.uk/Clear-Size-Emp...

[Marilyn1959]

I had problems getting them for a while last year, but have been ok in 2020 thus far. I had new prescription fulfilled two weeks ago, so may yet come a cropper on my repeat. I am apparently the only customer at my chemist, in my town, who takes gastro resistant pred so they have to order it in for me. Given the problems I had last year I asked my doctor to add an extra months worth during the Autumn so that I can stay a month ahead with my order for 1mg. Never had a problem getting hold of 5mgs or 2.5mgs so don't know why getting hold of the 1mg can be a problem???? It worries me for when I get to 4mgs. On 6mgs I could cope with uncoated, but not if I am taking 4 of them!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Marilyn1959]

2.5mg + 1mg + 1/2mg

[Purple-Owl in reply to PMRpro]

How do you get 0.5mg? My 1mg tablets are so tiny they crumble up when I cut them with my cutter.The cutter is a decent one from Boots in the UK and works reasonably well halving 5mg tabs.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purple-Owl]

There are 1mg tablets that can be cut easily - they have a split mark. Various pill cutters work well or not so well- my OH and I have the same design, mine works like a dream for me, His is more nightmarish for me, works for him!

[Purple-Owl in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks PMRpro. I didn't know there were 1mg tablets with a split mark. My tiny NHS uncoated 1mg ones have none, though the slightly bigger 5mg ones do. I was wondering why so few people were complaining about being able to measure out 0.5mg! I'll ask about this.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purple-Owl]

I don't know if they still exist - I tried to look it up but google was insistent on it being prednisone and not prednisolone! But a pharmacist should be able to look it up - whether they will then get them is another matter!

[Ronnie101 in reply to Marilyn1959]

If I do find them, I'll ask my doc to prescribe more, thanks.

[Gumnut]

Hi Ronnie yes my GP pharmacy orders gastro resistant Pred 1mg for me. No problems usually. But lockdown could be affecting manufacture.

[piglette]

There has been a big problem getting 1mg enteric coated in my area during April and May. It does now seem to have improved though.

[maria40]

I'm with Superdrug pharmacy and got my 1mg e/c as usual last week. Oddly, they were delivered though my daughter has been collecting scripts for me since lockdown and we were not told of a new - though welcome - arrangement.

[paulst955]

I have not been able to get them for some time long before corona virus so that's not the problem. My chemist is attached to the GP surgery don't know if that makes a difference.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to paulst955]

Probably makes them even less helpful - no doubt you are encouraged to use them by default ...

[Telian]

I get them Ronnie

[Dambusters]

Just able to get non-coated ones from my pharmacy. I take 30mg Lansoprazole first thing in the morning 20 minutes before food. It seems to be working okay ..not had any problems.

[JanetRosslyn]

I got 1mg gastro-resistant Pred from my local pharmacy yesterday with no problem.

If it helps, the manufacturer is Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited, Avonbridge House, Bath Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, WN16 2BB.

[Ronnie101 in reply to JanetRosslyn]

Thanks, I'll get on to Alliance and see what the problem is, whether it's local or not.

[Rugger]

This week I went for my first walk after 11 weeks of 'shielding', to collect my 1mg g-r pred from my local pharmacy - very adventurous! No problem with getting them, but a couple of us have noticed that the expiry date is November 2020 and has been for many issues. That leads us to wonder if there will be any more manufactured with a longer expiry date, or are they dispensing what stock they have until it runs out? This is just a thought - not a fact, but those of you with 1mg g-r tablets might like to check the expiry date for comparison.

I'm in West Yorkshire and use a local independent pharmacy.

Even though I take g-r tablets, I always take them with food - porridge in the morning and Greek yoghurt at night, as I split my dose. Belt and braces!

[maria40 in reply to Rugger]

I noticed the expiry date at the weekend when I was checking how many tablets I had. The 5mg and 2.5mg are now coming in with a longer expiry date so perhaps your assumption is right. I shan't worry to much as when there was a shortage last year I took some lmg which were about a year out of date and seemed to have no ill effects. I have read that in the right conditions they could be effective for up to fifteen years though I hope we won't have to test that.

[Croft9232]

I started Lansoprazole 30 mg in the morning last week, but not for heartburn, never have had that.However tummy bloating and tummy gurgling is awful with a feeling of fullness all the time , my GP said aPPI would help, hmmm I am not sure yet, some days are ok , some are not.

On a permanent low carb diet, although there are a few days when I have a few...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Croft9232]

My husband almost takes off with bloating, gurgling and other delightful GI effects if given a PPI!!! Same happens with calcium supplements. And he is bad even without them ...

I wonder - maybe his primary problem is a lack of gastric acid, the PPI and calcium carbonate would make that even worse ... I wonder ...

[Croft9232 in reply to PMRpro]

So lack of gastric acid as opposed to too much? And I guess PPI px for too much...you have me thinking now...

Thanks,

Margaret.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Interesting theory PMRPro - might explain why I can't take omneprazole or pantolprazole or any 'zole. But I used to take Ranitidine no problem, in fact it helped if I'd had too many histamines as it is a H2 blocker. Sadly discontinued now and there's nothing similar on the market.

[Ronnie101 in reply to tangocharlie]

If you can get hold of them, Nizatidine or famotidine are alternative H2 blockers which have not been withdrawn. Unfortunately my local chemist can't get these either!

[tangocharlie in reply to Ronnie101]

Thank you, I'll ask my GP, he said there weren't any alternatives available. I think I read in a group for histamine intolerance and mast cell disorders any 'dines were impossible to get at the moment. I don't know if it Brexit, Covid or what

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Ranitidine stops the acid production too - PPIs are horrible! They reckon that they don't work for about a third of patients and the adverse effects are intolerable for another third. Not much of a record! But they are very efficient!!!!

[Slowdown]

After the problems last year I've been getting the 1mg g/r pred. However, I had an interesting phone call from the pharmacist connected to my surgery as a follow-up to my hospital stay, checking on the meds prescribed on discharge. I went through what I had, one of which she had no record of at all, and said I had 5mg, 2.5mg and 1mg g/r - she denied the 1mgs existed and asked where I got them from, from your pharmacy I said, then she asked for the name of the manufacturer... been here before, haven't we. Sure it's to do with panic about supply chains/stockpile depletion etc due to B... I also have a supply of plain pred for cutting. I take those with a meal, or yogurt/kefir alongside g/r when reducing.

[Lyndaki]

Hi, I was prescribed Lanzoprazole from day one , taking one tablet at least 30 minutes before food & Prednisolone & haven’t had any stomach problems in 18 months.

[Croft9232]

Have taken Pred now for 13 months always with food or thick yogurt and have been ok, until the last few weeks.I am inclined to think its the Pred that is making me bloated, I will give the PPI a few more weeks and make a decision...I was sailing along too, tapering and making 5 mg which my Rheumie had asked to try for by August, upon which 18 months from dx he said to stay at 5 mg for at least another 6 months.However a few weeks ago a few symptoms crept in and alot of family stress that I cannot do anything about so upped to 7 mg for a month and tapered from there.

Lets see,

Margaret.