Nightime Pred and Food ?

[Jondoyle]

I'm taking 20mg (enteric gastro resistant) at approx midnight and that time is is working well in terms of remaining almost symptom free.

I am just wondering how much food I should take with it at that time or if any? All the recommendations are to take it with food, but perhaps because they are coated tablets I may not need to as it's not the best time of the day to be taking food...

Maybe plenty of water with it might be useful...

Any thoughts/ feedback? Really appreciated.

[SnazzyD]

You shouldn’t need to take them with food. I took EC Pred from high doses because my stomach could not take uncoated. I took them in the evening and always away from food because personally I found it affected absorption. I realised this in the early days because my GCA symptoms started to return and I linked it with the fattier meals I was having on holiday. I took it on its own and never looked back. I still had slight stomach issues but that was no different from when I was taking them with a meal or not and I suspect the mere presence of Pred in my bloodstream was a factor.

[Jondoyle in reply to SnazzyD]

Many thanks for that advice SnazzyD. That sounds like what I was thinking myself but, when the medical advice is to take with food I was reluctant to do the opposite. I'm Happy to hear that. J

[SnazzyD in reply to Jondoyle]

Oh does it say that on the EC leaflet?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I never bothered taking enteric coated with food, even in the morning. And taking with food would slow down absorption as Snazzy says. In which case, taking it after your evening meal would probably work out similar. I take Lodotra which is delayed release and their instructions are to take it at 10pm (for release at 2am) within 3 hours of a meal or with a substantial snack of bread and cheese or ham (it is a German product and that is the normal German aupper.

If you are worried, you could take it with some yoghurt or the like?

[SheffieldJane]

I don’t take it with food, I always did with non coated. I haven’t had any ill effects. Lots of water is good with all meds, I find. I take it at bedtime and go to bed early (9 ish) so my stomach is not completely empty from the evening meal. No upset in the morning, hungry though.