Taking Pred late evening/early morning

[Springer2210]

I have been reading the posts about taking Prednisolone late evening/early morning & wondered about the leaflet recommendation of "with or after food". What or how much do people eat if they take their meds at these times. I suppose a bowl of cereal, or would a banana be enough?

[piglette]

I just have a piece of cheese at about two in the morning.

[Springer2210 in reply to piglette]

Thank you piglette.

[Ranchero]

I take a half a cup of milk with mine at 6.30am

[Springer2210 in reply to Ranchero]

Thank you Ranchero.

[GrannyDi]

I take mine with 2 or 3 dessert spoons of plain yoghurt and a small drink of milk at 12am..

[Springer2210 in reply to GrannyDi]

Thank you Granny Di. I am trying to avoid dairy but I've ordered Almond yoghurt in my on-line shop arriving tonight.

[SheffieldJane]

A few spoons of Greek yoghurt served me well for years. I now have Entric Coated tablets at bedtime, these suit me best of all and take approximately 6 hours to take effect. I get back to sleep quite easily.

[Springer2210 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you Sheffield Jane. My chemist doesn't always seem to dispense the Entric coated tablets but I also take Lanzaparazole which protects my stomach.

[Grammy80]

I take 14 mg and take them first thing when I wake along with my other morning meds. I have breakfast immediately afterward. It can be cereal/ fruit, yogurt/granola or a poached egg on toast. (I'm not dealing with the pain of PMR, GCA and a few other issues.) 💖

[Springer2210 in reply to Grammy80]

Thank you Grammy80. I have porridge & frozen berries for breakfast but the trouble is I don't have that until 9 or 10 in the morning as I'm not an early riser, so by the time the pred kicks in it's 4 in the afternoon! Need to get this sorted.

[Grammy80 in reply to Springer2210]

How do you feel about taking them around 2 AM? There was a time when that worked best for me; I'd set them out in a small container the night before. When I heard my alarm I would rise like a zombie, take the meds, head for the bed and would fall asleep, no problem. I'm an 8-9 riser also unless I have an appointment. I think it is whatever works at the time. 💖

[Springer2210 in reply to Grammy80]

Thanks Grammy80. I don't have problems getting back to sleep if I get up in the night so that wouldn't be a problem & living alone I wouldn't disturb anyone with the alarm going off. I think it's going to be trial and error till I find what works best for me.

[Kendrew]

Take mine after a good breakfast about 7am. Also they're gastro-resistant.

[Springer2210 in reply to Kendrew]

Thank you Kendrew. I take Lanzoprazole for that.

[Bcol]

Morning, I have mine around 02:00 - 03:00 every morning with a banana and some Greek Yogurt. Mine are not GR ones.

[Springer2210 in reply to Bcol]

Thank you Bcol. I wake up for the loo around that time so might try taking mine then.

[LemonZest11]

I’ve been taking mine at around 1.30 - 2am for a couple of years now. Not feeling like food at that time, and not wanting to fully awaken, I gobble a small tub of Activia yoghurt ... so far so good!

[Springer2210 in reply to LemonZest11]

Thank you LemonZest11. Yoghurt seems to be the one most people are going for. I am trying to avoid dairy so I have got some Almond Yoghurt coming in my shopping delivery tonight.

[bussell]

As suggested by lots of experienced friends on this site, I started splitting the dose and taking 10mg at 2am and 7.5 with breakfast. Works a treat, but I found eating cheese, yogurt or whatever woke me up too much. So now I take 10mg about 10pm with a couple of spoonsful of yogurt. And that works for me too. But I'm going to ask my GP to switch me to coated tablets to take at night to delay action. I'm sleeping better - hurray! For about a week now I've been taking magnesium at suppertime and have convinced myself that it really is a relaxing sleep aid My daughter aged 50 and perfectly healthy swears by it. Good luck!

[herdysheep in reply to bussell]

what form of magnesium do people take - is it permitted to say brands and where you get them.? Also what strength?

[bussell in reply to herdysheep]

Got mine online from Nature's Best (UK company) Hope I'm allowed to say that, No special expertise, I just ordered the one my daughter takes. Someone else may be better informed than me....

[herdysheep in reply to bussell]

thanks

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to bussell]

If something works for you and you say that - no problem. Direct advertising isn't.

[bussell in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. V helpful

[icu2 in reply to herdysheep]

started with Jamieson now taking no name brand....500 mg. taken to help settle restless and irritated legs at bedtime.

[Springer2210 in reply to bussell]

Thank you bussell. I am looking into trying supplements & will make a note of the magnesium you have suggested. I am splitting my dose at the moment taking 5mg just before I lay down around 11pm then topping up with the other 3 mg after breakfast. Morning aches seem a bit better.

[Mondelo]

I am currently on 11 Mg: I take 6 mg in the morning with toast around 06.30 and 5 around 10 p m with an oatmeal biscuit : I found splitting the dose had a positive effect it is worth trying

[Springer2210 in reply to Mondelo]

Thank you Mondelo. Currently splitting my dose so thanks for the suggestion.

[Hidden]

Non coated taken at 8.30am after either a bowl of cereal, porridge or two slices of toast. No problems.

[Springer2210 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Dorsetgirl17. I think non-coated are fine if you have them after food such as breakfast.

[Pr0jection]

I used to split my dose, 5mg after breakfast and 2.5mg after lunch, but for the last two weeks after reading various articles I now take my whole dose after breakfast and I'm still pain free day and night. I take it after a bowl of banana and full fat yoghurt.

[Springer2210 in reply to Pr0jection]

Thank you Pr0jection. I wake up in pain & find when I take them after my breakfast they don't kick in until late afternoon & even then I am still in some pain.

[Lonsdalelass]

I started taking mine in the morning with breakfast for over a couple of years (diagnosed Oct 2018) , on enteric coated pred, then after Christmas I decided to try at bedtime and with some yoghurt or a biscuit as I wanted to see if morning aches/stiffness would be any better. I don't think it helped to be honest, as I have switched back to a morning dose with breakfast and I'm feeling better for it, less achey and stiffness, also sleeping bit better. Also I found that when taking my dose before bed I wasn't really wanting anything to eat. I suppose its a matter of preference really, but sometimes you have to try out a few options till you find one that suits you. We're all different.

[Springer2210 in reply to Lonsdalelass]

Thank you Lonsdalelass. I think it's just going to be a case of trial & error until I find the right way for me but all the advise has bee helpful.

[LadyPam]

Omeprazole

[Springer2210 in reply to LadyPam]

Thank you LadyPam.I take Lansoprazole. Does this mean if you are taking one of these you don't need to worry about taking pred after food?

[LadyPam in reply to Springer2210]

I was prescribed omeprazole along with Meloxicam (NSAID) before I was diagnosed with PMR, but I would always take my Pred with food even though I’m taking the omeprazole.

Good luck to you x

[Springer2210 in reply to LadyPam]

Thank you.

[Kafkaontheshore]

Hi. PMRGCAUK put on a great Webinar recently by Dr Sarah Mackie, a respected rheumatologist in the UK. She spoke about adrenal insufficiency and steroid use more generally. I’m sure she said the adrenal glands expect/need the boost from steriods about 9am daily and that one dose daily at that time is best. That’s when I take mine, after breakfast. I’m not rigid to the minute but always in morning after breakfast. Anyone else see the Webinar?

[jinasc in reply to Kafkaontheshore]

Once I found PMRpro (yes I got lucky) and was asking her about Lodotra (slow release - not available in UK) she then explained about the body clock and 2am. I changed from morning and just took them as soon as I woke up after 2am.

Teasmaid (which had been lying around unused - others used a flask of hot water a tea bag and milk in a container) a cuppa and two biscuits or a 'one slice' jam sandwich. Back to sleep.

[Thelmarina in reply to Kafkaontheshore]

Yes I saw the webinar and yes that’s what Dr Mackie said.🌺

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Kafkaontheshore]

She did. However - I think she must have not thought it out. The boost under normal conditions is that the peak cortisol occurs at 9am. It is no use taking your pred at 9am to achieve that - it takes at least an hour and sometimes more to achieve the peak blood level. Far longer if it is enteric coated pred you take. So pred needs to be taken at more like 6-7am.If you need the pred to manage PMR, taking it at 9am is far too late - and a bit pointless because the trigger to the body to produce that morning boost is a very low level of steroid in the body at midnight. To achieve that, you take your single dose of pred as far away from midnight as you can and shortly AFTER midnight is fine. The trigger to the body to make cortisol early doors is still there - and you have the pred available at a similar time to wake you up AND manage the PMR.

[Springer2210 in reply to Kafkaontheshore]

Thank you Kafkaontheshore. I missed the Webinar but have seen lots of posts/comments re adrenals. Perhaps as I sometimes don't have breakfast till 10am, I am taking my pred to late. Oooops I have just read PMRpro's response to your post & I would say that I am definitely taking it to late, by at least 4 hours or more!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Many just use a few spoons of yoghurt. If you are on enteric coated/gastroresistent pred in the UK you can probably get away with no food as it isn't released unti after it has left the stomach.

I take mine at 10pm which is within 3 hours of my main meal - it is a special format that breaks down in the stomach and releases 4 hours later but it still introduces the equivalent of plain pred in the stomach at 2am. I have no problems at all.

[Springer2210 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro. I do take Lansoprazole as well, so I might try taking pred before I lie down.

[Theziggy]

I still plan to take my dose at bedtime enclosed in a gelatin capsule, so it would be about 2 or 3 am before it is absorbed - to tackle the inflammation, might start on the 1st March!!

[Springer2210 in reply to Theziggy]

Thank you Theziggy. Do you mean you put the prednisolone in an empty gelatine capsule before taking it, or does it come in a a capsule. Good luck if you are starting tonight, 1st March.