Hi -
I’ve just read an article which suggests that Prednisone can have reflux as a side effect - has anyone else had experience of this ?
I’m experiencing acid reflux and indigestion on an almost daily basis. Currently tapering Prednisolone but have had reflux daily now for the past month - my doctor has put me on lanzoprazole but it’s making very little difference. In fact I feel thoroughly miserable - I could walk further with the PMR than with the pain from the reflux.
Thanks
fiddlersmum
No wonder you are feeling miserable. Can I ask if you take your Pred with food? Some people find that yoghurt with Prednisolone prevents acid reflux. Do you eat lots of spicy food? You should really go back to your doctor and tell him how you're feeling.
thank you for getting back to me - I do take Pred with food, with my breakfast which is usually cereal with yogurt and a pre-biotic. I've told my doctor which is when he increased my Lanzoprazole dosage, which ironically brought me out in an allergic reaction, I gave up on it for a few days but the reflux got worse so I've put myself back on it, thankfully the rash hasn't returned. The reflux started when my rheumatologist prescribed an anti-inflamatory drug which I no longer take. I react even to Nurofen so perhaps it was a bad choice I made to try the anti-inflamatory!
Do you think it would help if you had the coated version of pred?
I gather it's not widely available on the NHS but my husband is looking into paying for it privately - it's an option!
It WAS widely available and if you need it, you need it.You possibly need to be referred in case the NSAID you were prescribed has caused more damage than a PPI can deal with. You could also ask your GP to try famotidine or another H2 antagonist instead of the PPI because they can cause gastric problems as well as help them.
It is a well know adverse effect of pred - but alot of us don't have any problem.
I get enteric coated on NHS with no problem. Probably works out cheaper than a PPI as well!
There was a glitch with the 1mg for a while, but there are no problems now. It is also cheaper to have coated pred by itself rather than non coated pred plus a PPI as well. Reduces possible side effects with just one drug rather than two.
I have had awful bouts of silent acid reflux and indigestion.
After having an Endoscopy I was advised to take Omeprazole, when necessary and changed to the Enteric coated Prednisilone.
It may be worth you trying another proton pump inhibitor, and doubling the dose for a short time.
Some people need 40 mg per day.
You’re doing wonderfully well tapering off the steroids.
Sending you hugs xx
Thank you - the rheumatologist has cast some doubt as to whether I actually had PMR in the first place, and thinks I may have arthritis of the spine which would show very similar symptoms . . . . but I have to say the sooner I'm off Pred the happier I will be . . . .
Hi Fiddlersmum.I've been on pred for 2yrs and so far have managed to avoid taking a PPI such as Lansaprozole, illustrating that it is possible with certain strategies in place, to avoid them.
PPI's don't always come without their own side effects and issues though and can often be routinely prescribed alongside pred without any real evidence of them initially being required.
I have gastro-resistant pred but still always take them on a full stomach after a good breakfast. I keep my weight healthy, don't smoke or drink alcohol and keep away from very rich, fatty or spicy foods. All these things together have helped keep gut acid and irritation to a minimum and allowed me to not have to add yet another medication to my ever- increasing list!
However, for some people like yourself, this won't be enough and PPI's will be required, and for even fewer, gut acid and the acid reflux (GERD's) will be so bad that even PPI's won't be enough and this may then require further intervention from a gastroenterologist perhaps.
As the first line of attack though you may like to just make sure you're doing everything you can yourself to minimise the things that might be contributing to the problem, as this may be enough to significantly ease things. Unfortunately it's sometimes not enough to pop a pill and hope it will sort the problem out and we can often do much to compliment the treatment ourselves by being proactive too.
I hope you find a fast and satisfactory resolution to your problem as reflux can be incredibly uncomfortable and a miserable situation to have to deal with on top of everything else.
My GP has suggested that we may need to go down the endoscopy route if it doesn't settle . . . . as I type this I've taken Pred with yogurt and breakfast cereal and a drink of water but I can feel it starting already . . . . I watch my diet as carefully as I can, avoiding triggers (I do miss my coffee though!!!)
Like Seekingsolution expressed....I have heard that in some instances, PPI's can aggravate the problem further. It would seem in your case though that you probably do need to seek further help from appropriate medical professionals and investigate exactly what's going on. That way, appropriate treatment can be decided upon and hopefully it won't be long before you're feeling much more comfortable.
I had acid reflux daily when I was on pred. A pain just under the rib cage I’m guessing just at the point where the oesophagus meets the stomach. I was prescribed omeprezole to help contain the acid but in fact the pain continued and worsened. It became permanent.I then doubled the dose of omeprezole and guess what ? The pain got even worse. I managed to taper off both the steroids and omeprezole in January and the indigestion pain went away. ( hurrah!) Now with a flare I’m back on 5 mgs of pred but I’m doing things differently which so far is helping. It’s just small things which seem to be helping so eg raised pillows at night to help the acid stay down, a full glass of water to wash the pills right down, smaller meals so my stomach is never over loaded, no eating or drinking apart from small sips of water for 2 hours before bed. Gaviscon at the ready in case I get an acid attack. I’ve asked for coated pred. Something I learned from this site. I think that may make a big difference too. Good luck
Wishing you well - your approach sounds very positive!
Yes have acid reflux if I don’t take the Lanzaporole. Take it one hour before breakfast
Thank you - I do take it one hour before breakfast, and take my Pred with breakfast, alongside Yogurt but at the moment it's not making any difference . . . I'll give it a few more days then make another phone appointment with my long suffering GP 
Unfortunately I cannot have yogurt. It is too acidic for me for some reason
Have you ever tried Greek yoghurt? A very different product!
Yes. That was the only yogurt I ate. It caused so much acid I had to give it up. Lansaprolone keeps the acid away and I don’t seem to have any side effects .....yet. Thanks for your reply😊
I have RA and began to suffer very painful heartburn while taking Prednisolone, I did everything mentioned in the previous posts and also restricted my food and liquid intake to low acid forming meals and drinks. I kept a diary of everything I ate and drank and I believe this has helped me to limit the attacks. 🙂
Thank you - that’s something I need to try
It’s quite a commitment but was worth it for me. I hope you find some relief. 🙂
I suffered with really painful reflux when I was on a dose of pred higher than 4mg. Sometimes just out of the blue in the daytime, but most often It was an hour or two after bed and eventually I worked out that I didn't have it as often if I didn't eat anything at least 4 hours before bed. I used the sachets of Gaviscon for immediate relief of the pain. As it wasn't happening every night I declined the ppi prescription as I don't like the side effects. I am on 1.5mg pred at the moment and only rarely get reflux now. I hope you manage to get some relief soon.
hi Angiek - quick question about your pred dose. I've just introduced 1.5 mg to my tapering schedule; do you just cut the 1mg tab in half? It's hard to be accurate, so if you have a tip I'd be grateful.
this last episode has lasted almost 36 hours intermittently - I've phoned the doctor surgery and waiting for a return call . . . . I was so scared I actually thought it might be something more serious like angina . . .
Good luck with the call from your GP, hopefully they will be able to give you the help and reassurance you need. 🙂
Why don’t you ask your GP if you can take a sachet of the high strength Gaviscon (as you are on lanzoprole) when you have such a severe attack? I empathise with your fear that it is something heart related, and was always reassured that if gaviscon took the pain away then it was indeed ‘just’ reflux.
Have you tried taking a number of large glasses of water when the pains start. I ended up in A&E because I thought I was having a heart attack when actually bad indigestion. Any pains in back, jaw, chest I take the water and it soon stops. Obviously if pain continues call 999 as it might be a heart attack. If in doubt call 999. I was/ am having these every couple of weeks or so, as a result of the Pred.
As PMRpro said I guess it doesn’t need to be accurate but I have a cheap little pill cutter (Amazon or chemist) and do a weeks worth at a time for my pill box.
Yes, I can relate to that - acid reflux is horrible - Lanzaprazole seems to work for me, but Gaviscon is better. Best wishes x
I just posted on on trying deglycyrrizinated licorice fir acid reflux, suggested by my integrative health MD.
Manufactured without the offending ingredient that interferes with pred. Has anyone tried this or heard of it?
You can buy low acid coffee on line (Amazon). I have two cups a day of Kava instant low acid. There are many kinds and brands of low acid coffee.
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