Bowel upset on Lansoprazole

[Karendeena]

I have been taking Lansoprazole along with Prednisolone as my doctor says I must as I am on anticoagulants (apixaban for afib). I have been on the drugs now since May this year but more recently been experiencing stomach/bowel problems. I am tapering and down to 5mg pred.

Over the last few weeks I have been having some discomfort in the middle of my stomach which is not really 'pain as such' it feels like my trousers are too tight! I have had a few bouts of diarrhoea intermittent constipation with odd normal days.

What has concerned me is the amount of gas and over the last couple of days passing white/yellowish mucus. I feel fine and have normal appetite, In fact I am always hungry! My doc is wanting a sample to test for infection but did mention it could be the Lansoprazole although strange this has only just started considering I have been on it for a few months.

I have recently done the stool sample for bowel cancer screening which came back normal.

Has anyone here had similar problems on these drugs. Thank you

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Drug adverse effects do sometimes take a while to manifest - PPIs can cause all sorts of unpleasant gut symptoms but what you describe does need to be paid attention to, any change in bowel habit should be even if the colon ca screening is OK.

I would start by stopping the lansoprazole and switching to an H2 antagonist - famotidine (Pepcid) or cimetidine (Tagamet) would be suitable to reduce acid and keep your doctor happy. If the symptoms start to reduce - that is the easy answer!

[Seacat30]

My digestion changed very noticeably when I started taking pred, Lansoprazole and Adcal. After a few days I started having horrible flatulence and it looked as if my food wasn't being digested properly due to the reduction in stomach acid. (I am a vegetarian so that may make a difference? Some of my food (seeds, nuts and lots of veggies) may require me to have normal stomach acid.) I have stopped the Adcal (for now) but that hasn't cured me. I am in the process of tapering off the Lansoprazole (with my GPs knowledge). My sister also took Lanzoprazole after a major heart op but was horribly allergic to it and had to give it up. It gave her violent diarrhea and bleeding piles.

[2Yellowdaffodilsx]

Hi Karedeena I suffered bowel disturbances for a couple of years just as you describe, so manage low dose Steroids without anything now. Gd luck

2yellowdaffodilsx

[Hidden in reply to 2Yellowdaffodilsx]

Hi Karendeena, I am 85 been on Pred for10 years , PMR put paid to a very active Scuba. I was put on Lansoprazole and it did not work and found I was very unwell. I took advice from100 s of fellow sufferers and changed to YOGURT. A cup of tea with 1/2 Digestive biscuit, followed by small pot of YOUGURT with the other 1/2 of biscuit broken up at the mid point of the Yogurt. followed with the last cup of tea .Then light breakfast- Cereals with some yogurt and dried fruit - Then take Apixaban- blood thinner . Adcal-vitD. After light lunch

Thyroxine- and later Apixaban. Avoid any acidy food but no problems with Curry. That is my story . John

🙂

[Karendeena in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much John, doc has now taken me off Lansoprazole and told me to carry on with the steroids but I must take them with food

[loomweaver]

Hi, I to had trouble with Lansoprazole caused Diarrhea, I am now on famotivine, much better, still have some flatulense. good luck.

[Chihuahua1]

I couldn't tolerate Lansoprazole, but the intolerance didn't show up straight away. I had the odd issue in the beginning, which was mainly gas causing bloating. I didn't pay too much heed, but it started to affect my bowel motions much in the same way as you. My doctor changed me onto omeprazole which didn't work and then esomeprazole which was great. After a few weeks he put me back on omeprazole, and increased the dose from 20mg to 40mg and that works fine. I've been on it for some time and only get the odd bloat which is more to do with something I have eaten that I shouldn't have.

[Karendeena in reply to Chihuahua1]

Thanks, my doc changed lansoprazole to omeprazole but the diarrhoea and bloat/pain continues so she has taken me off them altogether which is a bit scary for me as I am on apixaban. I am on 4mg per day of pred now and hopefully coming down 1mg per week so she says this is a low dose and as long as I take with food I should be ok

[Chihuahua1 in reply to Karendeena]

You could ask if you can try esomeprazole. That was the one I was put on first. I never had any reaction to it at all. With omeprazole I did have a reaction on the lower dose but it settled when I was given a bigger dose. The reason I was taken off esomeprazole was because of its cost by comparison to the others. It comes in tablet form and also chewables

[Yealink]

Hi Karendeena, I was taking Lansoprazole for around 3 months prescribed to me when I started with PMR even though I never had any problems. I started having terrible bowel movements up to 10 times a day, and lost a lot of weight! I was referred for colonoscopy which found I had Microscopic Colitis. Many cases of MC may be induced by Lansoprazole. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone with bowel problems!

[Karendeena in reply to Yealink]

Thanks Yealink things have got worse so the doc has taken me off them and as I am low dose pred at 4mg has told me to take these with food