When can I take my Prednisolone?

[asoth]

Hello! On being dropped from 9 mg to 8 mg 2 weeks ago ( 15mg initially in May) I have had a huge flare up and am now BACK on 15mg for a while. However, I have told GP I really want to see a Rheumatologist and, because of very long waiting list, am going to see one privately next month - so fingers crossed! My question is... do you HAVE to take your Pred in the morning AFTER food? Could I have it before food but after the Omeprazole? I really don't WANT to eat before 10.00am, which makes my Pred. dose quite late in day. Advice - as always on this wonderful forum - gratefully received .

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you are OK on a PPI (some people aren't) then you don't necessarily need a big meal with the pred - many take their pred with a dollop of yoghurt, a banana or even a glass of milk.Some people take pred after dinner at night - it doesn;t keep everyone awake.

But you aren't heading relentlessly for zero and you may not need to start over again - once the symptoms of the flare have settled, you could try going back to 10mg straight away but then starting to be very circumspect about the taper. Getting past 10mg is often not easy - taking it very easy from them on pays.

[asoth in reply to PMRpro]

You are so kind to reply so swiftly; thank you ! Excuse my ignorance but what is a PPI??!! Is that the Omeprazole ? If so, it doesn't seem to be causing me any problems.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to asoth]

Proton Pump Inhibitor - the class of drugs that omeprazole belongs to. They all vary so one may be helpful, another not. If you aren't having problems that's good.

[asoth]

Thank you again!

[Hidden]

Dead Slow and nearly Stop method is recommended to try and steer clear of flares and having to go back up again. I'm on 8mg with the odd day of 7mg. Next week I'll be taking more 7mg with the odd 8mg thrown in. This method seems to be working well for me. Fingers crossed that it.

[Cross-stitcher]

I am another late breakfaster - in fact many days I do not bother with food at all before mid-day, beyond a milky coffee or two. I have taken both Pred and Omeprazole now for nearly 3 years with no gastric problems. I started at 15mg Pred and 20mg Omeprazole per day. Once I had tapered to 7mg Pred, my GP reduced my Omeprazole to 10mg. I have varied the time I take the Pred, and for many months I took it at 2 am as that seemed the best time to ensure a pain-free start to the day. I just used to drink a FULL glass of water with the Pred and never found that I needed food as well (although some people find it helps to have a single large spoonful of full-fat organic yoghurt - not exactly a full breakfast!). Now that I am down to a very low dose of Pred, I have changed to taking it as soon as I wake up (and before I take any other tablets or medications) but still with plenty of water which, for me, is more important than food at reducing the risk of Pred irritating the stomach.

[cranberryt]

In the long term, it sounds like a bad idea. I have always taken mine with food and just recently, after more than 2 years, I am starting to have reflux symptoms. I wouldn’t risk it personally. A spoonful of peanut butter or a yogurt or glass of milk can be enough.

[asoth in reply to cranberryt]

Thank you Cranberry - I will try that!

[rodenski]

I agree with PMRpro Ambassador: don't take anything on an entirely empty stomach. The important thing, I recollect, was to make sure of the omeprazole. As for tapering: I had a relapse when I reached 1 mg and went back to 10. Second time round I slowed down the taper as much as I could, staying on 0.5mg for a month before zero. It worked! Over a year later I detected what seemed like an oncoming flare and was told to take 1mg. This seems to have worked and at the moment am doing a snail's pace taper back to zero.

[Galloping]

I take mine with a glass of milk as, like you,I don’t want to eat until later. I take my Omeprazole at the same time and also my marine collegen which helps to guard against bruising and hair loss. At lunchtime I take theVit D3 and calcium along with Vit K2.

[Dcctrains]

Astigmatism,

I take mine in the morning about 0730hrs with my esomeprazole. I don’t eat for about an hour afterwards, but that’s only because I eat breakfast with my wife. If I take my Prednisolone later or in the evening, I find I have difficulty in nodding off.

[Maudie19]

I take mine just before going to bed with a yoghurt. Usually about 11 pm to midnight as we stay up late. I'm on the Dead Slow taper and just about to change from 10mg to 9mg - so yes fingers crossed!!