Stomach Pain

[PipandDots]

Hello fellow PMR sufferers. My first post and hoping you can help.

I have a new symptom which is causing me significant pain/discomfort.

The pain is right under my ribs, high in my stomach. It comes in waves and is worse some days than others, for reasons I haven't figured out. It's not food related, because while I was lying awake at 4.30 am this morning it was awful! Does anyone have any idea what's causing this?

I was diagnosed in May '22 and have tapered from 15mg to 7mg without any trouble.

many thanks all

x

[SheffieldJane]

It could be Prednisalone. I took my Pred with yoghurt for years but I have developed colon pains in my lower right abdomen. I take Lansoprazole before my Pred dose now but I fear that the damage is done. A colonoscopy showed nothing sinister but you do need to get these symptoms checked out. Good luck with finding a solution. Liquid Gaviscon has been the most effective temporary remedy I have found.

[PipandDots in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I definitely will check it out x Hope you keep well

[Seacat30]

Other people, such as me, felt even worse taking a PPI like Lansaprozole but my distress occurred lower down in my digestive system. Are you taking a PPI? The position of the pain, high up, might indicate that you should be? I would discuss this with your GP

[PipandDots in reply to Seacat30]

Hi, Thanks for replying. I am not taking a PPI as it made me worse! Not sure what to do. GP has no other option for me sadly 🤦‍♀️

[Seacat30 in reply to PipandDots]

What does the doctor think is causing the pain?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to PipandDots]

No other option for what? Gastric protection? The recommended alternative - IF you need it - is H2 antagonists, which it seems are returning to favour as the long term effects of PPIs are becoming more apparent. That used to be ranitidine but it was withdrawn after manufacturing problems. The alternatives are famotidine and cimetidine which initially had some supply problems because of the sudden increase in demand but those are no longer an issue as far as I know.

I have never taken either regularly - only if I require NSAIDs for something else. Many of us find taking pred with a meal or yoghurt does the job quite adequately.

[Karendeena in reply to PipandDots]

Lansoprazole set me on the slippery slope of GI issues which I still suffer from now but not as bad since I started taking an alternative to PPIs called famotidine which works in a different way. Prednisolone is very hard on the stomach

[PipandDots in reply to Karendeena]

I have not taken it as I just don’t want to damage my body anymore. I hope you’re ok and thank you for replying xx

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Is it internal? Or could it be costochondritis? Have you been to the doctor?

[PipandDots in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for replying. I hadn't heard of this but having now looked it up it sounds exactly like my pain. I need to read more but it sounds like it'll get better over time without the need for another medicine. 🙏

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to PipandDots]

If it is costochondritis yes it will get better - eventually. It can last a long time though!!

[nallen11 in reply to PMRpro]

or could it be gallbladder???

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to nallen11]

All sorts of things it could be but we don't have the patient in front of us to make a diagnosis do we!

[piglette]

I had very similar, in my case it was costochondritis. It was really painful when I breathed so I tried to hold my breath!! It was oarticukarly bad at night. The pain in my case was on my right hand side at the bottom of my ribs. It went away in the end after a couple of weeks I think.

[TheMoaningViolet]

Hi, sorry to hear of your symptom. You could try coated Prednisolone as well and see whether this makes any difference.

[Bleakley1]

could be gastritis. I had similar pains to you and sometimes they are really sore. Ended up having an endoscopy and gastritis was diagnosed. Prednisolone does not help this problem but we need to take it. Like another sufferer I use Gaviscon advance also I am on Lansoprazole. Best to see your GP and get it checked out.

[Tiggy70]

Hi, what you have described sounds very much like Costochondritis pain. I get flare ups of it occasionally particularly during the night. It is very painful and ‘sore’. It usually resolves itself in a couple of weeks. Hope you feel better soon🌸

[PipandDots in reply to Tiggy70]

Thanks so much. I've started doing the stretching exercises and it's hopefully helping