taking steroids during the night

[Meggs01]

as I suffer with a fuzzy head for about 4 to 6 hours after taking my steroids at breakfast, I am thinking about taking them about 2am. Can I do this and what would I need to eat with them.

This would be for about a week after each taper when everything settles down

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Just a spoon of yoghurt seems to be enough for most and won't come to harm at room temp for a while. One lady eats a piece of hard cheese. Pharmacists have said a glass of milk is enough. Others take half a banana.

[Meggs01 in reply to PMRpro]

thank you so much, I will definitely try this.

[Karenjaninaz in reply to Meggs01]

I make myself a protein shake. I chill it for awhile in an insulated cup then have it ready when I first get up at 5:30a. I am tapering to 8mgm. Had trouble going back to bed at 2am.

[Meggs01 in reply to Karenjaninaz]

thank you for your reply, a protein shake sounds nice.

[Elispeth]

Hi Meggs01. I take my steroids regularly between 2am and 3am with some yoghurt. I take the pot up to bed with me and have my tablets ready stored in a little pill case. It takes a few minutes to eat and I then drop back off to sleep. Hope this is helpful for you 🙂!

[Meggs01 in reply to Elispeth]

thank you Elizabeth, I will try some yogurt tonight.

[Blearyeyed]

Elspeth gave a great tip. Probiotic live natural yoghurt with a little spoon of local or manuka honey for me just as I have before medications in the day and a good drink of water . I premix it in a pot and take up to bed so I don't need to get up , I keep it in one of those little cool bags.

You would benefit from asking for enteric coated tablets in future for extra stomach protection if you don't have them already. If the GP is resistant ( usually because of a minimal cost difference) explain your symptoms and that you are going to need to try taking it at night .

[Meggs01 in reply to Blearyeyed]

thank you for your kind reply, will be trying it.

[AshPen9 in reply to Blearyeyed]

1mg coated Pred costs £30 per 100, Blearyeyed. My GP prescribes them but they are blacklisted due to cost. She agreed mine due to reflux and swallowing problems, plus already taking two other meds that are not stomch friendly. The 2.5mg and 5mg are a mere snip at about £3 per100!

[Bcol]

Pro bio yogurt and a banana is usually my choice and not given me any problems.

[Meggs01 in reply to Bcol]

thank you

[LucilleG]

About a month ago, I've started taking my prednisone with about a half cup of unsweetened apple sauce, usually ~6-6.30 am. I used to take it with breakfast around 7.30-8 am, but the earlier time seems to be better during my tapers from 6-5.5 mg and now 5.5-5 mg.

[Meggs01 in reply to LucilleG]

thank you

[Frewen1 in reply to LucilleG]

This conversation is really interesting - yes, I get the meltdown around 5 hours after taking the meds, which I usually have with breakfast, between 8.30 and 9am. Am also at 5 and a half mg, tapering half a mg every three weeks. If I tried taking the Pred around 2 am, would I take everything then, or take the rest (amlodipene, omeprazole etc ) in the morning as usual? Many thanks, Karen

[Meggs01 in reply to Frewen1]

I took my omeprazole as usual before my breakfast. I’m also pleased that taking my steroids at 2am meant I felt so much better throughout the morning as the steroids had been in my system for 6hrs before I got up.

[Frewen1 in reply to Meggs01]

Ok that's good - but how are you in the afternoon? I worry that if my weird stuff came on 5 hours later, ie it would be 7-8 am, do I then feel rubbish the whole day? Instead of just from 3-4pm onwards, as usual? So many imponderables!

[Meggs01 in reply to Frewen1]

apart from the fatigue which I get when tapering it was my fuzzy head which could last until the afternoon. All that had cleared by the time I got up so I have been fine all day.

[piglette]

For me 2am works extremely well. I take them with a piece of hard cheese, in my case Comté.

[Meggs01 in reply to piglette]

thank you, will definitely try 2am

[Chris_1236]

2:30 am with a few spoonfuls of dairy free yogurt works great for me.

[Meggs01 in reply to Chris_1236]

thank you, it has definitely worked for me.

[Miacaro45]

Reading about when others take the prednisone, I decided to try taking the meds at around 2-2:30 AM. I noticed that I feel so much better when starting my day. My only problem is that I usually cannot go back to sleep. I take it with some applesauce.

[PipandDots in reply to Miacaro45]

I tried to do this, taking the Prednisolone at 4am but couldn’t get back to sleep! I was so tired the next day so I’m now taking it at 7am

[Meggs01 in reply to Miacaro45]

I did wonder about getting back to sleep but fortunately I was ok. It has definitely worked for me.

[papadapadoo]

I split my dose, taking part at 2 AM. Sometimes it takes me a while to get back to sleep, but I am almost pain-free in the morning, so it's worth it for me.

[Meggs01 in reply to papadapadoo]

thank you for your reply, wish I had done it ages ago.

[Pass7]

I decided to try splitting my prednisone dose divided into 3 times a day. Tapering is at 12mg. I take 5mg in am, 2mg early afternoon & 5 mg late evening. I’ve been doing this for over a year & don’t appear to get stiffness. Rheumatica & PCP agreed with me to try. It’s been working!