Prednisolone and Omeprazole

[Sorop]

I have had PMR and GCA for 7 Years and was told I had to take 10 mg daily of Omeprazole which I have been on for the 7 Years. I am now on 3mg steroids but have been getting a lot of tummy upsets and wondered if the long term use of Omeprazole is causing it. I have gone Lactose and Gluten free as well and does not seem to have helped. It says on leaflet should be only taken for short term because of side effects. Has anyone else been on this medication please?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Many of us! I haven't - even though I have been on pred for 14 years. And many find it causes an upset stomach, often right from the start.

However - you are at a very low dose of pred after being on it for a long time so do you have any other symptoms of adrenal insufficiency besides nausea and diarrhoea? Fatigue is the obvious one but also loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of drive and lethargy and muscle pain/weakness,

[Sorop in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you for your reply. No I do not have any of those other symptoms just the tummy aches and bloating. Are you on any medication to protect stomach from steroid use?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sorop]

None at all except when my rheumy is using large doses of NSAIDs to manage a problem.

[Koalajane]

I have never taken a stomach protector. I make sure I take my prednisolone with food every time

[Sorop]

Thank you both that's interesting. I think I will give myself a break from the omeprazole.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sorop]

But taper off - don't stop cold turkey!

[Sorop in reply to PMRpro]

thank you

[YogaJM in reply to Sorop]

I would take one every other day for a while.

[Sorop in reply to YogaJM]

thank you.

[Kittymom7]

I have been taking omeprazole for years. Recently diagnosed with GCA and PMR. I’m taking 10mg prednisone and I have tummy upset occasionally too, but not everyday. Hmmm. I wonder if this will get worse or continue.

[Sorop in reply to Kittymom7]

hopefully not

[Gimme]

I have been on pred with omeprazole for the last 6 months and a couple of weeks ago have just been reading about how difficult it can be to get off omeprazole, so I have been taking it alernate days since with the aim of weaning myself off it slowly, to avoid a rebound. Mind you, not sure how I can continue with the pred without it, because it really upsets my tummy.

Mind you, if I had realised how ill the adrenal thing was going to make me feel, as I lower the pred dosage, I very much doubt that I would have started on that either. I feel very much like we are between such a rock and hard place with PMR.

[Sorop in reply to Gimme]

Thank you for replying. Yes I am afraid it is a very difficult condition to deal with but it would appear that prednisolone is the only medication that will eventually release us from it. Unfortunately every medication comes with sides effects and trying to balance the positives against the negatives is a mine field. Good luck on your journey.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sorop]

"prednisolone is the only medication that will eventually release us from it."

It isn't thought that pred plays any role in the autoimmune part of PMR burning out and going into remission. It is only a management strategy to relieve the symptoms while waiting for that to happen.

[Sorop in reply to PMRpro]

Point taken.

[67Blue]

I was given 20 mg Omeprozole in one hand and steroids in the other 2 1/2 years ago, finished steroids hopefully 6 months ago but now can't get off the omeprazole. Blamed myself for not taking long enough to taper. However reading through posts I am wondering if it has lost its effectiveness as going through my notes I see it was before I finished the steroids I was asking for help from the Surgery with acid reflux. The first of many requests, answer being a food diary --- to much acidic fruit. Various others over the 7 months like raising mattress head end, take Gavescone at night as well etc etc but it seems I'm stuck with it now, others reassuring me I need it to protect my stomach. Eventually they will agree to 10 mg and they are not interested in trying anything else, so other than go it alone it could go on forever till I'm sent elsewhere for tests, if that is an option with them. So good luck if you can finish with it, but very slowly.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 67Blue]

Have you tried an H2 antagonist? And has it been investigated? It could be hiatus hernia or something less pleasant.

[67Blue in reply to PMRpro]

Sorry have edited the bit about finishing steroids 2 years ago to 6 months ago. No sadly none of the people I have talked to on the phone have been at all interested in trying anything else, most of our regular drs have left and the casual ones don't seem to want to make any great decisions about me changing. The receptionist grills us so much and then I'm sure she doesn't pass on the relevant bits . They know I am worried about the results of being on Omeprazole so long, When I asked for the 10 mg and that didn't work just said go back up to 20 and gavescone as well at night if I need it. And will drop me to 10 again after a month, all going well. I have started the Acid watchers diet by Dr Jonathan Aviv and am hoping for great things, !!!! he does seem to have some good ideas and I have cut out anything below Ph 5. But I will go back shortly and not say anything other than I want to try an H2 antagonist. Thank you for replying.

[67Blue in reply to 67Blue]

No it hasn't been investigated, I guess that maybe inevitable, and if nothing found would at least relieve the stress from that-- but not from my other half.