advice on not taking meds for a day

[lennysmummy]

hi me again, can anyone advise me on this. I have a gastroscope booked for tomorrow with sedation. I had a pre assessment today and they had no idea what GCA is and was going to Google it. 🙈 They have told me not to take my steroid’s tomorrow and it will not matter. I’ve tried to contact the the rheumatologist’s secretary and also the nurses helpline but not got hold of anyone. I’m in a quandary as I really do not know what I should do and whether a day of no prednisolone will matter. Anyone? 🙏❤️

[PMRpro Ambassador]

It is just the same as forgetting it for a day and almost everyone does that at some point. What time is the appointment and what dose are you on?

[lennysmummy in reply to PMRpro]

My appointment is at 2.50pm and I am on 8 and a half.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to lennysmummy]

I would take about half before bed tonight and the rest immediately after the procedure is done. Thinking about it - I'd take 5mg tonight, that should be fine and well before their cut-off for fasting?

It never ceases to amaze me the downright ignorance on the part of HCPs in the UK - I have yet to meet someone here who doesn't know what GCA is!!!!

[lennysmummy in reply to PMRpro]

I know it’s quite scary isn’t it. It’s not reassuring at all. 🙂

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to lennysmummy]

Agree with PMRpro in taking 5mg tonight - and rest later tomorrow… good luck with procedure.

[lennysmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you. 🙏

[SheffieldJane]

The test should only last 15 minutes. Can you not take it afterwards?. On the day a doctor is sure to know about this fairly usual issue, otherwise they are a pretty odd sort of doctor. Perhaps if it was nurses who did your pre-assessment, they didn’t know. It doesn’t fill you will confidence does it? Hydrocortisone was added via my cannula when I had a colonoscopy. No doctor wants an Adrenal crisis on their hands ( unlikely though). They just don’t want anything obscuring or altering the view I guess. Good luck! I am sure the anticipation is the worst bit.

[lennysmummy in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes it was the nurses. Obviously although I’m there at 2.50 I probably won’t go down until a lot later. If I took them later in the evening I wouldn’t sleep. I’m just worried about the effects the sedation would have taking steroids soon after. 😏

[Thelmarina in reply to lennysmummy]

I had to miss a dosage for a procedure - I was on 8mgs - and it had no impact on my PMR at all. Don’t worry! Lots of people miss a dose and survive ok. Good luck. 👍😀

[lennysmummy in reply to Thelmarina]

It’s not PMR it’s the GCA. Got advice last night and was told not to miss the dose. X

[Thelmarina in reply to lennysmummy]

So sorry - that’s a different situation. I rushed into reassure too soon! X

[SheffieldJane]

They told me I had sedation. I felt nothing from it. I guess the hydrocortisone cancelled it out. However, I was calm enough to be interested in watching my insides on a screen, including the removal of 6 polyps. So maybe I was calm, just not woozy. I hope this is just a failure in communication and it works out just fine. We just have to trust that they know what they are doing. 🍀

[lennysmummy in reply to SheffieldJane]

It is about having the trust..

[Ann1A in reply to lennysmummy]

Yes, but it's also about making sure they have (in a the most polite way) the information, and understanding of it, to deal safely with your conditionS

[lennysmummy in reply to Ann1A]

Yes I know. Well rheumatologist has just phoned and has advised I take them as normal. She did say that they could refuse to do the scope but it would be very unlikely.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to lennysmummy]

Makes sense… as your procedure is in the afternoon, the Pred will have got through your system… think usual cut off time is around 6 hours prior to procedures.

[lennysmummy in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes it is.