I’m on a Prednisolone reduction programme currently down to 6mg,5mg,5mg,6mg and so forth plus 20mg daily of Omeprazole and 15mg weekly of methotrexate with one folic acid tablet weekly. I still have pain and stiffness but no where near as bad as I once did.
I’m going on holiday in a few weeks and it involves a four hour ferry crossing and is apparently quite a rough crossing (dreading that as I do get dreadful seasickness).
I wonder if I’d be ok to take travel sickness tablets for the journey on top of what I’m taking?
I can’t get through to my GP ( permanently engaged) and they are not near enough for me to just pop in and ask.
I’m in the U.K.
Thank you in advance
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Earthangel59
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The person to ask is a pharmacist. Medication is their bread and butter, plus they are more accessible. Whilst on Pred I took seasickness meds and before that with no issues. What I would say is, when they tell you what you can take, experiment first. I found that one type made me off my trolley, such that my family had to keep me in the cabin until I stopped rambling on about having to keep my eyes wide open at all times. It is also handy to know how sleepy they will make you, so is it a case of pop and sleep or pop and go about your day. Lots of cruisers on a forum swear by eating green and apple and also sea bands which involve no ingestion. I find avoiding being hungry makes a big difference.
Oh yes, that’s Rory, a Romanian rescue with some Carpathian shepherd dog in him. Normally a that’s a larger breed but whatever he’s mixed with stunted his growth so the large paws when he was about 8 months there didn’t come to anything so he is a funny shape, bless him. He likes to play out his guarding genes from behind the safety of a fence.
It seems to be a genetic feature of Rommie rescues that they have short legs and a long wheel base. Our other rescue Rommie obviously came from long legged sight hound thing and can run like lightning except some genes gave him the same issue. Unfortunately he can shift just when one doesn’t want him to. We did a genetic test on him and they got as far as spaniel, Labrador and Doberman before the database had a fit. He can’t decide whether to herd something or kill it, poor love.
Snazzy has dealt with the pills, EAt before boarding - seriously, don;t travel on an empty stomach!!
What crossing are you using? By far the best aid to avoiding sea-sickness is to stay close to a window where you can see the horizon and keep looking out of the window, Being on deck somewhere safe is even better as then you have fresh air. I know it sounds counterintuitive but we were on a Calais ferry with a couple of panic stricken teens who were trying to find a seat with no view because they were feeling sick even in the harbour. We sat them down by the big picture windows - and voila, no more feeling sick!
On a slightly different subject… I still have pain and stiffness but no where near as bad as I once did - guess you aren’t following the DSNS or my taper- but you have been given by doctor?
You might find rather than alternating as you are, which doesn’t sound quite right as you write it - you’d be better off reducing by 0.5mg a time, as using one of the tapers mentioned above. 1mg tablets provided they are plain uncoated one can be easily cut. And if you get to 5mg before you go on holiday, don’t start new taper until after you return…
And on WHAT grounds did the GP "advise against 0.5mg"?
Funny - was talking to Prof Sarah Mackie last night about mixed messages, encouraging patients to reduce too quickly and adding in another immunosuppressant once the patient is well into single figures of pred ...
The rheumatologist said that I should be off Pred by now (2 years on it…started at 15mg) but as I’d had a flare when I got to 5mg she put me back up to 7mg and then told me to do what I’m doing now with a view to being back at 5mg by my next appointment and then put me on methotrexate to.
I was unsure about methotrexate and asked my go for advice. I said I wanted to come down off of the Pred by 0.5mg at a time so instead of reducing by 1mg monthly, straight off, could I reduce by 0.5mg weekly and he said no so I asked why I was given a pill cutter when I first started coming down from 15mg and he said the lower the dose the less effect 0.5mg will have.
After all this I’m going to do my own thing and instead of alternating I’m going to try 5.5mg daily for the next month.
Heck! Where would we all be without each other? We may not be medics but I’m damned sure as sufferers we are more clued up.
I feel the medics just sweep us under the carpet as hypochondriacs. That’s his mine make me feel anyway.
When I said I had hip pain recently he said it’s just wear and tear!
I took 6.00mg today after reading everything on here. I will stick with 6mg until after my holiday then TRY dropping to 5.5mg. I’m doing it my way from now on.
If you get to 5mg on your own I would absolutely refuse to go on MTX - at the meeting last night we were ranting about the 2 year myth of PMR. And yes, it is true that a lot of rheumies don't want to see PMR patients - they think it is beneath them.
"he said the lower the dose the less effect 0.5mg will have." - stupid man!!! That is EXACTLY when 1/2mg makes more difference, It is a greater percentage of the dose you are changing and you will feel it more.
I was going to ask of your GP was any better but apparently not ...
I believe pred reduction is best managed by the patient as they know inside how they feel. Pain back go up a bit pain down go down a bit. But not too fast a reduction.I dont believe in being in pain purely to be a hero your body tells you what is best.
I am now at 6 i had a little flare my fingers hurt a little in the morning and i had slightly strange pains in muscles. Not bad ones but i knew they were not normal for me.
I do split dose pred I always have.
I have made sure my second pred is taken slightly later in the ecening and all this new pain has gone.
What i am saying "I think"" is you know your body best so take control by thinking of little.changes based on what your body tells you.
Do you know why? The vast majority of patients on here find reducing by that amount when on singles figures a godsend.. and much easier than the alternating dose you are on… but then what would patients actually know about anything 🤔
Hi, drink ginger beer on the trip, it helps settles your tummy. Also if you can sit outside in the middle of the boat, look out on the horizon, not straight down. Ring a pharmacist and get the seasickness brand they recommend. They know as much as doctors about all that. Besides all that, have paper bags at the ready (hopefully they're not needed). Enjoy your holiday.
I too am travel sick, I find eating doughnuts helpful, ( bizarre I know,). Fills your stomach but not heavy , also if you are ill, not too disgusting ( sorry to say that but it’s true and best to be prepared). 🤣. All the other advice true, fresh air, watch horizon etc, Have a fab holiday!
I used to dread any sea crossings and I agree about asking pharmacist. I also use ginger pills. In a former life I was an army wife and did tours in Northern Germany. North Sea crossings of 14 ot 16 hours!! At one party I was talking to one of the ferry Captains and he said Brits make a classic mistake and try travelling on an empty stomach! DON'T! So I listened and make sure I eat plenty! That works although I still try not to eat on a moving boat. A packet of ginger biscuits to nibble. Enjoy the trip.
Albeit not so far, Oban to Lochboisdale with good old CalMac in the 80s used to be fun as well especially in the winter! With 2 kids, cat & dog …. Ahh the joys of being an army wife… 😊
Oh that's prompted memories of Lochboisdale shop - sheep dip alongside sliced bread (of the dunlopillow variety) and every thing else you might need but might not. Wonderful place to browse
I am a terrible sailor. Sturgeon is my drug of choice. Cinnarizine is the active ingredient. My pharmacist and gp both said it was OK for me to take with my pred (5mg a day long term). I take other meds too and was warned that the Stugeron might make me drowsy with my other meds. This wasn't an issue as I wasn't driving steering or sailing just a passenger. I would check with your own pharmacy when you buy your pills just to be sure.
You might consider getting a Relief Band. I always travel wearing one just in case motion sickness hits. Reliefband sits on the underside of the wrist, delivering pulses that stimulate the median nerve. These signals travel through the body's nervous system to the part of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting. Check out the website relief band.com. They are available on Amazon and other retailers.
The infantry states to allow for up to four hours for the crossing. I suppose it depends on conditions. I’ve not been before so I hope it is only 2 hours and 45 mins.
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