Advice on medication

[Callymac]

Over the last couple of weeks I have had pains in my stomach and for longer than that regular bladder problems. Always feeling I need to go to the toilet. I am on 3.5 mg of prednisolone and am wondering if it has anything to do with the other pills I am taking each day. 1 -20 mg omeprazole, 1 - 1000 mg theicalD3. I also take 1 high strength 1000mg cod liver oil capsule . I tend to take all of these after breakfast but for the last week have been taking the calD3 a bit later in the day. However the stomach pain is still there. Would appreciate any advice.

[SnazzyD]

Adcal gave me cystitis and stomach pain so I cut the dose by buying my own supplements and then just went for increasing dietry intake (non dairy) as it is quite easy.

[Callymac in reply to SnazzyD]

Thanks Snazzy. Reassuring to know I’m not alone.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

As a first step I'd consider getting some plain vit D tablets and dropping the calcium part of the supplement for a while and see if that helps. Like Snazzy calcium supplements gave me cystitis by forming grit in the urine. Mind you, with the cod liver oil you may not need more vit D.

The stomach pain - where is it? Upper abdomen so gastric-related pain or lower abdomen and possibly related to the bladder?

When do you take your pred? Bit late after all this time but you should be taking your calcium at least a couple of hours after the pred.

[Callymac in reply to PMRpro]

The pain is quite high up in the abdomen. Doesn’t keep me awake at night but there in the morning when I wake up.

Will definitely drop the calcium supplement for a while and see if that makes a difference. Thanks all for your guidance.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Callymac]

The combination of the calcium carbonate in calcium supplements and a PPI can end up being far too much antacid effect. See if it improves without the calcium supplement.

[Callymac in reply to PMRpro]

Will give that a go. Thanks for advice

[SheffieldJane]

Adcal gave me on-going cystitis symptoms, tests showed no infection. The GP took me off Calcium supplements and this improved things, although I would say I am still prone. I take vit D supplements and have a high calcium diet. I drink plenty of water throughout the day and if I wake in the night. I find that Mannose- D Waterfall is a soothing remedy. I have been told by a GP that physiological changes due to age can make women prone to these symptoms. Make sure you don’t have a bacterial infection, the pain is a concern.

[humlies]

I am also on 3.5 pred, and also plagued with bladder problems, which I have never had in the 3.5 years since I was diagnosed with PMR, in spite of frequent bouts of cystitis in the past. I have been reminded that the clever bacteria can stick to the walls of the bladder, and that nothing will shift them apart from a week's course of antibiotics. I've tried so hard to do without these but have now had to succumb. Maybe this is something you will need at some time?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to humlies]

It is alleged that D-mannose unsticks the bacteria ...

[humlies in reply to PMRpro]

Oh good - thank you. I must try to find some - presumably online?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to humlies]

Or any decent chemist or health store. Always worth the try,