PMR and coated Prednisolone tablets

[Freshairfiend]

Hallo

Has anyone been able to have prescribed for them prednisolone tablets that are labelled as "enteric coated" or "gastro resistant" ?

these can be taken without food, which would be a boon for me.

If I don’t sleep very well, which is common, then I wake late and end up taking my preds about 10am. I’m then very awake in the evening/bed time.

I’d really like to be able to just reach out early morning and have the preds without food and without dissolving, then go back to sleep. Dissolving them and eating with food means I’m very awake after all that.

I also don’t like eating as soon as I wake up, for various reasons.

It’s early days for me, in my first week of meds, so I may settle in my sleep and start waking earlier.

hope that makes sense and grateful for any advice.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Many on here have EC/GR tablets - but its not always easy... depends on GP/Rheumy and sometimes the local trust's policy.. but if you don't ask you don't get...

If you cannot get them prescribed perhaps consider changing times and take before you go to bed or just take with a spoonful of yogurt when you wake - and why are you on dissolvable tablets?

[Freshairfiend in reply to DorsetLady]

Many thanks. Yes I will ask my gp. The tablets can be taken whole or dissolvable, but the leaflet says they are best taken dissolved. Yogurt sounds a very good idea.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Freshairfiend]

Not sure that many have a brand that say they can dissolved… mine never did. Most just say take with water… but you can sneak them into a spoonful of yogurt quite easily…

[Freshairfiend in reply to DorsetLady]

Yes, love that idea. Many thanks.

[piglette]

I have enteric coated. I have a piece of hard cheese with them.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Quite a few are on the enteric coated - but it seems to have become a postcode lottery as to whether they are approved for use or blacklisted as ineffective and therefore not funded. All you can do is ask.

[Bluey-1]

I have enteric coated with a spoonful of yoghurt.

[Rugger]

I have gastro-resistant pred, but I wash off the red colouring from the 5mg tablets, as the food colouring they use (Ponceau 4R) made me breathless. Washing them doesn't affect the drug inside!

[Ana-16]

Yes I have them. My gp prescribed them specifically because I have a hiatus hernia etc! I’ve had 2.5 mg and 1mg. Hope you’re able to access them

[Sharitone]

I have always had them, but I'm not sure that I would want to take them on an empty stomach.

[Bcol]

Yes, EC ones are available, but, if you are awake then around 02:00-02:30 is the best time to take your Pred as that helps to nullify the inflammation, which starts around 04:00-04:30 before it gets into your system. Tablets with some Greek yogurt and back to sleep.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

Only applies for plain pred which takes 1-2 hours to get into the system, Enteric coated can be taken immediately before bed to achieve the same effect - they take about 4+ hours or so to be absorbed,

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

Yey, apologies forgot to add that bit.

[Freshairfiend in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks, very helpful

[Freshairfiend in reply to Bcol]

so helpful, many thanks

[PMRnewbie2017]

The only thing i would add is you may have to adjust the time of day you take EC/GR tablets as they take longer to get into the bloodstream. However, taking them at bedtime would work quite nicely as their level in the blood would be nicely poised to deal with the inflammatory chemical which is released between 4am and 8am. It's all a bit trial and error in the early days so don't be surprised if you have to jiggle your timings which ever form of Pred yoy settle on.

[Freshairfiend in reply to PMRnewbie2017]

Thanks, I’d no idea about the timing issues.

[Pangolin43]

Hello. I take enteric coated with a glass of water every night and I’ve never had a problem.. the GP tried to no longer prescribe them to me because of cost and wanted me to change… I stuck to my guns and they continued with the prescription thank goodness. Good luck 😀