PMR and change in bowel habits

[Sunshine8888]

Sorry it’s me again. There is just so much going on with my body at the moment! So this is day three of my bowel habits changing. Normally I open my bowels once a day first thing in the morning, over the last few days it’s been morning, noon and night. I haven’t got diarrhoea just feel like I constantly need to open my bowels. This has followed a couple of days previously of having very hard stools so much so that I’ve ended up with piles. I started taking Lanprezole a week ago as my stomach pain was awful. Just wondered if others have experienced anything like this or do I need to contact my doctor?I was on 20mg daily for two weeks now on 15mg daily. Thank you to everyone who has helped me so far, surely there can’t be much more I can ask you about! 🙏

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

.”.prazoles” very often have that affect -so you may need to try a different one.

When you quote med doses do you mean Lansoprazole or Pred?

Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty more you can ask about… 🙄..

[Sunshine8888 in reply to DorsetLady]

That was referring to steroid med doses. Thank you for making me feel better about asking so many questions 🙏😊

[PMRpro Ambassador]

So did all this start AFTER starting lansoprazole? No problems before that?

[Sunshine8888 in reply to PMRpro]

After

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sunshine8888]

Then I would suggest dropping the lansoprazole as a first measure - it can cause GI problems despite officially being to protect it!!

[Fatsiajaponica]

Hi Sunshine, I have had to stop my omeprazole as gave me chronic diarrhea which lasted half the day and required imodium to calm it down. I hadn't realised as it was progressive, then started to take sporadically which nailed the culprit. I understand that there are several other stomach protectors but I am now taking mine always with food and yoghurt, all seems well so far. Good luck, it is a journey of discovery, you will sort it out.

[Sunshine8888 in reply to Fatsiajaponica]

This is quite a journey, thank goodness I have you all to help me along the way 🙏

[Zebedee44]

Gaviscon Extra was recommended to me as a stomach protector. Easy to buy over the counter if you drop the lansoprazole and before seeing the doctor.

[Sunshine8888 in reply to Zebedee44]

Thank you stopped the lansoprazole today just to see how it goes,,, 🙏

[ImC_ in reply to Sunshine8888]

good luck. have a few dollops of thick plain yoghurt instead, though, maybe.

[Sunshine8888 in reply to ImC_]

Yes definitely having the yoghurt 🙏

[Gimme]

The PPI sounds like the most likely candidate, since you have just started it, and from the other answers to your question.

However, I have to ask, did it also coincide with a different brand of pred being taken? Reason that I ask is that I am wheat intolerant and the pharmacist accidentally switched me to one containing wheat starch and my body detected the change immediately with predictable results. I am supposing that none of your other meds have changed?

[allofaquandry in reply to Gimme]

Hi Gimme, I wonder if you can tell me the brand of Prednisolone, as I have had really unpleasant change in bowel habits that, after seeing your post, realise happen to coincide with a change in brand. The brand I am currently taking lists starch paste 15% in the contents and I am currently making enquiries with the company as to the plant base of that starch.

[Sunshine8888 in reply to allofaquandry]

It’s Almus. Stopped Lansoprazole yesterday and feel so much better! Had yoghurt and breakfast before taking steroids this morning so 🤞

[Gimme in reply to allofaquandry]

I specifically can't take the pred made by Stride, but the pharmacy has it written on their system now and they write gluten free on the label, so that I know that they checked. I haven't had any problems with any other brand. It is sometimes hard to tell. If it says maize starch, then I know that I am OK, but I am wary if it does not specify the kind of starch. I have an idea that the one that I could not take said starch paste, which I think is the one that turned out to contain wheat starch. It was a long time ago now, so I forget. You can also check by going to the pharmacy that dispensed your meds. I have a wheat allergy and may also be an undiagnosed celiac, and I am fairly reactive, so I usually know if it has wheat in it. Funnily enough, it was a conversation like this in this group that made me check the leaflet and I realised why I suddenly had a very upset tummy. But of course, this will only apply to you if you have either a wheat or gluten intolerance.

[allofaquandry in reply to Gimme]

Yep, that's the one!!! Thankyou so much. It is only because I saw your post that I thought I would, just in case, check it out! All my other prednisolone tablets seem absolutely fine but my 5mg tablets were changed and it is since then I have had terrible problems. I will now try to go without these particular tablets over the next week to see if it all calms down, hopefully I have enough to see me through.

I have a gluton intolerance and been gluten free for well over a year now. It's weird how these things develop with age, or maybe it would explain the irritable bowel problems I developed in my 30s also the various bowel problems before I considered gluten to be the problem.

Thank you again Gimme, you have given me food for thought and something to work with.

[Gimme in reply to allofaquandry]

My PMR symptoms started at the same time as all my gastro symptoms, so I am certain it is linked in some way. PMRpro has a theory about leaky gut. Though I have a suspicion that the IBS is part of the autoimmune response.

You ought to be able to get an emergency pack from the pharmacy if that is going to leave you short of tablets. When I found out that they had got wheat in, I didn't have any other tablets and the pharmacist was also able to give me a pack as an emergency. I called the doctor's surgery and explained to the receptionist that I could not just stop the pred and she got a prescription rushed through for me.

I've been gluten free for almost 20 years now. I was initially diagnosed with IBS, and I realised that it must be dietary, so I kept investigating. I am a fructose malabsorber and wheat intolerant, probably an undiagnosed celiac, but I had already stopped eating wheat when I was tested and I tested negative.

[allofaquandry in reply to Gimme]

Oh Gimme, I am so slow in putting 2 and 2 together! Thankyou. I changed my tablets at 2 this morning after seeing your post. I don't know yet if it is just suggestive, but I already feel much better so fingers crossed.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to allofaquandry]

If you have been g/f for a year then suddenly introducing even a small amount can result in an exaggerated respone.

[Numptybrain]

Prednisone can affect the stomach so you need miracle or lanzoprazole to protect it, hence why you’re bowel habits are changing. This will calm down once the new medication gets into your system and once you taper down on your steroids. Hope this helps

Take care

Wendy xx

[Karendeena]

I took Lansoprazole to start with but after after a few months my bowel habits changed only to looser stools. I was swapped to famotidine but sadly my digestive system never went back to normal and that was 4 years ago 😞

[Sunshine8888 in reply to Karendeena]

Oh goodness poor you! I only took lansoprazole for three days and I’ve stopped yesterday. I’ve had a much better day today however I will probably have to find something else 🙏

[Karendeena in reply to Sunshine8888]

Famotidine is good. The 'ozoles' upset me.

[HeronNS]

Unless you have had gastric problems prior to pred why not try what several others have suggested and make sure to line your stomach with something like yoghurt and a bite of food beforehand? In early days I used to take pred in the middle of breakfast. Much later I was taking a lower dose at 2 a.m. and used to have a small helping of plain full fat yoghurt handy to swallow before taking the pred with some water. Never any problems. In fact I now use the same technique if I need to take aspirin for headache, and that's much more likely to hurt the stomach than pred.

A major disadvantage of the 'prazoles is they can interfere with nutrient absorption. Doctors are freaked out by pred interfering with calcium absorption, but seem quite casual about prescribing another medication which can also lead to lower bone density. The 'prazoles are not designed for longterm use and shouldn't be prescribed that way.

[Sunshine8888 in reply to HeronNS]

I feel so much better not taking the lansoprazole! Tomorrow I’ll definitely have yoghurt etc before taking the steroids. 🙏

[Gimme in reply to HeronNS]

Your last para is something that baffles me too.