Hi everyone, newbie here. I'm not comfortable with taking Omeprazole to 'protect my stomach' while taking prednisolone. Obviously I don't want to develop ulcers, but is this stuff really necessary. I'm on 13.5 mg of Pred at the moment. Thanks.
Omeprazole and Prednisolone : Hi everyone, newbie... - PMRGCAuk
Omeprazole and Prednisolone
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DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer
Not everyone requires or takes a PPI.
If you don’t suffer with stomach issues , and don’t take other medication which may cause an issue you may well be okay taking your Pred with a spoonful of yogurt or something…and it’s always recommended you take with or after food.
You probably need to look at your own situation and discuss with your doctors, but at the end of the day it’s your choice.
in reply to DorsetLady
Thank you, I was given Omeprazole with the Pred as a matter of course, as if you can't have one without the other. Now I am starting to think it might not be a good thing to take. Thank you, I'll think about how I can approach this. I have only been diagnosed 5 weeks and it is all new.
It’s is suggested in the guidelines, and for many Pred can cause stomach issues… so it’s the powers to be covering all eventuality…
I was prescribed the coated version of pred, which should protect your stomach anyway.
My doctors told me that a gastric protectant is required even with the coated pred due to the long term use.
As Dorset Lady says it is doctors protecting themselves. Having worked with the pharmaceutical industry I reckon it because doctors are not that au fait with drugs in general.
Me too for o er 40 yrs.
Lansoprazole seems to be kinder on the stomach than omeprazole, according to my ENT doctor when she was investigating the sore throat left by acid reflux. Like yourself I was reluctant to take a PPI routinely and was possibly naive in thinking kefir would protect my stomach.
Seven years of pred have left me with polyps and atrophic gastritis which affects absorption of vitamins and minerals, leaving me anaemic. Certainly it was recommended by Dr Christian Selinger during his talk on Saturday which was presented after the PMRGCAUk AGM. But it’s your choice.
in reply to Zebedee44
Thank you for this. I will ask my doctor at my next review in three weeks 🙂
Lookingforideas in reply to
Hi there, I was automatically prescribed it when diagnosed in early 2020 and on 15mg of pred at the start - but I only took it for about a week to 10 days and having researched it a bit by then, decided not to keep taking it. I always made sure I took the pred with food, and I had no problems at all - but we are all different aren’t we? … so it’s a case of try it and see how you go - if you’ve been taking a high ish dose maybe cut the PPI down a bit slowly before stopping suddenly? Good luck.😀!
After 3 years (but latterly had reduced onto only tiny doses of pred,) I was assiduously chopping pred tablets into 1/2s & then 1/4a and did Dorset lady’s reduction plan even with them, so going really gradually from 1mg to 1/2mg to 1/4mg on that reduction plan over the last year or so. I probably could have stopped quicker but at those very low doses I don’t think it was doing me any harm to get off so slowly and I certainly avoided any relapses that way. I've been off completely now for about a year & feeling more confident that I’m going to pass the point of not worrying about a relapse/flare now 🤞🤞🤞. There is a light at the end of the tunnel 😀 👍
That's so good to hear, well done!!
I’m on similar pathway but feel encouraged there’s light at end of tunnel judging by your experience. I’ve been trying to reduce pred for many months but now think the slower 1/2 or 1/4 method might be best👍
I dont know if I was just lucky, or if my mega healthy diet for my MS helped, (it’s supposed to be anti inflammatory so maybe it did help?) or whether the very, VERY, slow reduction towards the end was why I didn’t relapse - ha, YET!🤪. Fingers crossed I don’t 🤞. Good luck to you all.
So good to hear. Gives us hope. X
Loved reading this well done x
Did Dr Selinger not also say it wasn't necessary to take if you were on lower than 10mg Pred?
Was it 10mg, that seems rather a high dose. I thought below 5mg was considered relatively “safe”. It could take years to get down through the lower doses without stomach protection if that is the case.
I remember it being 10 mgs also? I also remember him indicating that the issue was 'systemic' so the taking with food in itself was not sufficient protection. I did ask a question about this asking for clarification of the 'systemic' reaction but this was not picked up. The pharmacist at Moorfiels Eye hospital also said it was systemic and therefore the coated tablets were also inadequate protection. I guess it is individual, atm I am not taking a PPI but if problems arise will reassess.
The systemic reeaction is involving prostaglandins.
That’s interesting thank you. I’m being tested because GP thinks I may have anaemia. I’ve been on omeprazole since summer 2020 most of the time. And when GCA initially diagnosed last December the rheumy said to take double dose. I did for just a couple of months.
I wasn't prescribed anything to take with my pred but was told to take it with food which I always do. I take it after my breakfast and very rarely with some yoghurt if I'm not hungry.
Put each tablet in a spoon of yogurt, rather than taking them with liquid. Have some yogurt before and after to line stomach and take it in the middle of breakfast. I find on higher levels it's best not to drink much hot liquid till they're dissolved. Once on lower single figures it's less crucial.
I was prescribed Omeprazole along with Alendronic acid as routine with the first pred prescription in 2017. I decided not to take either after discussion with GP, dentist and pharmacist. I take pred with a spoon of yoghourt and I’ve had no stomach issues. I’ve been on pred almost continuously since 2017.
I too was given omeprazole when I was first prescribed prednisolone but refused it as I'd had a problem with it previously. Following advice from this forum I always eat something before taking the pred and I've never had stomach issues. Good luck finding what works for you.
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I have been on omeprazole for years for gastric reflux. I have been taking prednisolone for about 10 months now, with no adverse reactions stomach wise.
I found that the so called stomach protector I was prescribed actually gave me more problems. So I took my Pred in thick Greek yoghurt and haven’t had any more issues with my stomach. I’m now down to 6 to 5.5 mg on the DSNS taper. All the best! Question everything! You need to be very informed and comfortable with your decisions. You only get one body!
Hello,
I have had problems with Omneprazole and Lansoprazole.
Have been taking Prednisolone with my breakfast for nearly 4 years without any stomach problems. We are all different, so maybe it’s better to try the Prednisolone on its own to see its effects, before taking any extra meds.
I hope to soon be off Pred, I’ve been on it too long and have now reduced to 1mg.
I stopped it after a month when I saw it can damage your bones - and as I'd never had stomach/acid reflux issues. I take my Pred with breakfast (usually Greek yoghurt/peanut butter/berries/granola bowl).
That's what I am thinking of doing now, I always have yogurt & fruit for breakfast and take my Pred once I have eaten it and never had any issues - I had got down to 10mg before having a check up with my GP where she prescribed Omeprazole ... will discuss at my next review next week ..
After taking ppis for years for reflux, I became allergic to them. I did take Aciphex for a while years ago. With pred I'm doing nothing, never any stomach symptoms. It did come out that ppis can really damage your absorption of minerals like magnesium, taken long term. Those stomach acids are there for a reason. Play it by ear, doctors are required to cover their rear ends.
HiI have been on pred for almost 10 years.
I was prescribed Omeprazole which initially I took ' on and off' but then was strongly advised to take it regularly which I did until my kidney function went very down hill. At the worst egfr was 42. It was low anyway, about 66. The guide for my age was about 93.
My gp suspected it was caused by the omeprazole. Once I stopped my egfr went back to about 59.
I can no longer take omeprazole.
To date I have never had any stomach issues any way and always take enteric coated pred now and yogurt with medication.
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