When is the best time to take esmoprazole?

[allofaquandry]

It’s been a bit of a rubbish year and I need advice please.

Recent context: the rubbish year has involved chest infection, Covid, flu, a diagnosis of diverticulosis, polyps on gall bladder and cysts on kidneys and, silent reflux (I do wonder if some of this is due to long-term medication including omeprazole!)

I thought that the silent reflux problem might be due to lying down not long after taking the prednisolone (along with some yoghurt).

So I decided it would make sense to move from taking prednisolone at 2am to instead taking it at 7.30 after breakfast and when I would be up and moving about instead of lying down.

However, the very reason I took the prednisolone at 2am was because I was hit by aching legs and stiffness at around 4am and it was bad enough to prevent me getting back to sleep.

But I now struggle with aches and stiffness again in the early morning. So it’s back to the drawing board. I am going back to taking the pred at 2 a.m., but I’ll prop myself up for half an hour before lying down to sleep again. I’ve also invested in bed risers (6inches) at the top of the bed to help.

So my question is: when is the best time to take esmoprazole, morning before breakfast, evening, or half hour before the pred (makes it a very wakeful night).

I would value advice, feedback, others experience. (I would really like to get off PPIs but until this settles I am on esmoprazole and ‘Gaviscon advance’ after meals.)

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If your problem is more at night, then take it before bed. Once you have been on it for a few weeks, the effect does last up to 24 hours but is at its most effective for a few hours after taking it. So for night time protection - take it before bed.

Have you ever tried splitting the dose of pred? Take about 2/3 of the total dose in the morning after breakfast. Then take the other 1/3-ish sufficiently later to extend the effect to the full 24 hours and the next morning dose. Often taking that with lunch is later enough for success and means you don't have to disturb your sleep in the night.

[allofaquandry in reply to PMRpro]

what a wonderful idea....it never occurred to me!!!! I have read on here this approach before! The filing system in the old brain doesn't work like it use to, needs oiling!

I will give it a go. Thank you

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to allofaquandry]

Sometimes such things just aren't that obvious!!!

[piglette]

It is recommended that one takes Proton Pump Inhibitors such as esmoprazole BEFORE taking pred. It is also recommended to take pred early morning. At the end of the day though, it really depends what works best for you.

[Louisa1840]

Hi, I take mine in the morning with my pred and meloxicam. I have tried going off it as an experiment but quickly got back on it again when the acid tummy made itself known. But, as Piglette says, it really is what works for you...

Good Luck and God Bless..

[Rabbit090]

I take omeprazole as soon as I wake up (usually 6:30-7am) then take Pred with my breakfast an hour later. but then I’m not much for springing out of bed.

I’ve also got used to eating dinner quite early now. I used to eat late - sometimes 8pm or later but now we rarely eat supper past 6:30 and I find this helps considerably. If we go out to eat and can only find late tables, we tend to walk and I suspect the post dinner walking home helps too.

[Harveyb38]

Hi I take mine in the morning, luckily had no problems

[allofaquandry]

Hi all, many thanks for your responses. Timing of esmoprazole now sorted. Moreover, given the inflammation in the early hours of the morning I am trying the 2/3 morning and 1/3 evening meal. So far so good, day one of new timings, however the big test will be tomorrow morning when there will be no overlap with the prednisolone the day before (yesterday I took all my prednisolone in the morning so last night's 1/3 pred was in a way an extra ). so, fingers crossed, onwards and upwards.

Many thanks.

[Scarysit]

Hi

Sorry to hear you’re having such a rough time!

I had to request Gastro resistant Prednisolone as it upset my stomach so much (I have hiatus hernia)

I take lansoprazole 2 hours before Pred, wake up around 6am and then take pred around 8am. Works for me

Best of luck x