Taking 20 mg daily for ONE and my stomach is miserable. Swollen, acidy, burping and constipation. I don't want to take any ppi. What helps?
taking pred with food. I eat at least 3-4Oz of yogurt before I take pred with some fruit, usually banana. For constipation, prunes or prune jam would help.
Try chewing raw porridge (one desert spoonful) twice a day. Not my idea - read it in a chemist’s report. It’s natural so no side effects. It certainly helps me.
When I was taking Pred I always had a bowl of instant porridge in bed, plus two mugs of tea. After 20 minutes I was ready to go. No pain or stiffness. Best of luck, it does get better! The forum is always there to help, especially Eileen!
Many of us swear by organic natural yoghurt. ( Yeo Valley is easily obtainable in UK ) It was recommended to me long before I had PMR but did have a grouchy stomach and it helped a lot.
If you don't want to take a PPI and yoghurt isn't enough (it often is) what about ranitidine/Zantac? It has far fewer side effects than PPIs and just using it occasionally might be enough to calm things down.
A few ladies swear by lemon juice in hot water in the mornings, this version says before each meal:
"Although lemon juice is very acidic, small amounts mixed with water can have an alkalizing effect when it’s digested. This can help neutralize the acid in your stomach.
If you decide to try this home remedy, you should mix one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice with eight ounces of water. Then drink it about 20 minutes before a meal to help prevent symptoms that might be triggered by food.
Be sure to drink this mixture through a straw, if possible. This can prevent the acid in the juice from touching your teeth and eroding tooth enamel. And you should never drink straight lemon juice due to its acidity. It needs to be diluted with water to be effective."
By porridge, do you mean oatmeal?
I just put the pred in an enteric coated capsule.
Yes! Didn’t think it through!😏😀
When I was started on prednisone, I was also prescribed Omeprazole daily. Been on it for a year and never had any problems with reflux or stomach issues.
* Omeprazole reduces the amount of acid produced in your stomach.
* It is used to treat a number of stomach-related conditions caused by too much acid, such as indigestion, reflux, and ulcers.
* It can also prevent ulcers from forming, or help the healing process where damage has already occurred.
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As long-term use of Omeprazole can produce nutrient deficiencies, I also take magnesium.
Hi ! Is PPI the same as Omeprazole, I have been taking 20mg since I started on preds in 2014 with no side effects that I know about.
I hate breakfast so eat just half a banana before taking my tablets.
Not just magnesium - also calcium deficiency and hence osteoporosis...
Omeprazole is a PPI, a proton-pump-inhibitor, that is the mechanism that gives the reduction in acid production. Bit like a spaniel is a dog - but not all dogs are spaniels.
Yes, Eileen. I get calcium from full cream milk, cheese, yoghurt, greens etc so no need for supplements.
Morning Eileen. Have you any info about statins? I’ve developed a horrid dry cough and I can’t shift it. The only new tablets I have are statins and I wondered if those could cause the cough. Do you know of any other ways of lowering colesterol?
Greetings from a freezing, sunny Germany. Constance
Taking omeprazole prevents normal absorption of calcium - whether it is from a tablet or from the diet.
Statins can and do cause a cough. I have high cholesterol , familial, and high HDL which is very good. My mother lived to be 96. I don't take statins because of the side effects.
Statins can cause a persistent cough yes - stopping them removes the cough if there is no other reason for one. So it is simple to find out if it is the statin. Which one are you on?
One lady always told us how her cousin had high cholesterol when she had a stroke and the hospital just said "porridge for breakfast and an orange a day" - which she has done faithfully ever since, it worked and she is now 84 and physically fine.
Diet can do a lot for some people but I think you have to have had a pretty rubbish diet beforehand.
But what IS your cholesterol (LDL and HDL) and have you had a "cardiovascular event" as they term it? If not, there is little evidence it is worth giving statins to patients over 65. There was already evidence that giving statins to WOMEN without a history of established cardiovascular disease did not achieve any benefit. Now the evidence suggests that using statins and anyone over 75 is of no benefit - they were never included in the trials in a representative way - UNLESS they have had an "event". Are they suggesting that your "episodes" may be TIAs?
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/880487
And
"Many older adults have high cholesterol. Their doctors usually prescribe statins to prevent heart disease.
But for older people, there is no clear evidence that high cholesterol leads to heart disease or death. In fact, some studies show the opposite—that older people with the lowest cholesterol levels actually have the highest risk of death.
Statins have risks.
Compared to younger adults, older adults are more likely to suffer serious side effects from using statins.
Statins can cause muscle problems, such as aches, pains, or weakness. Rarely, there can be a severe form of muscle breakdown.
In older adults, statins can also cause:
Falls
Memory loss and confusion
Nausea, constipation, or diarrhea.
Often, older adults take many drugs. These can interact with statins and lead to serious problems. Side effects, like muscle pain, may increase. Statins can also cause a fatal reaction when taken with heart-rhythm drugs.
Statins may increase the risk of diabetes, cataracts, and damage to the liver, kidneys, and nerves.
Weigh the risks and benefits.
You and your doctor should look carefully at the risks and benefits of statins, especially if you are older and do not have heart disease"
Thanks for your very good brief on statins.
Not my original - why bark when you have a dog!!!
But this fixation with getting cholesterol down at any price drives me nuts!! I never did contribute to the cholesterol theory in the first place - and part of the reason it rises as we age has something to do with needing it. The same as BP going up. You need cholesterol to preserve nerve function and a bit more BP to keep the brain perfused: there is no wonder that dementia is on the increase and elderly patients fall...