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Prednisone and eating

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Prednisone and eating  
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Posted 11/1/2007 12:09 PM (GMT -6)
I took pred for the first time yesterday and i felt like a whole new person that's able to actually function haha. Then around 5ish or 6 ish my stomach started to cramp up... didn't have to go to the bathroom.. just crampy (it might have to do with my period..might not...usually don't have cramps in the 4th or 5th day.) Well I hadn't eaten after eating in the morning with the pred.


I've eaten more today because I want to see if it makes a difference on how my stomach feels when on this med.


Has anyone else noticed that pred works better if they eat more? OR just in general if you have UC.. do you find that if you DONT eat your stomach gets worse?
Diagnosed with UC March 07
 
Medications: Colazal 3 3x a day
                  Prednisone- 40mg
                  Lialda- 2 a day

Posted 11/1/2007 12:13 PM (GMT -6)
Are you taking all the pred at once? Or splitting it up?
Tabitha (Tab)

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-6 a day, Acidopholis Pearls, Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

Posted 11/1/2007 12:18 PM (GMT -6)
I am doin what the dr said to do and I'm takin 4 10mg pills in the morning with food... and my lialda in the morning also
Diagnosed with UC March 07
 
Medications: Colazal 3 3x a day
                  Prednisone- 40mg
                  Lialda- 2 a day

Posted 11/1/2007 4:11 PM (GMT -6)
When I am on pred i am pretty much always hungry. I have to be very careful how much I eat becuase pred seems to give me constant munchies!
Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, 15 mg pred. until immuran kicks in...
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---bumped to 100mg 10/8/07
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

Posted 11/1/2007 5:50 PM (GMT -6)
40mg at once? Wow!
updated medication schedule coming on 11-2-07

started Prednisone & Asacol on Thursday 10-4-2007

10-22-07- coming out of about an 8 week flare (my first one ever)

Posted 11/1/2007 5:51 PM (GMT -6)

Ah, yes, the steroid munchies! When I was on steroids, I wanted to eat the whole 12 inch sub sandwich, the wrapping it came in, the table I was sitting at and pretty much everything else in sight. And I wanted to dump the salt shaker on it first.

Yeah, I don't miss that.

Pred can cause muscle cramps, but I've never heard of it causing abdominal cramping. Maybe someone else can help with that.

Judy
 
Left-sided UC diagnosed 2001.  Taking Colazal and Imuran, Remicade infusions and moving into remission. Finally off steroids after four years! 
 
Now in remission for almost two years. Remicade has been my wonder drug.
 
"If you spend your time second-guessing your past decisions, you'll never have time to enjoy today."

Posted 11/1/2007 6:05 PM (GMT -6)
I wonder if the pred is starting to wear off later in the day and that is why you are getting crampy. I always split my doses (half in am, half after dinner) until I got under 20.
Tabitha (Tab)

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-6 a day, Acidopholis Pearls, Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

Posted 11/1/2007 6:27 PM (GMT -6)
well i wouldnt mind splitting em up, but i dont want to do something wrong with it and mess my system up... plus i dont want to go against what the dr said i should do.


i was in a bad flare so maybe thats why he wanted it all at once?



i'm startin to think those cramps were just from not eating and my period, because i ate today and im fine.
Diagnosed with UC March 07
 
Medications: Colazal 3 3x a day
                  Prednisone- 40mg
                  Lialda- 2 a day

Posted 11/1/2007 6:38 PM (GMT -6)
Geez, I was on 80mg at once. 40 was almost normal after that. Amazingly though, I never got hungry while on the pred when I was doing scd, but once i started eating crap again, I was ravenous. I did have a HUGE problem with my pred making it through the day at any dose. It would work for about 6 hours and stop. When I split the dose, same thing.
I did take a small stint of pred, 40 one day, 30 the next, then 20, 10, 5, each day. I was eating total crap, the worst food I could find, and it worked better. When I was taking the 80mg and so forth for a longer time, I didn't crave food, was still sick, and wasn't eating anything, and it wasn't working. When I tried the 5 day short trip, I had been eating more, got depressed, and decided to eat sick or not. And it worked, go figure.
I have decided I have no idea how pred works...total crap shoot for me.

Thank goodness I started remicade so now I won't ever have to experiment to find out!
dx 4/05 with pancolitis UC after birth of my second child... meds worked randomly
SCD and vit e enema remission for 18 months and had another drug free baby 10/06
Let flare get out of control and even steroids wouldn't work 7/07 - docs wanted surgery
lialda x4 daily and started remicade 10/26/07
 
 

Posted 11/1/2007 6:39 PM (GMT -6)
My doc has said that when i take pred is up to me. I don't like splitting mine becuase I don't sleep at all that way. I always took it all at once. It's worth a call to check if you think you may prefer a split dose. I have tried both and now what my preference is but I don't think a doc would have a problem with it.
Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, 15 mg pred. until immuran kicks in...
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---bumped to 100mg 10/8/07
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

Posted 11/1/2007 7:53 PM (GMT -6)
I always felt better if there was something in my guts for them to chew on. If I didn't eat, I'd end up with monsterous cramps!

I've always split up my pred dose above 20mg. It keeps it more even in your system. However, like Kelly said, it kept me up at night. However, any pred dose gave me insomnia. Then as I was tapering I was SO tired, but couldn't sleep. Vicious circle...

Try to have a snack every couple of hours and see if that helps :)
Pan-colitis and GERD diagnosed May 2003
 
Asacol 12 per day,  Azathioprine 75mg, Rowasa and Canasa as needed
Aciphex, Effexor XR, BCP, Rhinocort nasal spray
Forvia and a Probiotic
 
Osteopenia (hip and spine) from prednisone use.  Started Azathioprine because I was steroid dependent.
 
Co-Mod for the UC forum
Keep HealingWell running smoothly:  www.healingwell.com/donate

Posted 11/1/2007 7:59 PM (GMT -6)
My GI and my allergist both said to take the whole dose in the morning. Steroids last pretty long in your bloodstream, so it isn't really necessary to take them more frequently. It has to do with what's called the "half life" of the drug. Some drugs are metabolized and excreted in four hours, others take up to two weeks.
Judy
 
Left-sided UC diagnosed 2001.  Taking Colazal and Imuran, Remicade infusions and moving into remission. Finally off steroids after four years! 
 
Now in remission for almost two years. Remicade has been my wonder drug.
 
"If you spend your time second-guessing your past decisions, you'll never have time to enjoy today."

Posted 11/2/2007 1:05 AM (GMT -6)
I've always been told to take them before about 9am as that's when your body would have naturally created the hormone (that pred is based on) for the day. For me, that let me sleep the best, although at 40mg like you, I used to only sleep about 3 hours a night anyway.

Watch out for those pred munchies - I used to double check if the hunger came from my head, in which case that was the pred talking, or my stomach, in which case it might be genuine hunger.

I'm so glad you are feeling better and being treated. I was really worried when you posted the other day that you'd been advised to go to ER but couldn't afford it. Thanks for coming back to let us know how you are.
UC since 2001, diagnosed May 2005
Salofalk tablets (Asacol) 2 tablets 4 times daily (4gm total) for maintenance, Salofalk enemas and/or Colifoam for flares
Oat bran 60grams daily, Metamuscil and multivitamins

Currently using Colifoam (steroid foam) nightly to clear up a stubborn flare.

Posted 11/2/2007 11:42 AM (GMT -6)
Sweetmelody
 
I have been on pred for years - and I always take it in the morning - with food.  I have seen many GI's and they have all said the same thing - that it should always be taken in one go and in the morning.
Back on Pred - 8mg - Steroid Dependent :-(
Azathioprine 150mg
Actonel 35mg
Predfoam Enema
VSL #3 with Activia Yoghurt
EPA Fish Oils
Various Homeopathic meds
Asacol x 9
Remicade every 8 weeks  (Stopped working)
Aloe Vera Lily of the Desert Juice  Gave me the worst D !
Primadophilus Reuteri Probiotic
Prograf Tacrolimus 4mg
 

Posted 11/2/2007 1:04 PM (GMT -6)
thanks guys.. i feel better bout takin it in the morning now and i think i do have to reallly eat with it because i swear i took the meds and took like 2 bites of cereal and decided i didnt like it and i guess the meds work fast cuz my stomach started goin crazy then i ate a tortilla and it stopped immediately and started working.. craziness. I think also that this pred is makin me tired instead of keeping me awake.. i slept till noon today after takin meds at 8 and woke up all sweaty and ive not been able to sleep that long in ages.
Diagnosed with UC March 07
 
Medications: Colazal 3 3x a day
                  Prednisone- 40mg
                  Lialda- 2 a day

Posted 11/2/2007 1:32 PM (GMT -6)
Always take pred with food! If not, it can eat away at the lining of your stomach.

Also, as noted above - take before 9 am if you can, to stay with your body's "normal" cycle.

Pred can cause the sweats too.

about the sleeping - your body may just be trying to heal itself.  Most of that takes place while you sleep.

Pan-colitis and GERD diagnosed May 2003
 
Asacol 12 per day,  Azathioprine 75mg, Rowasa and Canasa as needed
Aciphex, Effexor XR, BCP, Rhinocort nasal spray
Forvia and a Probiotic
 
Osteopenia (hip and spine) from prednisone use.  Started Azathioprine because I was steroid dependent.
 
Co-Mod for the UC forum
Keep HealingWell running smoothly:  www.healingwell.com/donate

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