Prednisolone 5mg - urgent advice needed!

[ElleALaw]

Hi all,

I'm currently awaiting diagnosis of crohns and was still secretly hoping it would be something else. However, when I rang the surgery today regarding being symptomatic and going away on the weekend for work she said in light of the Crohns she would do a prescription for prednisolone.

Here's where I need a little help! I'm on 4 5mg a day. The pharmacist said take them all at once but just wanted to check this as I can't see how he'd know they were to treat Crohns especially as I havn't complete diagnosis yet.

He knows I have asthma and coeliac disease so I suppose there's a possibility he put two and two together (the pharmacy is joined to my GP's and collect my scripts for me) but just wanted to check what you think.

So 2 questions :

1) If you were put onto steroids would you take all four at once or would you do something else?

2) In light of the on all doctor looking at my notes and agreeing to give me steroids do you think they know it's Crohns? (my main GP has referred me and everyone I speak to says it is - I'm in the medical profession so get to quiz medics, lol)

Don't get me wrong it would be wonderful if it's not but after the amount of pain I've suffered an answer seems wonderful!

Thanks in advance,

:sign0085: x

 

[Clash]

My son started out on 40mg and his diagnosing GI didn't specify so we took 40mg after breakfast but when he saw his Peds GI he instructed us to split the dosage, 20mg after breakfast and 20mg in the evening. C had insomnia the whole time and the change in time of dose didn't seem to help or hinder. Maybe someone else here can give you a firmer answer on dosage times. Hope you get to feeling better!

 

[lookame]

Prednisone is used to treat a wide range of inflammitory disorders and autoimmune disorders. Now your Gp and/or GI probably perscribed 5mg tablets because eventually you'll wean down off of them probably 5 mgs at a time. I have been on 20mgs of prednisone before in 5mg tablets and I took them all at once as well. It is much better if you take them all at once because I imagine the side effects can be pretty bad if you continuously throughout the day take 5mgs at a time. You also may run into a situation where the steriod doesn;t snap your system back into shape(which is the point of the 'roids). You can take them all at night before bed to avoid the most disturbing side effects(mood changes, sweats, excessive hunger, ect) but one of the side effects is also sleeplessness so that may not work.

I took my 'roids somewhere between the time I woke up (around 10am) and noon. I found it better to take them earlier because the side effects would wear off faster.

 

[ElleALaw]

Hi both,

Just a quick message to thank you both for your Rees. I think I'll take them all at the same time and hope I finally start to get a bit of normality back to my key. Onwards and upwards.

Hope your well ATM x x x

 

[Jennifer]

Indeed it seems like the dosage was meant to be weaned over time and the pharmacist is correct in taking them all at once (pharmacists know a lot more about medications and interactions etc). 20mg isn't that high of a dose so you shouldn't have too many side effects unless you take them long term. A lot of people mentioned to take them in the morning as it can affect your sleep but I always took it at night with the rest of my meds and didn't notice a change in sleep habits (I have insomnia anyway so its hard to tell what does what anymore in that regard). Hope it helps and keep us posted!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

They usually recommend to split the dose because it's more effective but you can take it all at once. Best thing is to follow the docs advice.