how to help stomach pain after a course of prednisone

by Vince Leuschke MD 5 min read

If your stomach still feels sore after taking prednisone with food, try taking an antacid. If the discomfort persists or gets worse, talk to your doctor. You are also more likely to get stomach ulcers if you take prednisone in combination with anti-inflammatories (such as ibuprofen or diclofenac) or aspirin.

Gastrointestinal symptoms
Self-care tips: Report to your physician any severe, persisting abdominal pain or black, tarry stools. Take the steroid mediation after a full meal or with antacids, as this may help reduce irritation of the stomach. Steroids can increase your appetite.
Aug 5, 2021

Full Answer

Who should not take prednisone?

You should not stop ... by people taking Lialda in clinical studies. Some other medications used to treat UC may cause weight gain. These include corticosteroids such as prednisone.

What are the long term effects of taking prednisone?

Side effects requiring immediate medical attention

  • Aggression
  • agitation
  • blurred vision
  • decrease in the amount of urine
  • dizziness
  • fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
  • headache
  • irritability
  • mood changes
  • noisy, rattling breathing

More items...

Can taking prednisone cause stomach pain?

Prednisone, as an oral medication, can disrupt the balance of microorganisms in the mouth and sometimes cause side effects like thrush. It is also associated with sore throats, stomach pain and digestive issues. Common side effects of prednisone tend to be mild, especially with lower doses and short-term use.

Why does prednisone cause abdominal pain?

They include:

  • Retaining fluid (water weight gain)
  • Eating more calories
  • Getting less physical activity

How do you stop your stomach from hurting from prednisone?

Gastrointestinal symptoms: Be sure to take prednisone on a full stomach. Antacids can also help reduce stomach irritation. Infection: Because corticosteroids like prednisone suppress the body's immune system, vaccines can be particularly helpful.

Can coming off prednisone cause stomach pain?

Steroid use cannot be stopped abruptly; tapering the drug gives the adrenal glands time to return to their normal patterns of secretion. Withdrawal symptoms and signs (weakness, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain) can mimic many other medical problems.

What helps your body after prednisone?

Take these steps to help control withdrawal symptoms:Exercise. If you feel up to it, a slow walk or some stretches may help your aches and pain. ... Physical therapy. The doctor can prescribe physical therapy to treat pain and teach you safe ways to move your body.Meditation and counseling.

How long do side effects of prednisone last after stopping?

Symptoms can vary in intensity and may last anywhere from a few days to several months after discontinuing the drug. The severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms usually correlate with the length of time that a person was taking prednisone, as well as the size of their regular dose.

How long does it take to flush steroids out of your system?

How long will it be detectable? If taken orally, steroids can show up in a urine test for up to 14 days. If injected, steroids can show up for up to 1 month.

How long does it take for immune system to recover after prednisone?

Immune system suppression after steroid intake ranges from 3 weeks to 2 months.

What are side effects coming off prednisone?

If you abruptly stop taking prednisone or taper off too quickly, you might experience prednisone withdrawal symptoms:Severe fatigue.Weakness.Body aches.Joint pain.Nausea.Loss of appetite.Lightheadedness.

How long does it take for prednisone bloating to go away?

The good news is, once the steroids are stopped and your body readjusts, the weight generally comes off. This usually happens within 6 months to a year.

What should I eat after taking prednisone?

Prednisone increases appetite, resulting in increased calorie intake. This increased appetite can be difficult to control....Eat foods rich in calcium.Calcium-fortified orange juice.Cheese (American, Swiss, Colby, Cheddar and Jack)Cottage cheese.Milk.Non-fat dry milk powder.Oranges.Sardines (canned, with bones)Shrimp.More items...

How long does it take for adrenal glands to recover after prednisone?

Typically, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis recovers after cessation of glucocorticoids, but the timing of recovery can be variable and can take anywhere from 6–12 months.

What are the side effects of taking prednisone for 5 days?

Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, heartburn, trouble sleeping, increased sweating, or acne may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

How long does it take for 40 mg of prednisone to get out of your system?

It takes about seven half-lives for a drug to leave the body. So based on a half-life time of 2 to 3 hours, it would take 14 to 21 hours for prednisone to leave the body. This is just an average and may be different depending on a person's age, weight and general health.

How many reports are there of prednisone and pain medications?

To check all the drugs that have ingredients of prednisone and Abdominal pain: Abdominal pain and drugs with ingredients of prednisone (12,607 reports)

What to do when serious adverse effects are detected in your trial?

When serious adverse effects are detected in your trial, your doctor will be notified to check them out promptly. What you need to do:#N#1. start your phase IV clinical trial#N#2. ask your doctor to join eHealthMe professional network

Is prednisone a generic drug?

It is based on prednisone (the active ingredients of Prednisone) and Prednisone (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

Is prednisone good for arthritis?

Prednisone has active ingredients of prednisone. It is often used in rheumatoid arthritis. eHealthMe is studying from 439,165 Prednisone users for its effectiveness, alternative drugs and more.

How to use the study?

You can discuss the study with your doctor, to ensure that all drug risks and benefits are fully discussed and understood.

How the study uses the data?

The study is based on prednisone (the active ingredients of Prednisone). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 600+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature.

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

How long does it take for steroid injections to cause bone loss?

Long-term steroid use (longer than a month) can lead to loss of bone density, which also ups your risk for bone fractures. Some patients lose as much as 10% to 20% of their bone mass in the first six months of treatment.

How to reduce sugar levels?

These healthy habits can affect your sugar levels, too: Use strategies (such as meditation) to cope with and reduce stress. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or skim milk and cheeses. Be active — shoot for exercise most days of the week. Get adequate rest (ideally seven to nine hours each night).

What to do if you have diabetes?

What you can do: If you have diabetes, double down on controlling and monitoring your blood sugar. And if you get your prednisone and diabetes medications from different doctors, make sure they’re aware of each other. These healthy habits can affect your sugar levels, too:

Does prednisone help with inflammation?

Prednisone mimics cortisol, your body’s “ fight-or-flight ” hormone. Cortisol’s many responsibilities include keeping inflammation at bay. “When we use prednisone as a treatment, we’re usually trying to either reduce inflammation directly or moderate the body’s inflammatory response,” says Dr. Ford.

Can you take prednisone long term?

Most steroid side effects only occur when people take prednisone long-term. For non-chronic issues, you might take it only for a couple of weeks. “We also try to start you on a high dose and then rapidly lower it, which also minimizes side effects,” Dr. Ford explains.

Can you stop taking prednisone?

But if you hit a symptom sweet spot, it doesn’t mean you no longer need to take it. “Don’t stop taking prednisone without checking with your doctor first,” Dr. Ford cautions.

Does prednisone increase white blood cells?

These are immunity cells that protect you from disease. “What’s happening is that prednisone releases white blood cells from your tissues into your bloodstream. The number goes up on a blood test, because the cells have ‘moved’ there. But the actual white blood cell count is not increasing, so it’s most likely fine .”

6 Answers

I have taken prednisone many times over the years, for both respiratory issues and to help diagnostically with RA or whatever inflammatory disease it is that I have been struggling with. I have never had it either increase my pain or cause other pains.

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What are the side effects of taking steroids?

One of the main side effects of taking steroids is bone loss. According to the New York State’s Department of Health, a person taking steroids is more than twice as likely to experience a fracture as someone who is not on steroids.7

How do steroids affect insulin production?

Created by the pancreas, insulin delivers sugar from the bloodstream into your cells where it is used as fuel and energy . Diabetes occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin or, as in the case of steroid-induced diabetes, when it is unable to produce the amount of insulin needed to overcome the effects of these types of drugs.

How much cortisol is needed for inflammation?

While your body naturally produces between 20-25mg of cortisol per day, steroids such as prednisone are given in much larger doses, usually prescribed to treat inflammation that causes swelling, pain, or allergic reactions.

How long does it take for corticosteroids to work?

Taking corticosteroids for just two weeks can result in what is referred to as an “altered response to physical stress.”. This happens when your pituitary and hypothalamus stop signaling your adrenal glands to make more cortisol because of the synthetic cortisol that is in your body.

Why do people with AIDS use steroids?

Patients with AIDS are also prescribed anabolic steroids in order to prevent the characteristic wasting that accompanies this disorder.

What are steroids in the body?

Steroids are chemicals that our body naturally produces in the adrenal glands. These important chemicals play a major role in supporting our health and are responsible for hormonal systems such as those controlling body temperature as well as blood pressure. Pretty important stuff.

Can you get off steroids cold turkey?

But getting off steroids like prednisone or hydrocortisone isn’t simply a matter of quitting cold turkey.

How long does nausea last after taking prednisone?

nausea. Symptoms can vary in intensity and may last anywhere from a few days to several months after discontinuing the drug. The severity and duration of withdrawal symptoms usually correlate with the length of time that a person was taking prednisone, as well as the size of their regular dose.

How to help someone with prednisone withdrawal?

getting enough sleep. avoiding stress. abstaining from caffeine and alcohol. eating a varied and nutritious diet. However, in some cases, these lifestyle modifications may not be enough to help a person who has severe prednisone withdrawal symptoms. People with severe symptoms should consult a doctor immediately.

What happens when you stop taking prednisone?

Prednisone withdrawal occurs when a person stops taking prednisone abruptly or reduces their dose too quickly. Symptoms of prednisone withdrawal can include body aches, mood swings, and extreme fatigue. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that doctors prescribe to treat swelling and inflammation.

What is the best medicine for inflammation?

Prednisone is a corticosteroid that doctors prescribe to treat swelling and inflammation. It relieves swelling, itching, and redness by suppressing the immune system. A doctor may prescribe prednisone for numerous conditions, including: arthritis. severe allergies. asthma.

What are the conditions that prednisone is prescribed for?

severe allergies. asthma. lupus. skin conditions. kidney, stomach, or bowel problems. multiple sclerosis flares. When doctors prescribe prednisone, they will generally specify a dose that gradually tapers down over several days to prevent prednisone withdrawal.

How long does it take for cortisol to return to normal?

It may take several days or weeks before cortisol production levels return to normal. While the adrenal glands make most of the body’s cortisol, many different types of cell in the body have cortisol receptors. This means that cortisol can affect many functions in the body, including: blood sugar control. metabolism.

When to see a doctor for prednisone?

When to see a doctor. People who are using prednisone should check with their doctor before stopping or reducing their dose. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of prednisone withdrawal after reducing the dose or stopping the medication should consult a doctor.