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GCA pred & aspirin?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Jersey_Royal
Jersey_Royal

Hello,

Just reading Bobs discussion about his bad throat etc,  and  Eileen mentioned

that if you are on pred, you really shouldn't be taken aspirin,  my doctor

prescribed them, because of my GCA.

I am down to 5mg a day now after almost 2 years, 

In a bit of a worried period now, any advice, or should I just ask the chemist?

probably PMR is a bit different from GCA.

 

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • jane0118
    jane0118 Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    I would have a chat with your pharmacist and ask for a medication use review. They can check if it is ok or not. Pharmacists frequently pick up issues before they can any problems for patients. 

    Aspirin is a wonder drug but it can cause bleeding in some cases.

     

    Good luck!

  • Jersey_Royal
    Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Thank you,  yes I will,

    If I do have to take them, I think you can get special coated asprins which are a bit easier on the stomach,

    but will chk with chemist tomorrow,

    love this site it's so helpful with our problems.

     

  • Nefret
    Nefret Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Low dose aspirin as used for GCA patients is ok.  I have the soluble ones and always take it on a full stomach.  I've no problems with it even though I have gastritis.

    It's the use of aspirin as a high dose, long term treatment which really shouldn't be given alongside prednisolone and if you are taking OTC cold remedies for example, you do need to check the ingredients as they do sometimes contain aspirin.  Paracetamol is another one to watch out for, although there are no problems taking it alongside pred, you do need to check that you are not inadvertently taking too much.  

  • Jersey_Royal
    Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Thank you Nefret, yes I take 75mg disposable aspirin last thing at night, but will now take them straight after dinner, thanks for that. Just also been diagnosed  with a trapped nerve in my back, and Dr prescribed 8 Paracetomol a day ( 2, fourr times a day)plus pred & Pontoprozole, and the once a week AA..

    hate taking all those drugs. But onwards & upwards, perhaps the day will come when I can give them all up!!!!

     

  • jean_b
    jean_b Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Hi i have just been reading bobs replies and picked up on the fact that you are on 5mg pred as am i .i have had PMR for 4 years -up and down on yoyo pred from starting on 15mg.could you please tell me if you still get the pain and stiffness in the hips thighs on rising in the morning.as i still do and it tends to ease off i to the afternoon and into evening -but back again nexr morning.i take paracetamol when i need to ease it in the  morning.i see rheumy ontuesday and dont want to go up on pred if this is the normal why reduction effects us.i realise it could be steroid withdrawal but are you the same-it would help me to know how your body feels on 5mg in the morning- thanks 
    • Jersey_Royal
      Jersey_Royal jean_b

      Posted

      Hello jean,

      the only twinge I have first thing when getting up in the morning, is this (trapped nerve) pain which is just on the right side of waist & into the bum,

      ( I am having a couple of X-rays this week). 

      I am presuming it's a trapped ne  rve, but then again?? I have been on 5 mg for about 6 - 7 weeks now (and just this morning ) I have started my slow deduction to 4mg.

      I have no other aches or pains at all, I go to Pilates 3 times a week. And generally feel very well considering,!!

      the 2 paracetemols 4 times a day does take my nerve pain away, but will see what the X-rays say.

      its so confusing trying to see if our aches & pains are to do with our PMR/GCA or also in my case, a bit of old age creeping in?

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH Jersey_Royal

      Posted

      The point is  what is "trapping" this nerve - it is such a silly designation in my opinion. It is actually very unusual for a nerve to be trapped by a disc - and x-rays then show nothing. Much more common, especially in patients with PMR, is for back muscles to be spasmed and they can pinch the nerve and cause the same sort of symptoms. Pain in the bottom of the buttock is commonly caused by the piriformis muscle tightening around the sciatic nerve which sometimes passes through the middle of the muscle - the result is pain that can radiate most of the way down the sciatic nerve. 

      These things are often found alongside PMR together with myofascial pain syndrome and this is caused by trigger points on either side of the spine which are concentrations of cytokines - the same substances that cause the inflammation in PMR. At higher doses of pred the inflammation is reduced, often enough to relieve the effect but as we reduce the dose it flares up again.

      I used Bowen therapy, and massage/mobilisation of the points by either a physio or a sports massage expert. The latter often makes you feel rough for a couple of days after it is done as the cytokines are released into the circulation so it feels as if you have had a flare of the PMR but it goes quickly, especially if you drink lots of water. Bowen is a gentler option probably - and I have also had cortisone injections into the trigger points but I don't live in the UK and it is a common therapy here, done by an anaesthetist pain specialist.

    • Jersey_Royal
      Jersey_Royal EileenH

      Posted

      You are right Eileen, I don't think the X-rays will show up snything

      my Dr says to stay on present dose of pred, she is also sending me to a physio at our General Hospital. (Awaiting appointment ).

      I have seen Bowen advertised here, so will look into that,  

      thing is shall I stay on the Paracetemo? They do ease the pain,l, don't think they do that much harm?

      and if this back pain is my GCA ?  I wonder about how many steroids I would have to increase?

    • EileenH
      EileenH Jersey_Royal

      Posted

      If it helps in the short term there is no real reason why not. Provided that is that if you are using it all the time your GP should do bloods every couple of months to check liver function! One lady was told by her GP to use paracetamol as she reduced the pred for the returning osteoarthritis pain and then panicked when her liver objected. All went back to normal when she stopped the paracetamol!
  • Nefret
    Nefret Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    I'm also on 5mg and I don't have any pain or stiffness in the mornings.  If you do, then I would think that your dose is too low, the amount we are on should be enough to give us something close to normality.  That's what it's all about - finding the lowest dose which gives us near normal quality of life while keeping the inflammation at bay.  It isn't, and never should be, a race to get off the steroids.

    Once you are under about 7.5mg you are at the dose which our bodies would make naturally.  There are minimal - if any - side effects at these lower doses and no one should be afraid to stay on them for as long as is comfortable.

  • EileenH
    EileenH Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Jersey Royal and Jean - Nefret has said it all!

    Low dose aspirin for cardiovascular problems causes problems less often than the doses of NSAIDs (which includes aspirin) used for illness and pain. 

    If you have pain and stiffness again at 5mg and you are reducing VERY  slowly as we recommend it probably means you have got to the right dose for you. Even if it is steroid withdrawal it should improve after a few weeks - quite a few people find it is very uncomfortable for a couple of weeks and then they are OK.

  • Light
    Light Jersey_Royal

    Posted

    Never knew this... I've been tking low-dose aspirin as a blood thinner for years and been on preds for almost as long...

    What are the symtpoms of the toxic clash, any idea?

    • EileenH
      EileenH Light

      Posted

      Stomach pain basically. If it were bad then you would vomit dark coloured blood - it is called "coffee grounds vomit" because that is what it looks like. But as I say, it isn't as much a problem with low dose aspirin - and I believe there is a coated form. But taken with food the risks are also much lower.
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