1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Polymyalgia Rheumatica and GCA

Liquorice and Prednisolone!

Posted , 25 users are following.

suesing
suesing

Hi fellow sufferers.  Some of you may know this already, but I thought it might be helpful to let you know what I've found out about Prednisolone and Liquorice. 

I've been suffering from the usual dreadful fatigue and other symptoms of both PMR and reducing Prednisolone and I'm now down to 5mg a day and have stabilized at this level.  However a couple of weeks ago, while having an episode of feeing particularly dreadful, I questioned everything about both Prednisolone and PMR and in doing so, I looked into what might be in my diet that could react badly with Pred'.  Bingo! Liquorice!!  Apparantly it's the one most important thing that shouldn't mix with Prednisolone and it makes withdrawal symptoms much worse.

I like herbal and fuit teas and a particular favourite of mine contains liquorice.  As I've all but cut out alcohol, I've tended to drink this tea before going to bed and sometimes during the day.  I haven't drank it now for two weeks and the headaches have subsided.  I feel much less fatigued and fuzzy and generally better in myself.

Hopefully this might just be useful for some of you to know.

4 likes, 54 replies

54 Replies

Prev Next
  • Padada
    Padada suesing

    Posted

    Thanks for this notice regarding licorice.  I have been taking two deglycyrrhizinated Licorice extract tablets before each meal to counteract stomach issues caused by the prednisone.  I opted for them in place of zantac because they have been recommended as safer than zantac or prilosec because they are not considered a drug and I buy them at the health food store

    I will stop taking them and see if there is any improvement in my fatigue.  There is so much helpful information here and I thank eveyone that shares information.

    . 

    • EileenH
      EileenH Padada

      Posted

      Again - for anyone looking in on this discussion: it doesn't matter what something is sold as, drugs or supplements or even teas. Pharmaceutical drugs are considered as such and subjected to very close scrutiny and testing which tends to flag up the interactions with other medications which must be warned against. If the drug company doesn't do it, the FDA or their equivalent in the various countries will do so sooner or later. 

      Supplements are not subject to the same testing and scrutiny - so actually should NOT be considered as "safer" as there is neither the stringent regulation of their manufacture or their labelling. The lack of monitoring of their manufacture and marketing means that you can be buying ANYTHING - and this is particularly the case with stuff you purchase on the internet.

      One substance was being claimed to be totally safe and to do the same (or better) as prednisolone in arthritis. When tested by government laboratories it was found to contain very high levels of a corticosteroid as well as several risky substances. The people who were so convinced they were getting a fantastic result from a herbal mix - and the result WAS good - were actually taking very high doses of corticosteroid, exactly what they didn't want to do and why they were using it. And a substance with rather dodgy contaminants.

      Remember that the substances the health store is selling and recommending also can have medicinal effects, and that means side effects too. And the health store will use all the normal marketing ploys to get us to buy their product rather than anything else - profit is their bottom line. The counter staff don't spend 5 or 6 years getting a pharmacology degree either...

    • faye______00403
      faye______00403 EileenH

      Posted

      Predisone is a corticosteriod.......We had a blurb in the local

      paper that warned against buying and taking suplements

      without a sort of oval seal on it that said USP....I realize that

      I'm in the U. S. and things are probably different in the UK.

      The supplements with the seal have at least been tested

      and contain what is listed on the label.  Some of the stuff

      they tested didn't have any of the product listed at all.

    • EileenH
      EileenH faye______00403

      Posted

      Exactly - they thought they were avoiding taking a corticosteroid but there was another one in large and potentially risky amounts in this so-called health product that claimed to be as good at relieving their pain as prednisone.

      It's very common to find that supplements have different contents to what is claimed on the label!

  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust suesing

    Posted

    So what is it that reacts with pred? where did you find this information? (remembering you can't post links to other sites)
  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust suesing

    Posted

    Interestingly some other forums are saying that licorice helps stimulate the adrenals - thereby assisting to get off pred!
    • EileenH
      EileenH FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      I suppose you could assume that was useful when you'd got to 4mg and found your were struggling with adrenal insufficiency. However, it isn't really because the problem below 7mg is not that the adrenals don't work but that the very complex feedback set-up of hormones and other organs (hypothalamus, pituitary) has to get into balance again. That takes a while to settle down so going very slowly at that stage will usually get you off pred with not too many problems providing the PMR has gone. Of all the people I know on the forums, I only know of one who is on 5mg pred for life because her adrenal function is poor. The others are on low doses of pred because the PMR is still active.
    • dan38655
      dan38655 EileenH

      Posted

      I don't know the relation between Prednisone an Adrenal output/regulation, but I'm at 5mg now and suffer with what feels just like adrenal insuffiency at times, and which I attribute to my daily dosages of caffeine.

      Remember, caffeine stimulates the adrenals, but which also prevents them from sustaining output in the regulated way that they are supposed to, as in regulation of transient blood pressure. Not entirely unlke how Prednisone interferes with the body's own regulation of cortisol.

  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust suesing

    Posted

    As usual there's contradictory information on Dr Google.

    "Licorice is a common flavoring agent and food product. When used as a food product, licorice is not likely to produce health benefits or side effects."

    "Licorice can raise blood pressure and increase potassium loss, so it may interfere with the effectiveness of many blood pressure medications. People taking Lanoxin (digoxin) or Coumadin (warfarin) should probably avoid licorice. Prednisone or diuretics that deplete potassium are also problematic"

    "Liquorice is probably among many natural foods/supplements that are helpful for the adrenal glands."

    Sigh......

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy FlipDover_Aust

      Posted

      You could argue that grapefruit offers health benefits, but you should not eat them if you are on statins. Just because something has a health benefit does not mean it does not interact with some drugs.
  • Emis_Moderator
    Emis_Moderator suesing

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I haven't read this in detail but a lot of users around the forums use the site below to check drug/supplement interactions. Not sure if it helps but I have entered prednisolone and licorice (US site) in the interaction checker. 

    http://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=2383-0,1933-0

    Regards,

    Alan

    PS you will need to copy/paste the url in full into your browser as it has been cut off at the comma, a known reported bug.

  • suesing
    suesing

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for your comments.

    I wish I had made a note of the most informative site that said not to take Liquorice while on Prednisolone. It was a site which went into great detail about the drug.  I've spent a while trying to find it again, but can't.  However, it is mentioned on other sites which I think some of you have found now and there are some condradictions out there as well.

    It seems that Liquorice acts very much like Prednisolone and is often used as a natural treatment for adrenal deficiency.  Apparantly it causes Prednisolone to stay in the blood longer and can increase the side effects.  There is some thought that it can also make withdrawal symptoms worse.  But then I came accross a contradiction that said that some people find it helpful when tapering the Pred'!

    All I know, is that I've felt much better since not drinking my Liquorice tea :-)  I would be interested to know in a couple of weeks or so if any of you experience the same benefits.

     

  • Flutterbie57
    Flutterbie57 suesing

    Posted

    Thanks for this little tip. I am soooo glad I have found this site today. I am recently diagnosed and still confused. I had added a little licorice to my daily diet. I have changed eating habits, adding anti inflammatory and diuretic foods. I cannot remember what benefit I thought licorice would have, but I will stop it. Hopefully it will help the fatigue and fuzzies. 
  • 1942alexander
    1942alexander suesing

    Posted

    Where liquorice is concerned it should be noted that ingestion on a regular basis can be problematic and dangerous. Research "Apparent Minerocorticoid Excess". A few years ago I found a case study which was caused by eating as few as seven or eight Pontifract cakes a day. It seems like almost no one knows about the bad effects of liquorice but it almost killed me.
    • christine_fay
      christine_fay 1942alexander

      Posted

      Liquorice and Prednisolone are bad with each other... also someone on here recommended melatonin which also has a bad reaction with Prednisolone... always check before you take any stuff!
    • Flutterbie57
      Flutterbie57 christine_fay

      Posted

      Is there a reliable site on here where you can check what you can mix and what you can't ?.  
    • EileenH
      EileenH Flutterbie57

      Posted

      If you look a bit further up the thread the Emis moderator has provided a link which is used by many people on the forums.

      I would copy and  paste - but it will disappear. 

    • Flutterbie57
      Flutterbie57 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks Eileen, I have found it. I will study it more tomorrow. I was looking for Organic Apple Cider vinegar - do you know if it is ok to take
    • EileenH
      EileenH Flutterbie57

      Posted

      In food amounts, yes probably unless you are diabetic as it is thought it can reduce blood sugar levels and medication would have to be adjusted. But in large amounts, no - if you were to drink 8oz/250ml a day it can deplete potassium for example. Why you would is beyond me mind! There is no reliable evidence it does what naturopaths claim.

      If you google "webmd apple cider vinegar" you should get to a site with a fairly comprehensive article including uses, side effects, interactions and dosing. This site will provide similar information for most medications and, it seems, food and supplements. WebMD is pretty reliable as a source of such information. There is a section for vitamins and supplements and another for drugs.

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.