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Bloating from IBD or Prednisone Side Effect???

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Posted 4/2/2008 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
I have been feeling really bloated after I eat. Every time I eat, my belly swells right up. I thought maybe it had something to do with the whole ovarian cyst thing, but I am still having the bloating & problems. Just don't get it. I am still on prednisone, and maybe it's that? I have noticed I swell up a lot lately...

I have finally gained 8+ pounds in the last 2 weeks. I guess that's good, but I don't feel any better. I can't figure this all out. I still have the pain & bloating & gurgling & everything, but I thought I should be better being on the pred. I am thinking I am ready to come off of it, I don't want to be on it too long. Am I right in thinking that? My GI wanted me on it right through to my colonoscopy at the end of this month. I just don't know what to do.
Posted 4/2/2008 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
I personally think that the bloating is the from the disease. But I also believe that you probably still have some narrowing/inflammation in there, so I would do as your doc ordered and stay on the Pred. I know its a miserable med to have to take, but it really is good in getting the inflammation under control. Hope you get feeling better soon.

God Bless
Gail *Nanners*
Posted 4/2/2008 5:36 PM (GMT 0)

Same here, even though it feels awful it's a good idea to stay on it so that you don't get worse.  If your colonoscopy doesn't show any problems then it ought to be safe to start tapering afterwards.  The colonoscopy will tell you a lot about how your insides are doing, they might find you still have inflammation or narrowing and increase your prednisone or switch out some of your meds and you should have better luck with having your symptoms improve :-)

I got super bloated whenever I ate or drank anything while on pred (still kinda do 3 weeks off of it) so it could be any combination of the two causes that make your stomach puff up too.  In case you are like me, you might notice that the more fluids you drink the more swollen and puffy you get all over the place from the pred causing water retention.

When was the last time you saw the GI?  If he checked out the bloating and swelling and said you're ok, you should be alright unless it starts to get worse for some reason, then you should tell him right away.  If you haven't recently been checked out it might be a good idea to have him check you out again if you wouldn't see him otherwise till the end of the month.

Posted 4/2/2008 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
I am on 25mg of pred a day and am having a bloating problem too. I start out in the morning on the third hole in my belt and end up at the first notch by the end of the day.
Posted 4/2/2008 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
I have been bloating for ages it seems .. gone from 40mg pred to 20mg and evening meals ( largest meal of the day for me ) make me look like im storing a football !

i get to the point im so bloated i wont eat anymore for fear i'll burst , which is annoying as im normally still very hungry but dont want to push it

ive found peppermint oil pills and fish oil have helped , also smoke 2 a day - generally in the evening but not sure if this helps or not

i cant remember my last courses of pred and bloating being linked but i know in the past i had bloated out badly and wanted to know what to do to ease it
Posted 4/2/2008 8:05 PM (GMT 0)
I had thought it was the cyst, but the cyst was gone. So now I just want the bloating to go away. I don't understand why the prednisone hasn't already fixed everything. The GI said 3-4 days on it & the pain would be gone. I have been on it for over a month already. I don't think it's doing any good.

I have not seen my GI since February. I am waiting to hear back about the lump I keep getting, she was supposed to call me today. I haven't heard from her. I don't know what to do anymore. I just keep feeling worse, but I guess I am just going crazy.
Posted 4/2/2008 8:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I know pred. can be hard to put up with and sometimes meds take awhile to work. Your Dr. must want you on the pred. for a reason. I am weaning off the pred. but was on it over a year. You"ll have to discuss this with your Dr. and see what he says. best wishes lol gail
Posted 4/2/2008 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
Ugh. I hate this disease. Actually, I don't even know if I have CD. I have IBD, though. The ER doc & nurse last time I was in, looked at my small bowel series & said it sure does look like CD to them....

Anyway, I really want to quit taking the prednisone. And I am thinking of canceling the colonoscopy (GI wants to look at & biopsy the ileum to decide which I have, CD or UC). After this laproscopy that was all for nothing (I had a large ovarian cyst that was gone when they did surgery), I don't want to go through all that again for her not to be able to see anything or be able to get at the ileum at all. I would be so mad. I am so mad today that I went through that surgery yesterday for no reason at all. I don't understand why doctors put us through all this & don't think anything of it. I wish I had pushed for another ultrasound. I wish.....

So what is everyone's feelings about getting another colonoscopy? My friend thinks if there is no reason for it. If they have me on prednisone, there is no need to actually find out which disease I have. If they can treat it, don't worry which it is. What do you think?
Posted 4/2/2008 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
The prednisone doesn't seem to be working for you. I think a scope would be beneficial to find out what is going on there - and to provide the GI with a current view of the extent of inflammation in the large bowel and the start of the ileum.
If you had been feeling better then I'd consider cancelling the scope, but with no releif of symptoms, this will provide another diagnostic tool to your doctor, who can then plan a course of treatment that will aid you. I don't think you should begin tapering until instructed to by the doctor. It might turn out that she increses your dose - not lowers it.
Hang in there!

I'm sorry you had to undergo the surgery yesterday,
Hope you feel a little better soon,

Bev
Posted 4/3/2008 5:15 PM (GMT 0)

If I remember correctly you are on 20mg of prednisone, right hukleberrie?  I had to do about 5-6 weeks of 40mg before my intestines stopped acting up.  Please do go get the colonoscopy, they can tell so much about what's wrong inside with that test and if you do find out that you have UC or CD instead of IBS you have a lot more medications to try.  If they put you on an anti-inflammatory UC/CD medication every day that might help you a whole lot, and if they see any non-happy things in you during the colonoscopy they ought to increase your prednisone and that'll help you recover also.

Hang in there!  Hope the GI called you back and that your are feeling less puffed up today.

Posted 4/3/2008 9:05 PM (GMT 0)
Nope. Feeling just the same. Still bloated. Really sore from the surgery & still having that hip pain. I am just tired & frustrated. I don't think anything is working & I feel like no one is going to try anything else. I am tired of feeling this way. Still haven't heard back from the GI.

Bloated & waiting for something to change....
Posted 4/3/2008 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hukelberrie in all your frustration you need to remember that you cannot just stop the Prednisone. It will cause you to have some awful and dangerous side effects. Could be your Pred dose is too low for you. Keep pushing the doctors, no one should have to suffer.
Posted 4/3/2008 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
I faxed a note to my GI. At least she will have some more information when she finally gets around to calling me back. It always seems I am busy & don't have my IBD thinking cap on when they call me back & I forget something. So I decided just to fax the info over to them.

I know not to stop the pred. I haven't & won't. I want to start to taper though. I am waiting to hear what the gastro says first though... I don't think I can go up on my dosage though. I don't like how I feel & I know I am on a low dose, but I worry about taking it at all.
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