Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis Support Group

Polymyositis (PM) is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles (inflammatory myopathy) related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis. The inflammation is predominantly of the endomysium in polymyositis, whereas dermatomyositis is characterized by primarily perimysial inflammation.

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Muscles & Bones
/ Polymyositis & Dermatomyositis Support Group

Med & breakfast

amberhere
amberhere
Hi all, with all the meds I take for DM like most of us - I have to take them first thing in the morning. I don't really want anything to eat but unfortunately these meds require me to take after a meal. I can just about manage some weetabix and take all my meds straight away after. How do others manage for the morning "med" taking?
lexisgirl
lexisgirl
When I was on Prednisone, it was critical that I took it with food. I also have a thyroid issue and gerd and take medications for those. So I have to take the thyroid and gerd medication 1 hour before I eat anything. Then I eat and take the Prednisone. It wasn't a very fun routine. I always set the goal to take the Prednisone by 10:00 am so I could sleep at night. I usually have a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast so that wasn't a huge deal for me.
trpt1
trpt1
Hi Amberhere, I take my 5mg of Prednisone and vitamins after breakfast. I do not take Cellcept until 1 PM which is an hour after lunch on an empty stomach. My doctor told me it was fine to also eat and take Cellcept too, but I prefer the traditional empty stomach way. I will take calcium and other supplements around 5pm with dinner. I will take my last Cellcept dose at 10pm which is 9 hours after the first dose. Cellcept doses are between 8 & 12 hours apart.

I do think it is what you are taking that determines how you spread out the meds. There are so many rules and interactions that must be considered too. The meds can be inconvenient to any schedule. I will also not always feel like taking meds too.
autumm
autumm
Hi Amber. I used to set the alarm for 5am and take the prednisone with Zantac and a glass of milk (put on the bedside night before) then go back to sleep. Taking the Pred early like that meant I had a chance of sleeping at night. I took everything else after breakfast. Pred can be tough on the tummy but not fir me, I think because the Rhrumatologist insisted on the Omerprazole or Zantac at the same time. If you find the MTX hard on an empty tummy in the morning, how about taking it after dinner at night and hopefully sleeping away any ill effects. Autumm
deleted_user
deleted_user
These meds really mess up my stomach, but also kill any appetite. I take omeprazole first thing in the morning on an empty stomach with lots of water. Then I just try to get something bland like oatmeal. Since I don't have an appetite or drive to eat I literally just have to force myself to get it down so I can take my imuran and prednisone first thing. If I don't take my prednisone first thing I won't sleep at all later that night.