I found this link about side effects of Cyclosporin, Ditty.

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/...p/medcyclosporin.htm

I can't see any mention of diarrhea.

I also found this:

Diarrhea can be a side-effect from drugs like immunosuppressants and those used for lowering cholesterol; for treating rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, cancer, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, HIV and manic phase of bipolar disorder.

 

awww..  thank you Yogi.. 

 

none of them say whether the upset tummy calms down as they get used to the drugs do they?   this is the problem I have had when I have tried to find more info on it.

 

Also..  the vet told me he could get an upset tummy, and said if he did then to get back to him.   I asked if that was a "stop giving him the tablets and contact him urgently" kinda thing, and he said "no, its just an unpleasant side effect"

 

So..  I really really want these drugs to work, cos despite them being expensive, they are supposed to work really really quickly & theoretically AJ could be off all meds in 6-8 weeks if we can keep him on the Cyclosporin & it works as expected.

 

One of the alternatives offered doesn't work as quickly apparently...   the downside being that because we have to bring his steroids down now (we have no choice cos of the Cushings Disease risk), whilst waiting for the alternative drug to work we would almost certainly put AJ through a full blown flare up of the IMPA.

 

We just don't want him to ever be in that state again, even if it would "only be for a couple of months"

I should just add...   whilst all ^^^  sounds like I am stressing big time.

 

I'm not really...    AJ is really really well at the moment, a completely different dog to the one we had in January.   He's a happy boy (a bit whiney at the moment, cos we are reducing the steroids so I think he is a bit achy... but nothing like the miserable state he was in before we got a diagnosis).

 

I am just being a bit of a worry monster  (he's my baybeeeeee )...   and wondered if anyone here knew anything

Ok...  me bad!!

 

I just read ALL the medication info leaflet... 

 

it does say that the side effects should settle down!     (when used to treat psoriasis, dermatitis & RA...  but its shouldn't matter why they are having the drug should it?)

 

I apologise for running in here & stressing unnecessarily 

 

have you taken MrD breakfast in bed for his interupted nights sleep 

 

hope these tabs sort AJ out  

 

can you change his meal plan to get the tab into him earlier ?

 

No i haven't but thanx for your concern

 

  no - MrD will be fine..   he can just man up!  (its weird, I spent years being tuned into the kids, one squeak & it would wake me up.  MrD is tuned into the dog...  I sleep through it all!  -  RESULT!!)

 

 

and...  Yes I think we're gonna have to, we're just trying to do the maths on it.

 

If not...  well, at least if the upset tummy happens in the night then there is someone here to let him out to the garden (hahahahahaha)

I don't know anything about it Ditty, but I do hope AJ's tummy settles down, the poor little thing I hope there's a way you can treat him without too many side effects

Wen we first got our puppy (many moons ago) he had a fat belly of skin and fluff.

And i thought ... that will buff my paint-work up something lovely 

Ta Sweet...   me too 

 

 

Renton - AJ's tum tum looks like an over inflated football at the moment, we'd thought it was weight gain cos of the steroids, but apparently we've been a little unfair to him..   seems a lot of tubby custard tum tum is actually his liver! 

 

He's gonna be well chuffed if, as the steroid dose comes down his tum does too, ...   he'll be able to go back to his fave pastime - licking his own bits!    ( he currently just glances at them mournfully...   knowing he can't reach them ) 

Ditty, sorry to hear about AJ.

 

I'm working from memory here but I think the tummy upset can be a problem when dogs are on medication because the meds pass through the system too quickly.  In other words, they're not as effective as they could be.

 

When our Bully was on steroids and doing all her chemo she occasionally got a bad tum.  It's ok if it's just a brief flare up but I do recall her being given something to stop the diarrhea.  It can become a vicious circle because their tummies can become irritated and therefore unable to keep the meds in their system long enough.

 

I know you probably know all this already, but have a word with the vet if it continues as he may be able to balance the problem out for AJ

 

Cosi...  THANK YOU!  

 

I did wonder if absorbing the meds might be an issue.   

 

 

I'm gonna give the vet a call on Monday & tell him about AJ's "motions" and see if he thinks some doggy imodium might be the answer!

 

 

thank you xx

 

Ditty - you really have become a bit of an expert on the dog/pet/health front - perhaps you should consider retraining. Hope AJ continues to improve.

 

I feel anything but an expert when it comes to my dogs health..   I am starting to learn to trust my gut instincts with him though 

 

thank you Sooz

Don't give it a second thought, Ditty.

Big hug to AJ, he's been through the mill recently.

Ta Yogi 

 

He really has...   but am still hopeful that we're through the worst of it & we will have nailed this by autumn if not before 

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner was off doing RL stuff.

Monitor AJ over this weekend, take notes re times (and *ahem* consistency and/or amount), present the facts to the vet and see what he thinks from your findings.  It's always helpful if you can be more specific rather than giving guestimates with things like this, imo.

In other words you're on Poop Patrol until Monday!

 

Can you update us on Monday too, please; it'd be nice to hear that the vet's got it sorted for AJ

We gave him his meds at 5pm yesterday.... & postponed his dinner til 7pm.

 

He's not had a poo since then!   

 

*fingers crossed*

 

*sticks poo watch hat back on*

btw..   these tablets are HUGE!!!

 

 

they look more like suppositories.   they are squishy capsule ovals that are about an inch & half long, and half an inch wide..  

 

we wrap a bit of ham round them, which looks ridiculous...   kind like a mini hotdog.

 

luckily AJ hasn't actually tried to chew one yet...   he just swallows it all whole 

So pleased for the little mite

its never good wen they look to you for help, and you can't

 

I had a poo this morning - but don't worry - it was solid formed

  oh good...  I can stop worrying about you then 

Sounds like you might have the problem solved, Ditty, but I was wondering if tbig huge tablet could be halved or quartered, and spread out thru the day?

No it can't Lori..   its a capsule..  a big squishy capsule..   A HUGE squishy capsule.

 

AJ's not looking so happy right now...  he's giving us sad eyes & his belly is rock hard! 

 

*worries*

 

and he's out in the garden with the squits again