Skip to main content

ello... 

 

Wondering if anyone had any first or second hand knowledge of Cyclosporin.

 

AJ (my dog) has just been put on it.      As most of you know he was being treated with steroids for IMPA (immuno mediated poly arthritis).   He's been doing really well on them, whilst on them, but we have failed 3 times to reduce his dose (it just keeps coming back), and as they then have to whack his dose up even higher its become unsustainable (his liver has become enlarged, which is a sign he could go on to develop Cushings Disease... caused by the massive doses of steroids, so he now HAS to come off them).


Sooo..  we're on Plan B.    Immunosuppresants...  Cyclosporin to be precise.

 

We had a choice..   Cyclosporin or another one...   Cyclosporin is (relatively) expensive (ÂĢ5 a tablet), but is supposed to work faster with fewer risks & side effects.    The one side effect we know of is an upset tummy.

 

He had his first tablet last night & had hubby up 3 times in the night for emergency poo's in the garden.

 

Soooo...   cos he can't talk I was kinda hoping someone might know of a human who has had this drug, cos I wondered if nausea was involved (the dog can't tell me about it if it is).

 

I've read up on it...   problem is that what we have been prescribed usually goes to dogs suffering from psoriasis, RA or dermatitis (I think cos IMPA is quite rare).   I know its all immune system related, but it makes reading up on it quite difficult.

 

ALso..   the info leaflet says give it same time every day, two hours before & two hours after he has eaten.    THAT AIN'T EASY! cos of the steroids he's been eating small meals quite regularly.   We won't be giving it at bedtime again...   unless anyone here can confirm that the upset tummy side effect actually calms down.

 

Any knowledge would be appreciated xx

Replies sorted oldest to newest

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"

Dirtyprettygirlthing

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

Dirtyprettygirlthing
Originally Posted by MrsH:

 

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 - 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)

Dirtyprettygirlthing

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 ) 

Dirtyprettygirlthing

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

 

Cosmopolitan
Originally Posted by Dirtyprettygirlthing:

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 

Don't give it a second thought, Ditty.

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

Yogi19
Originally Posted by Dirtyprettygirlthing:

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

 

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

Cosmopolitan

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 

Dirtyprettygirlthing
Originally Posted by Lori:

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*

 

Dirtyprettygirlthing

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×