Fumaderm cramps questions

[lyoamn]

Jim thank you so much for all your help.

I don't really eat much breakfast but I'm going to start having a big one now with the tablet. My evening meal is a good size, I'm going to try having my tablet whilst eating my meal. 

I'm going to continue with the 3 just for another few days and if it doesn't ease ill lower the dosage and speak to my consultant.

It lasted for a good few hours at 2.30am last night, I have to say the pain I had was the worst I've had for a very long time.

At the moment it's bearable 

Thanks again

[jiml]

Everybody who is using Fumaderm, or DMF, seems to speak of stomach cramps.....

But are you sure it is your stomach?

The fumaderm tablets have a coating that should prevent them to falling apart in the stomach. They should fall apart in the intestines. So I would expect you have belly cramps....
If I have troubles, then it is never in my stomach, but mostly in my intestines. And than also limited in the sense that I have to stay close to the toilet, with me it can last for an hour or so. In the form of "cramp" ... toilet: yes or no ... no, then later another cramp (if you can call it a cramp, it is mostly a feeling that you have to go to the toilet quickly, sometimes not always possible and than it expresses more or less like a cramp to prevent inconveniences.... ) etc. until it is out.. Then the cramps are gone.

Difference, I am using a different medication than Fumaderm. This medication releases the DMF slowly in your intestines, which makes it much easier to deal with.  Also Fumaderm contains additives and monoethylfumates, which my medication doesn't have.

As DMF seems to be more and more a useable product for psoriasis, PsA, Crohns, Lichen scleroses, MS, open wounds with elderly people, etcetera, one should expect that better medication should be invented. There is one drawback, the medication is too cheap and therefore not interesting for big pharma.

Caroline. "trying to spread some light in the complex world of DMF reactions "

Thanks Caroline and Amanda
@ Amanda yes it's worth trying the things you suggest but Fumaderm is known to cause this cramping ... It is just the body readjusting to this strange stuf we are giving it .....

@ Caroline  here in The UK we call any pain below the chest ... Stomach pain, it may well be in the intestines as its unlikelely to be the stomach
The cramps as I remember them were in the lower " stomach" area and could be severe enough to bend you double ... They were for me not like I need the toilet.... More like someone grabbing your insides and squeezing ... Very intense but for me short lived around half to an hour at most and totally stopped after a while

Just read your post lyoamn and yes try a larger breakfast it may help ....and stick with it it is a great drug and it's transformed my life

[Caroline]

OK Jim understood.
From now on if you English are talking about stomach, then I know you will mean your intestines.
"Stomach" than basically is a bit of a useless word

I also understand that Fumaderm causes real heavy cramps.
I cannot remember having that heavy ever, but I know that also with my medication people can have problems in the beginning.

So indeed lyoanm should try to persevere. And indeed eating enough, more than you are used to makes very much sense. This is also recorded by Bill. O yes, and he says.... NO Bananas !!!

[Angie]

Hi there

Thought I would add my 2 pence worth.  

I had alot of issues with Fumaderm I have posts on here, and I would compare some of the stomach cramps I got with labour pains.

I also had sickness when I went up to 6 of the big boy tablets and could not stand the smell of certain things.even my usual perfume etc,
not unlike being pregnant!! ha

Reducing my dose helped and then when I went up again if I could tolerate 3 days of side effects it got better.

Sadly my skin was rubbish and if your skin is showing signs of improvement on the initial dose I would try and stick with them.

Best of luck.

Angie

[jiml]

Hi there

Thought I would add my 2 pence worth.  

I had alot of issues with Fumaderm I have posts on here, and I would compare some of the stomach cramps I got with labour pains.

I also had sickness when I went up to 6 of the big boy tablets and could not stand the smell of certain things.even my usual perfume etc,
not unlike being pregnant!! ha

Reducing my dose helped and then when I went up again if I could tolerate 3 days of side effects it got better.

Sadly my skin was rubbish and if your skin is showing signs of improvement on the initial dose I would try and stick with them.

Best of luck.

Angie

Yes Angie I remember you went through some awful side effects without it clearing your psoriasis but you gave it a good try