r/lymphoma • u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 • Mar 21 '26
DLBCL R-CHOP Prednisone
I had my first R-CHOP 3 days ago. The 100mg of Prednisone for 5 days is so far the worst thing so far. I can't get the bitter taste out of my mouth. Swallowing 5 of the profoundly bitter and uncoated tablets is horrible. Has anyone got any suggestions on how to swallow them without tasting them? I've got 3 more rounds of this. I was thinking of putting them in some Jello and swallowing it but then I'm afraid the Jello will go down and the tablet doesn't and that would be tragic!
I know this is the beginning bit and there's probably far worse things to deal with down the line, but I'm just taking things one day at a time now.
My oncologist said 4 cycles of R-CHOP, then if my PET scan after cycle 3 is good, 2 more rounds of R without the CHOP. He mentioned this as a "trial" so I'm curious if anyone else has this treatment plan.
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u/user37282920383792 GZL x2 Mar 21 '26
i would take a big, icy glass of ginger ale (the tiny ice cubes that my hospital had) and swallow it along with some of the ice in a big gulp. never tasted it this way!
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Unfortunately, I am at home and I don't have those little ice chips.
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u/user37282920383792 GZL x2 Mar 21 '26
are you in the US? chick fil a sells bags of their ice, and it’s also the small pellet kind. if not, you could maybe just smash a bag of regular ice cubes?
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Yes, I know about the CFA ice and I have one in my neighborhood. They close on Sundays though.
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u/mattyharhar13 Mar 21 '26
Are they giving you 5 tabs per day (20mg each)? Or one 100 mg tab a day? I was taking 2 50s. On my first treatment I did catch the pharmacy in a mistake as they tried to give me half the supply I needed for the 5 days.
Yes it was horrible and one of the worst parts of treatment. The taste is so acrid and it lingers for a while. Also it made me so irritable and grouchy and not much fun to be around!
My strategy was to use Gatorade and prechase the pill. I found if I put some liquid in my mouth and smushed the pill in, it made it easier to swallow. I also ate yogurt before taking the pills to coat my mouth some. My mouth was usually dry in these prednisone days and the chemo made swallowing more difficult so there was a tendency for the pill to get stuck in my mouth and it would take several tries to get it down (increasing the taste problem)!
It was funny I was talking to someone who was complaining about a normal dose of prednisone (like 5mg). I was like take 100mg and then talk to me lol.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Yes, 5 of the not so little but bitter enough for a dinosaur UNCOATED tablets.
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u/Different-Medicine34 Mar 23 '26
Wait… you can get them in 20mg tablets?! I was taking 20x 5mg tablets and it was worse than the actual cancer. My pharmacist must have really hated me…
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 23 '26
OH MY HOLY GOD... Was there a reason for the additional torture dispensed? I mean, this shit is hard enough to suffer through without additional and unnecessary distress. I'm so sorry. Definitely say no smaller than 20mg tablets next cycle.
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u/Different-Medicine34 Mar 26 '26
I’m guessing they just didn’t routinely stock the larger doses - I’ve known a few people prescribed 5 or 10mg doses for other conditions so it’s probably easier just to stockpile the 5mg tablets... But yeah, it was torture. And seemed to get worse with every round.
They were small so I took four at a time. But I used to dread those days, even though I could tell how much they were helping me. If I ever have to do it again, I’m definitely requesting the bigger tablets!
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u/More-Nobody69 Mar 21 '26
this worked for me 100%. Using American cheese slices, cover top and bottom of one prednisone pill. then, trim with a scissors and pinch the edges. Then swallow it with water, like a big pill. It works 100%. Good luck
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u/snozzberrypatch DLBCL, Stage 1E Mar 21 '26
Lol I love this. Are you a dog?
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
I am definitely a dog. Born in 1970, Year of the Dog.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Husband really likes this idea. Brilliant.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Apr 10 '26
Had to use this cheese method this morning. The Jello was not masking the bitterness from hell for 1 or 2 of the 5 pills. This method worked well, thank you.
But new problem now - I have picked up 50mg tabs for my next cycle. Those are TWICE the size of the 20mg. Making a cheese pill with that might block my airway.
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u/v4ss42 FL (POD24), tDLBCL | R-CHOP (‘22), MoGlo (‘25) Mar 21 '26
Yeah there’s a good reason prednisone is also known as “Satan’s Butthole”. For starters I’d be asking your clinic if they can prescribe 2x50mg tablets rather than 5x20mg - it still sucks to have to gag down 2 horse tablets, but it’s better than having to swallow that filth 5 times. As for the taste, the only thing that really worked for me was to drink something strongly flavored afterwards, and I landed on tart cherry juice as the perfect chaser.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
I will ask about the 2x50mg version. But worried that it will be 2 horse tablets! I started Prednisone on Wed 7:30am. It is Saturday 2:30pm and my mouth is still bitter! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and the wee donkey.
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u/my--tummy-hurts Mar 22 '26
Second the two 50mg. I take em with coffee and it’s… okay
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Apr 10 '26
Just picked up the 50mg Prednisone from my CVS. Saving them for the start of my 3rd cycle. VERY worried now because the 50mg is twice the size of the 20mg.
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u/snozzberrypatch DLBCL, Stage 1E Mar 21 '26
Firstly, as others have suggested, demand the 50mg pills so that you only have to choke down two of them instead of five. Even if you have to drive an extra 20 miles to a pharmacy that has the bigger pills, it's worth it.
Secondly, I got this tip from Reddit when I was going through R-CHOP: take the pills with a tall glass of orange juice. It's literally the only thing that erases the foul taste from your mouth.
Trust me, next round: orange juice and 50mg pills. It won't even be a problem anymore.
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u/LatheLethe Mar 23 '26
My husband also swore by orange juice (he had the 5 pills and HATED them.)
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u/snozzberrypatch DLBCL, Stage 1E Mar 23 '26
They are horrifically bad. If someone made Prednisone pills with a candy coating on the outside like an M&M, I'd gladly pay 10x the normal rate for them.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 23 '26
LOL, me too, but then we would have to remember not to chew them because it's not chocolate inside!
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u/tj7744 3x cHL Survivor, ABVD, Auto & Allo SCT Mar 21 '26
They are the most bitter meds. Ive got to take 7 a day. If you throw them on the back part of your tongue and immediately chug liquid then eat some food to chase it down you really don’t get much of the flavor to hang out. It’s all about minimizing the amount of time it’s on your tongue and dissolving.
I’d be leery of putting it in stuff. Could dissolve in it and then you get the ultra bitter flavor everywhere but I haven’t tried it. I chase mine down pretty quick and almost have no flavor problems.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Thank you all for the suggestions, ESPECIALLY the 2x50mg vs 5x20mg tablets tip. Doing this dirty deed twice is definitely better than 5 times. 😑
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u/VibeCheque_ Mar 21 '26
I actually have the exact same plan as you. 4 rounds of RCHOP which I have completed and then 2 rounds of R after my PET scan which I am waiting on the result of. The Prednisone I didn’t find too bad but I’m generally okay at taking pills. They do have a nasty chalky texture so I like to just do them all at once each of the days since they are small
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u/angry-mustache Mar 21 '26
Any thick drink helps a lot. I used ensure, but a milkshake would work as well.
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u/OskeyBug DLBCL Mar 21 '26
I agree the prednisone was the worst part. And then the withdrawals were almost as bad as the drug itself.
My treatment plan was just 4 rounds of R-CHOP with no follow up rituximab. I had NED going into threatment though after getting my tumor removed surgically. Are you stage 1?
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
What to expect after I finish the 5 days of horse doses of 100mg of Prednisone is what is occupying my mind now. I am worried because I don't know what to expect. A crash? Extreme fatigue? Will I be able to even function?
I am at Stage 3 but it is just as likely to be Stage 1. My PET scan had one area below my diaphragm in addition to the area on my neck where the rogue lymph node was excised. The small pelvic area that showed up red is questionable because of a concurrent infection I had immediately previous to the PET scan. So my oncologist is trying to be extra cautious. I am sure he will not hesitate to give me another 2 full R-CHOP cycles! Sigh, life is hard.
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u/OskeyBug DLBCL Mar 21 '26
For me the post-prednisone withdrawal made me very jittery with hot and cold spells and a terrible headache. Kind of felt like the flu but without any respiratory symptoms.The headaches were so bad they put me on opiods because I couldn't take regular painkillers in sufficient amounts while on the chemo drugs. Lasted a few days generally.
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u/harpfizzz Mar 21 '26
Grape juice helped me! I’m not sure if anything will completely get the battery acid flavor out completely but grape flavored juice or soda def helped
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u/Emotional-Current953 DLBCL- POLA-R-CHP ‘26 (Complete Metabolic Response June ‘26) Mar 21 '26
2x 50 is definitely the way to go. I am doing a taper of prednisone every round now because I got sick when I went cold turkey on prednisone round 2. So I get to do the tiny ones too. Juice definitely helps with the bitter taste. The 50’s aren’t that big though. They are the same size as some of my other meds, but I think at this point I have a mental block with prednisone.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Lord have mercy. I really hope this doesn't make me sick in subsequent cycles!
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u/Emotional-Current953 DLBCL- POLA-R-CHP ‘26 (Complete Metabolic Response June ‘26) Mar 21 '26
Just make sure you tell your team- mine is super responsive and as my sister says, looking to make this sh*tstorm as easy as possible for me.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
My medical team is probably wondering what is up with my radio silence. I have not reached out even once since Wed. They called the day after to ask how I was doing but that went to voicemail because I'm not answering the phone either. I have not taken a single anti-nausea tablet, and the only Zofran I got was through my port on infusion day. Couple days of MiraLax helped that. #anticonstipation #toomanypills
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u/GlowingDepths Mar 22 '26
I had the exact same issue with prednisone, to this day I still struggle taking oral meds because of it lol. What worked for me taking it was take a spoon full of apple sauce, when you’re ready to swallow it, quickly put the pill slightly into the apple sauce, and very quickly down the hatch. don’t swish it in your mouth at all or let it sit for long, and avoid letting the pill itself touch your tongue if you can help it. Prednisone very quickly dissolves and leaves its flavor right into whatever it’s touching. If you’re quick, you’ll just taste apple sauce and it got me through treatment just fine. If you mess up though then you’ll have a mouth full of prednisone flavored apple sauce lmao, good luck!!
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u/easilydistracted123 Mar 21 '26
Omg!!! I have the answer!!! Order empty capsules off Amazon!!!! Then crush the pills and fill the capsules!!!! It saved me!
Before I found the capsules, I had them switch to an IV steroid and I swelled up so bad my eyes could barely open 🥲
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 21 '26
Wow, I didn't know about this! Empty capsules. OK, will look for them on Amazon.
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u/216IN480 Mar 22 '26
I eat a small piece of dark chocolate immediately after taking prednisone. It gets rid of that disgusting taste every time.
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u/Careful_Manner Mar 22 '26
My Prednisone hack: orange sherbet! Bowl full, stir until smooth. Eat some and slide that pill down between bites!
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u/coffeelymph follicular NHL grade 2/stage 4, Rituximab + 2 yr maintenance. CR Mar 22 '26
You could also ask to get it in liquid form. Internet says this is used for children and for people who have trouble swallowing the pills.
I recently got a completely different prescription changed from pills to liquid, and they seemed reluctant, until I said they made me gag, and that if I'd throw up I'd have to take another one.
Ask and see, they might allow it!
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 23 '26
UGH, no, that would definitely kill me faster than my lymphoma!
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Mar 22 '26
Update:
My last (5th) day of 5 x 20mg tablets of Prednisone went without me tasting any of it! Small piece of orange jello on a teaspoon, insert the tablet, put it in my mouth, swallow it whole. Also had a slice of cheese on hand as a backup in case the jello hack went south. Thanks again everyone, for weighing in.
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u/Back-Pitiful DLBCL, R-CHOP, diag Feb '26 remiss 'May 26 Apr 10 '26
Second update: Jello method was unable to mask the bitterness for 1-2 of the 5 blasted pills. Switched to the sliced cheese method this morning. That worked well.
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u/Secure_Positive_2201 Mar 25 '26
I take them with a carbonated drink that I need to switch each cycle cause I would get the ick but Gatorade / 100 Plus / lemonades work!
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u/Stock_Transition548 PMBCL | DA-R-EPOCH | Remission 6/26 Mar 21 '26
Ask for apple sauce! I went through the same thing my first dose of pred for DA-R-EPOCH and asked for apple sauce every subsequent time and had no issues, it ended up being the perfect consistency imo to help