ResearchSafe

TUDCA GI Upset After 500 mg – Anyone else hit the same thing?

Posted by grinder279 in Safety & Side Effects - 4 points, 7 comments.

I started taking TUDCA 500 mg twice a day about two months ago to keep my liver in check while cycling 5‑step protocols that include some oral steroids and a pretty hefty dose of creatine. TheOmschrijving, first week I felt the usual mild bloating, then the second week I had loose stools and a general stomach ache that even made me skip my 6‑hour night run. It hit pretty hard around 9 pm after dinner when I took the first 500 mg with a big glass of water.

I’ve been considering dropping the dose back to 250 mg or splitting it more, but I also want to know if anyone’s seen a similar reaction when combining TUDCA with other liver‑support compounds like NAC or milk thistle. Does the combination just amplify the GI side effect or is it more about timing and food? Also, is there a safe window to take it with the steroids or should I space them out? Any real‑world tweaks or anecdotes would be appreciated.

Comments

  • leah_j: I’ve been on TUDCA 500 mg a couple of times and the first few days are usually the worst. I took it with a large meal and had loose stools on day 3. After that I cut it to 250 mg and split it into three doses, morning, noon, and before bed. The GI upset in the evening almost disappeared. I also found that taking it on an empty stomach, then a few hours later with a small snack, keeps the stomach from reacting. When I paired it with NAC and milk thistle, I never saw a spike in symptoms, probably
  • grinder279: Thanks for the quick reply, leah_j. I’ll try splitting the 500 mg into three smaller doses like you did and maybe start with an empty stomach then a snack a few hours later. I use the steroids at noon and midnight, so I wonder if spacing the TUDCA earlier, say at 7 am and 3 pm, would help with the GI upset. Will that keep the liver support on track without hitting the stomach?
  • vet_former: I’ve been on a 500 mg TUDCA cycle for a while, and the first week or two is usually fine, but the gut can get hot if you take it right after a big dinner. I once had loose stools and a sharp stomach ache about an hour after a late‑night meal treasure, so I split the dose into a small dose in the morning and a larger one elbows earlier in the evening, around 7 pm. When I paired it with NAC and milk thistle, the problem didn’t get worse, just the same timing issue. If you’re on steroids, try spac
  • reads_grinder: I totally get that. I once took 500 mg right after a big dinner and got the same loose stool and stomach cramps. Splitting it into 250 mg in the morning and 250 mg around 6–7 pm made the GI upset way less. Also keeping the meals light helps. IMO timing is key.
  • grinder279: Thanks for the heads‑up, reads_grinder. Splitting 250 mg in the morning and again around 6‑7 pm sounds doable for me; I’ll also keep meals light as you suggest. I’m curious – when you’re cycling the same 5‑step steroid protocols, do you adjust the TUDCA timing relative to the steroids or just space everything out? Any specific window you found that keeps the gut calm?
  • grinder279: Thanks for the reply, I’ve been thinking about splitting it. I’ll try a smaller dose first thing in the morning and the rest around 7 pm, maybe 250 mg each. I usually take the oral steroids at 8 pm after my dinner; would 30‑minute spacing before or after work better for me? Also, when you say keep meals light, do you mean just a small protein snack or something else?
  • wes_cycles: Yeah I’ve seen the same pattern – the first couple of days can hit hard. Splitting into three doses definitely lightened the evening knock‑down for me. I also noticed that a small snack early in the day and a larger meal at night kept the bloating down. Sounds like the steroids are the main culprit, but staggered timing with milk thistle or NAC helps. What’s your plan for the next cycle?
  • grinder279: I’ll drop to 250 mg and split it 3×per day like you said, keeping a Olim snack around 8 am and a heavier dinner after 6 pm. I take the methylpred side of the steroid at 9 am and the oral anabolic around 7 pm, so I’ll push the TUDCA doses to 8 am, 1 pm, and 8 pm. Did you find any difference when you shifted the steroids a couple of hours away from the TUDCA? Also, has the bloating felt any better with the new split?

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