Weaning off Lialda. (Mesalamine)

[lorimoose]

Hello,

2 weeks ago I cut my dosage of lialda from 2 pills a day to 1 a day. I am holding my own, and so far it seems to be fine.

When I tapered off entocort...9 days later, my symptoms came back. I had too many side effects to go back on, unless nothing else would help. The Lialda has been great, and my diet is on target, and I would like to take less meds.

Does anyone have experience with stopping this drug? I don't want to stop too soon, but there is not a smaller dose, and no real advice in the medical community.

Lori

[DJ]

Does anyone have experience with stopping this drug? I don't want to stop too soon, but there is not a smaller dose, and no real advice in the medical community.

Lori

Hi Lori. Experience weaning off of which drug? I make my own reduced potency Entocort. The poperties of Entocort that cause it to become activated in the intestine are in the little granules and not in the gelatin capsules. I buy empty gel capsules in a health food store or on line and divide Entocort capsules in half to make 1.5 mg capsules. I will soon divide one Entocort into 3 capsules to make 1mg capsules. There are little pill makers sold on line and in health food stores that are helpful to hold the capsules while you pour. I didn't buy one because my husband and I are able to work it out.
I don't know if this could apply to your Lialda. It depends on whether the capsules themselves have special properties. If your question is about Lialda, maybe you or Tex can look up how the medication is activated and if the outer capsules have special properties or are gel capsules. I'm headed to see my Gastro now, then to work. I'll check back tonight.

[lorimoose]

Hi DJ,

Lialda is an anti-inflammatory, specifically designed to activate in the colon. The coating is the key, so there is no way to divide a single tablet. The normal dosage is 2 to 4 tablets...and I seem to be successful at 1, but not quite normal.

I am looking for input, regarding time frames for reduction, and if complete withdrawal is possible.

Lori

[Leah]

We are all so different Lori. I would stay with your once a day dose for now. If things get more solid down the road, you could try to go every other day. That's what I did with the Entocort. Good luck

Leah

[DJ]

Hi Lori, I don't have experience with your medication. I hope you find an effective solution.
DJ

[lorimoose]

Thanks Leah and DJ,

I am a chicken, and I have refills. I think I will just stay on for now.

Lori

[lando]

I would stay on it, until you have normal BM's. After I changed my diet, I didn't wean, I just quit it completely. But my symptoms weren't/aren't as severe as most on here and I was having normal BM's, for the most part.
Entrocort didn't work for me at all, but Lialda helped me a lot.

[CathyMe.]

I'm afraid I'm no help as I just quit taking it cold turkey after I changed my diet.

[wmonique2]

Lori,

I've been on lialda for nearly 3 years. I started with 2/day but I needed to up the dose to 3/day because I was getting too many symptoms.

I've tried several times to reduce the dose to 2/day. I have never been successful. It is good for 2-3 weeks but then the cramps and nausea come back in full force. So I am now on 3/day. I've tried last month to reduce and I was good for like 3 weeks but then I got sick again.

I also take elavil and an anti-histamine to keep the symptoms at bay.

That's my experience.

Good luck.

Monique

[lorimoose]

Monique,

I went back up to 2 a day, because I needed to take an antibiotic. I also may have been accidentally glutened while traveling. Things are away from normal, but I hope that it will be short lived. I upped my nightly benedryl to 50mgs. I am sleeping really well!! Usually I read myself to sleep....now one page and I am out.


Lori

[wmonique2]

Lori,

Protocol is 2/day. I had gone down to 1 /day for a short while at the beginning but didn't last long. I believe that the longer you take this drug, the less strong they are and that is why I am taking 3/day and I am on a very strict diet--GF, SF, DF, low histamine, low fiber.

Regards,

Monique