Newbie with Rx question

Dsnrbec · Post by **Dsnrbec** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 7:28 am

I'm a little embarrassed to be posting since the severity of my MC (collagenous) is much less than many on this board but I'm at a loss as to what to do. After experiencing persistent D for 9 mths (several Times per day) I finally found a gastro doc that knew about MC and performed a colonoscopy with biopsies. I was diagnosed in Sept '14 but strangely, my D stopped after the colonoscopy. She gave me an Rx for Endocort anyway and advised me to begin it whenever the D returned. I did well until Christmas week and all H@&* broke loose. I lost 5 lbs in 5 days and nothing I ate stayed put. I was visiting family and didn't have my Rx with me so began the Pepto protocol which at least allowed me to make the 12 hr trip home. Once home, I began the Endocort at 9 mg. After a couple of days, I began to get constipated so cut it back to 6 mg. Again, after a few days I got constipated so reduced to 3 mg. Now after a week, I'm once again starting to have very hard marble like stools. Should I wean down to no Rx and see what happens? I've only been on it for less than a month but I have really gotten strict with my diet (no gluten or dairy) even though I mostly avoided those things before my flare at Christmas. I hate to stop it and then have to restart but don't want to take it if I'm OK without it. Any advice from you veterans?

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 8:05 am

I started a flare right before Thanksgiving so went back on Uceris and about a week ago I was constipated and so stopped taking it. Uceris doesn't require a tapering of period, but as I understand it Endocort does. You might want to try 3mg every 2nd day and then every 3rd day. I also understand these meds sometimes work well at first and then starting and stopping may make them less effective.

Post by **tex** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:51 am

Hi,

Welcome to the discussion board. I agree that if you are constipated, it's time to stop taking the Entocort. As Theresa suggested, it might be a good idea to taper the dose for a few more days, but since you have only been taking it for less than a month, and mostly at a very low dose, you shouldn't need to taper the dose for very long. If I were in that situation, I would probably skip a day, then take 1 capsule, skip 2 days, and then take 1 capsule, and stop after that.

If you should relapse after a few weeks, you probably have another food sensitivity in your diet (soy is the most likely suspect).

Good luck, and please let us know how you are doing after a few weeks.

Tex

Dsnrbec · Post by **Dsnrbec** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 4:01 pm

Just the advice I was looking for. Thanks so much!

Post by **tex** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 4:08 pm

FYI, normally we can't justify tapering the dose that quickly — we have to draw it out for weeks in order to reduce the risk of a relapse of symptoms after we discontinue the Entocort. However, it sounds as though your constipation is relatively severe, and that's not good for health either, so that's why I feel that a much faster taper may be beneficial in this case.

You're very welcome,
Tex