Entocort tapering

miriam · Post by **miriam** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:08 am

Hi, I'm sorry, I know a lot has been posted about this in the past, but I couldn't find this specific information. I'm in the process of tapering my entocort (very slowly!)-- I've taken it for about a year and started tapering in December. I had significant withdrawal symptoms in December, so switched to a slower taper (alternating 6mg and 3mg, etc.). I'm currently on 3 mg and was hoping for some advice on the final taper. My next step is to take 3 mg every other day, but should I then stop or go to every three days, every four days, etc? My experience with the taper has been a significant exacerbation of symptoms and fatigue the first few weeks and then an improvement in my symptoms as my body adjusts to the lower dose. I tend to lower the dose after a month or two (just depending on when my symptoms improve).

Also, has anyone had any success with quercetin or l-glutamine? I started seeing a functional medicine doctor who suggested that I try them.

thanks!

nerdhume · Post by **nerdhume** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:30 am

For about a month I have been mixing 1 teaspoon glutamine powder (4.5 G) and 1 teaspoon of raw honey in each glass of iced tea. Being Texan I generally sip iced tea from lunch until bedtime (always unsweetened before). It has made a huge difference and for the first time I feel like I am healing.
I've been GF, DF, SF & EF for about a year. Either it took this long to work or the glutamine and honey helped.
It's hard to describe, but I'll bet anyone with MC or UC can relate. Even though I was in remission as far as WD I still felt like I was 'sloshy' inside and bloated, with occasional cramping.
The last 2 weeks I have felt better than at any time in the last year and a half, with the exception of when I am on the Uceris.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:09 am

I took 1 capsule of 3 mg Entocort each day from June 4, 2014 till December 16, 2014.

After December 16, I started to take 1 capsule every other day.
From January 16, I took 1 capsule every third day
From February 16, I took 1 capsule every fourth day
From March 16, I'm on Entocort every fifth day

April 16, I will take 1 capsule every sixth day and so forth, until the box is empty.

Lilia

Post by **tex** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:03 pm

The slower that Entocort is tapered, the lower the odds of a relapse.

A few members here have posted that L-glutamine seemed to help, while most others say that they couldn't tell any difference. I have a hunch that the key to getting the most benefit from L-glutamine may be to delay using it until the gut has been healing for roughly a year. IMO the gut can better utilize the L-glutamine after it has done some initial healing.

Tex

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:06 pm

Miriam, you will find many different methods of tapering from Entocort. I took Entocort (budesinide) for a couple of years and then took a year to taper off. At the end, I was taking one capsule every third day for months. I was afraid to stop. At that time, I had been GF, SF, DF, EF for 3 years. After stopping Entocort, I began taking antihistamines and that definitely helped me feel well. Not perfect, but good enough for me.

Good luck.

Sheila W