least harmful drug?
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
least harmful drug?
In your experienced opinions- if I do have to take some drugs (as my CC has gotten worse) what is the least harmful anti-inflammatory on offer for it these days? Do you think I was wrong to refuse all drugs for so long? Mia
Mia,
I'm not a doctor, of course, but if I were in your shoes, and I decided to take a med for MC, I believe that I would take Entocort EC. It is one of the most effective meds for MC, and it is also one of the safest, with the least amount of adverse side effects, according to the combined experience of all our members. We are all different, and drugs affect us all differently, of course, but many of us have had good results with Entocort.
Be aware that unless you carefully follow a restricted diet, if you ever discontinue taking the drug, your CC will probably return within a few weeks, (or less). IOW, you will have to continue to take a drug, in order to maintain remission, or you will have to follow a diet, because MC has no known cure, at the present time. With Entocort, though, after a few months, you may be able to cut the normal dose of 9 mg per day, down to 6 mg, or even 3 mg per day, for the long term. A few members have even been able to cut down to 3 mg every other day, but that doesn't always work, and it doesn't work for everyone. Of course, if you carefully follow a diet that excludes all your trigger foods, then you will probably eventually be able to discontinue the Entocort and remain in remission by diet alone.
Tex
I'm not a doctor, of course, but if I were in your shoes, and I decided to take a med for MC, I believe that I would take Entocort EC. It is one of the most effective meds for MC, and it is also one of the safest, with the least amount of adverse side effects, according to the combined experience of all our members. We are all different, and drugs affect us all differently, of course, but many of us have had good results with Entocort.
Be aware that unless you carefully follow a restricted diet, if you ever discontinue taking the drug, your CC will probably return within a few weeks, (or less). IOW, you will have to continue to take a drug, in order to maintain remission, or you will have to follow a diet, because MC has no known cure, at the present time. With Entocort, though, after a few months, you may be able to cut the normal dose of 9 mg per day, down to 6 mg, or even 3 mg per day, for the long term. A few members have even been able to cut down to 3 mg every other day, but that doesn't always work, and it doesn't work for everyone. Of course, if you carefully follow a diet that excludes all your trigger foods, then you will probably eventually be able to discontinue the Entocort and remain in remission by diet alone.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Joan. I used to do that. I'm in this state again because I weas doing so well, got careless, or cocky, and began eating foods that were no no's. I persisted in it too. And now I'm having a really hard time. SO - back to a diet that eliminates 'trigger' foods. I think I'll have to start 'testing' foods to see where the triggers are again too. Of course the worst culprit is gluten ( and I've even eaten some of that from time to time over the past months). Sigh
Mia
Mia
Hi Mia,
I agree with Tex - the prescription of choice for most MCers is Entocort. When it works, it's fantastic. It took about 3-4 weeks for me to be able to live life normally without looking for the nearest bathroom everywhere I went.
It has taken a much longer time to determine all of my food intolerances. If I hadn't been on Entocort these past 20 months, I would have been dealing with constant D. Instead, I've been able to take my time figuring out which foods are problematic. I eliminated the worst ones while I was on 6-9 mg./day and now that I'm on 3 mg/day, I'm fine-tuning the last few foods.
It seems to me that if you achieved remission by diet alone once, you should be able to do it again. I've found it very helpful to maintain a food/elimination diary, noting the type and time of each BM. This has enabled me to see a connection between the foods I've eaten and their effect.
Gloria
I agree with Tex - the prescription of choice for most MCers is Entocort. When it works, it's fantastic. It took about 3-4 weeks for me to be able to live life normally without looking for the nearest bathroom everywhere I went.
It has taken a much longer time to determine all of my food intolerances. If I hadn't been on Entocort these past 20 months, I would have been dealing with constant D. Instead, I've been able to take my time figuring out which foods are problematic. I eliminated the worst ones while I was on 6-9 mg./day and now that I'm on 3 mg/day, I'm fine-tuning the last few foods.
It seems to me that if you achieved remission by diet alone once, you should be able to do it again. I've found it very helpful to maintain a food/elimination diary, noting the type and time of each BM. This has enabled me to see a connection between the foods I've eaten and their effect.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
I lied! SORRY.
In the beginning I took Welchol.......I forgot.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV.
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan
LDN July 18, 2014
Joan