Xifaxan and Entocort
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Xifaxan and Entocort
Hey, i was recently prescribed 2 new medications, as the title states. Ive been taking them for two weeks now and have seen no improvement. I was wondering if you had any advice as to when they would start working? As of right now I'm getting by on Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Along with following Jordan Reuben's diet
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Welcome to the board. The answer to your question, depends on the reason why you're taking those two meds. Why are you taking them, and why are you taking Ibuprofen? Why are you following Jordan Reuben's diet?
If the answer to all of those questions is, "because you have microscopic colitis", it can take from a few days to 6 weeks, for Entocort to begin providing some relief.
Unless you have a verified concurrent intestinal bacterial infection, (E. coli), rifaximin, (Xifaxan), may cause additional problems, rather than to resolve any issues. You run the risk of a C. diff infection, following the treatment, because antibiotics tend to skew the bacterial balance in your intestines, (IOW, antibiotics will kill the beneficial bacteria, along with the target species).
Ibuprofen is contraindicated for MC. Acetaminophen, (Tylenol), is fine for anyone with MC, but NSAIDs are notorious for triggering MC reactions.
If you're referring to what's known as The Maker's Diet, it probably won't hurt you, but it's not an optimal diet for resolving MC symptoms.
If you're trying to treat some other issue, then disregard everything I said above. It's difficult to offer any advice, without knowing more about you. Like your doctor, we have to know more about your issues, before we can offer any useful advice, because MC is a rather complex, (many-faceted), disease, so symptoms can vary, among members here, and we tend to react differently to various treatment methods. Please tell us more about you, and we'll certainly do our best to try to help you.
Tex (Wayne)
Welcome to the board. The answer to your question, depends on the reason why you're taking those two meds. Why are you taking them, and why are you taking Ibuprofen? Why are you following Jordan Reuben's diet?
If the answer to all of those questions is, "because you have microscopic colitis", it can take from a few days to 6 weeks, for Entocort to begin providing some relief.
Unless you have a verified concurrent intestinal bacterial infection, (E. coli), rifaximin, (Xifaxan), may cause additional problems, rather than to resolve any issues. You run the risk of a C. diff infection, following the treatment, because antibiotics tend to skew the bacterial balance in your intestines, (IOW, antibiotics will kill the beneficial bacteria, along with the target species).
Ibuprofen is contraindicated for MC. Acetaminophen, (Tylenol), is fine for anyone with MC, but NSAIDs are notorious for triggering MC reactions.
If you're referring to what's known as The Maker's Diet, it probably won't hurt you, but it's not an optimal diet for resolving MC symptoms.
If you're trying to treat some other issue, then disregard everything I said above. It's difficult to offer any advice, without knowing more about you. Like your doctor, we have to know more about your issues, before we can offer any useful advice, because MC is a rather complex, (many-faceted), disease, so symptoms can vary, among members here, and we tend to react differently to various treatment methods. Please tell us more about you, and we'll certainly do our best to try to help you.
Tex (Wayne)
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.
I actually dont have microscopic colitis, I have Crohn's disease. That is "why" I am taking them. As well as the ibuprofen. The xifaxan is supposed to clear up my fitsula, and keep my crohns under control after my 8 weeks of entocort. I had been on a weak antibiotic (Biaxin) for 9 years until recently. When my flares started occuring more often. And I have actually had great results with the Makers Diet, and Breaking The Vicious Cycle. Even more so than with perscriptions. Hope that explains some.
Daniel,
Indeed it does make a huge difference, if you're treating Crohn's disease, rather than MC. As I recall, that diet contains bentonite clay, which can mask certain mycotoxins, and prevent their absorption/activation, which would appear to be an advantage with Crohn's, I would think.
I don't recall exactly what the maker's diet allows, but most of us have found that we have to avoid all gluten and casein, (the primary protein in milk), and about half of us have to avoid all products containing any derivative of soy, in order to maintain remission by diet alone, (some members have to avoid a few other intolerances). In the most difficult cases, (or those cases where a very strict diet is not followed), a maintenance dose of Entocort, (usually 3mg per day, or every other day), or one of the 5-ASA meds, is usually essential, in order to maintain remission. Very, very few of us are able to maintain remission without either eliminating all intolerances from our diet, or taking a maintenance med indefinitely.
Thanks for the clarification. Please don't let the fact that you don't have microscopic colitis, cause you to feel that you might not be totally welcome on this board. You are more than welcome to be here, and share in any discussions. We appreciate you joining us. We have a number of members with UC, Celiac disease, and other similar conditions. We're all dealing with similar issues, and we learn from each other's experiences.
Tex
Indeed it does make a huge difference, if you're treating Crohn's disease, rather than MC. As I recall, that diet contains bentonite clay, which can mask certain mycotoxins, and prevent their absorption/activation, which would appear to be an advantage with Crohn's, I would think.
I don't recall exactly what the maker's diet allows, but most of us have found that we have to avoid all gluten and casein, (the primary protein in milk), and about half of us have to avoid all products containing any derivative of soy, in order to maintain remission by diet alone, (some members have to avoid a few other intolerances). In the most difficult cases, (or those cases where a very strict diet is not followed), a maintenance dose of Entocort, (usually 3mg per day, or every other day), or one of the 5-ASA meds, is usually essential, in order to maintain remission. Very, very few of us are able to maintain remission without either eliminating all intolerances from our diet, or taking a maintenance med indefinitely.
Thanks for the clarification. Please don't let the fact that you don't have microscopic colitis, cause you to feel that you might not be totally welcome on this board. You are more than welcome to be here, and share in any discussions. We appreciate you joining us. We have a number of members with UC, Celiac disease, and other similar conditions. We're all dealing with similar issues, and we learn from each other's experiences.
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.