New to Asacol, does it work?
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New to Asacol, does it work?
Hi all, saw the gastro yesterday and he prescribed Asacol, 2 of them 3 times a day. Horrified with what they cost. Don't know if I have read much good stuff about it, mostly read praises for $entocort$. Can anyone give me some hope? He said keep on it for a year. See him again in three months. Also, in the midst of the terrible D problem (like a garden hose on down my throat and out the other end, unbelievable), I took Imodium, one in the A.M. and one in the afternoon. That stopped everything for two days. Today, almost normal. He said Pepto Bismol doesn't work as well as Asacol. What do you think? Thanks again everyone for your wonderful support. Sylvia
Do good or do not
Dear Sylvia
Sorry to hear your flare is still not calmed down.
As you may have read, my GI wants me to switch gradually from Entocort to Asacol (well actually Salofalk which is the same drug - mesalazine - in a different form). It may work for me and it may work for you, although as you have read Entocort is usually the more effective drug. Mesalazine (Asacol) can take a couple of weeks to have an effect.
I do not know if Pepto Bismal is contraindicated with mesalazine, but in the past I have successfully used Pepto for a week or so to control a flare (together with my regular dose of Entocort). Also, before I went onto Entocort I took Pepto for two months and it worked about 80% of the time (stools were black but that is normal for Pepto). I came off Pepto because it is not good to take for a long period of time. As soon as I started tapering down the D returned. Until your gut is fully healed, which can take many months, that is almost bound to happen. Remember we are all different, but I hope this is of some help.
All best, Ant
Sorry to hear your flare is still not calmed down.
As you may have read, my GI wants me to switch gradually from Entocort to Asacol (well actually Salofalk which is the same drug - mesalazine - in a different form). It may work for me and it may work for you, although as you have read Entocort is usually the more effective drug. Mesalazine (Asacol) can take a couple of weeks to have an effect. I do not know if Pepto Bismal is contraindicated with mesalazine, but in the past I have successfully used Pepto for a week or so to control a flare (together with my regular dose of Entocort). Also, before I went onto Entocort I took Pepto for two months and it worked about 80% of the time (stools were black but that is normal for Pepto). I came off Pepto because it is not good to take for a long period of time. As soon as I started tapering down the D returned. Until your gut is fully healed, which can take many months, that is almost bound to happen. Remember we are all different, but I hope this is of some help.
All best, Ant
This is just my opinion but I don't think Asacol is very good for getting control of the D but I have found it to be a good maintaince med after Entocort. I have taken it since 2004.
Thinning hair is one possible side effect and I believe mine has so I have tapered off to 1 pill a day and my GI wants me to try coming off completely. I only took 6 pills a day for a short while. Then cut it to 4 for most of the time afterward.
On 1 pill a day I saw some deterioation. Then I had to go on an antibiotic (due to some dental surgery) and because of the antibiotic I am having watery D for 2 or 3 hours every day. I will be finished with the antibiotic in 4 days and hoping for much improvement after that. I don't dare go off the Asacol completely as long as this is going on.
Just telling you my experience since you asked about Asacol. I know it does have dairy in it and there is the same type of pill that doesn't but I can't remember what it is. I don't seem to have a dairy problem.... don't know if you do. I do have a soy problem though.
Don't stop asking questions when have them. Most people are better at answering than I am.
Shirley
Thinning hair is one possible side effect and I believe mine has so I have tapered off to 1 pill a day and my GI wants me to try coming off completely. I only took 6 pills a day for a short while. Then cut it to 4 for most of the time afterward.
On 1 pill a day I saw some deterioation. Then I had to go on an antibiotic (due to some dental surgery) and because of the antibiotic I am having watery D for 2 or 3 hours every day. I will be finished with the antibiotic in 4 days and hoping for much improvement after that. I don't dare go off the Asacol completely as long as this is going on.
Just telling you my experience since you asked about Asacol. I know it does have dairy in it and there is the same type of pill that doesn't but I can't remember what it is. I don't seem to have a dairy problem.... don't know if you do. I do have a soy problem though.
Don't stop asking questions when have them. Most people are better at answering than I am.
ShirleyWhen the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
Hi Sylvia,
Sorry to hear about your continuing GI struggles. Asacol did not work for me, but, of course we are all different. Barbara did well with Colazal, which is in the same drug category as Asacol. And I think CA Mary did well on Asacol but also had some hair loss like Shirley. I do agree that most did best with Entocort.
Pepto Bismol has been helpful to some here. Dr. Fine, who published the original study on it found it to work in many cases of MC, but usually only for a limited amount of time. He found that even in cases where it worked, the gluten-free diet was often necessary to achieve any longterm results.
If you try it, be sure not to exceed the recommended dose and not to take it for more than 8 weeks. (It is possible to get heavy metal toxicity from the bismuth if too much is taken.)
By the way, Shirley is a great resource - she knows a lot!
Love,
Polly
Sorry to hear about your continuing GI struggles. Asacol did not work for me, but, of course we are all different. Barbara did well with Colazal, which is in the same drug category as Asacol. And I think CA Mary did well on Asacol but also had some hair loss like Shirley. I do agree that most did best with Entocort.
Pepto Bismol has been helpful to some here. Dr. Fine, who published the original study on it found it to work in many cases of MC, but usually only for a limited amount of time. He found that even in cases where it worked, the gluten-free diet was often necessary to achieve any longterm results.
If you try it, be sure not to exceed the recommended dose and not to take it for more than 8 weeks. (It is possible to get heavy metal toxicity from the bismuth if too much is taken.)
By the way, Shirley is a great resource - she knows a lot!
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Asacol was one of the meds that my GI had me try and it did worked very well for a while, but the I developed an intolerance to dairy and the D returned.
I think my dose was 3-3x a day.
Anybody else know what med Shirley was referring to that works the same as Asacol but has no dairy.
lactose/casein?????? Curious.
Dee
I think my dose was 3-3x a day.
Anybody else know what med Shirley was referring to that works the same as Asacol but has no dairy.
lactose/casein?????? Curious.
Dee
"What the heart gives away is never gone ... It is kept in the hearts of others."
I was prescribed Pentasa when my MC flared during pregnancy last year this time. I think Pentasa is similar to Asacol, it is a mesalamine product. It worked well for me and I gradually tapered down to 1 a day. I didn't have success with Asacol when I was first diagnosed but that is probably because there was so much inflammation and I hadn't yet eliminated my intolerances. I think Pentasa is free from dairy as well.
I am on Pentasa and was told it was DF.
It's hard to say exactly how effective it has been because I'd already gone gf by the time I was prescribed the Pentasa and that had the biggest effect on my constant D, bar none.
I have noticed that when I get glutenated, I don't get the stabbing knife-in-gut pains I had before, and the pain I do get doesn't last as long. I don't get the awful runny explosive D I used to get either. I've also been able to introduce brussel sprouts back into my diet - limit 2, but not broc yet (tried and was not good).
This might be the Pentasa healing my gut, I hope so. There are a lot of veggies out there I want to get back to eating!
I take 3 x 2 500mg a day, down from 4 x 2 last year. I hope to go to 2 x 2 soon.
It's hard to say exactly how effective it has been because I'd already gone gf by the time I was prescribed the Pentasa and that had the biggest effect on my constant D, bar none.
I have noticed that when I get glutenated, I don't get the stabbing knife-in-gut pains I had before, and the pain I do get doesn't last as long. I don't get the awful runny explosive D I used to get either. I've also been able to introduce brussel sprouts back into my diet - limit 2, but not broc yet (tried and was not good).
This might be the Pentasa healing my gut, I hope so. There are a lot of veggies out there I want to get back to eating!
I take 3 x 2 500mg a day, down from 4 x 2 last year. I hope to go to 2 x 2 soon.
Maxine
Thank you all for relaying your experiences with Asacol. I have decided to eliminate gluten and dairy for starters. Holding on the Asacol. The past couple of days things have started to firm up as irritation lessens. Today, almost normal. Also, my constant heartburn reflux problem is gone. Now I figure if eating a slice of bread can cause heartburn rest of the day and into the night, then it probably is irritating even further along in the digestive tract. Milk makes me bloat something terrible, and makes my heart beat faster, but cheese not so much. Not sure about soy. I mixed some soy milk in with cooked-type pudding and it tasted pretty good with no ill effects (I think). After my colonoscopy several days ago, things must have been irritated from the procedure, as I had horrible watery D for hours until I took Immodium. Thank goodness that is over. My worse time seems to be in the morning. Afternoons are pretty good. Sylvia
Do good or do not
