entocort and asacol

jmayk8 · Post by **jmayk8** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:33 am

Okay, so I mentioned the other day that I am still getting D with my Entocort. My dr gave me a months supply of 9mg a day and I am on my last week. The second week was great, but, now I am back to the reg D a few times a day. I am at my mom's visiting this weekend and mentioned it to her and she has a full bottle of Asacol 800 mg and I wonder if I should just try taking that? But I'm not sure how to take it? on the bottle it says 1 tab 2x's a day. I called my GI last week and he never got back to me, augh these GI's are such pains in-the-you-know-what! I know you aren't supposed to take other peoples meds, but I'm desperate!

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:12 am

jmayk8, I would not advise taking the Asacol and Entocort together. You really do need to talk with your doctor first.

As far as the Entocort and a few weeks of time, this is a typical response in that with MC it sometimes is like 3 steps forward and 1 or 2 back. My only recommendation is patience and diet, as it really does take about a good month to begin to get things under control.

Hang in there and be sure to bug your doctor this week.

--Joe

willabec · Post by **willabec** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:58 pm

my dr. has me now on asacol and entocort.....he has me taking 3 pills a day of the asacol and 2 of the entocort....however, the recommended dose of asacol is 2 pills 3x a day....not sure why my dr. has me on a lower dose??? i would check with him though prior to you taking the asacol.....he should be aware of what you are doing. and i completely understand about the drs. not returning phone calls....i called mine last week and he is out of the office (again!! was on vacation the week before! ) i just don't get it....don't tell me to call in 2 weeks and give you an update when you are not even there!! hopefully he will call me back this week (hope yours does too! :)

Gayle · Post by **Gayle** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:48 pm

JMAYK8 said:

Okay, so I mentioned the other day that I am still getting D with my Entocort. My dr gave me a months supply of 9mg a day and I am on my last week.

IMHO -- This is a highly unusual approach when using Entocort.

A one month course of treatment at 9mg per day is not enough time to get any real degree of control of your symptoms. To then add Asacol at this point, can only make it more difficult to assess how well either the Entocort, or the Asacol, could be working for you.

Did your Dr “give” you Entocort from a sample supply in the office, (rare) -- or did he/she give you a prescription for Entocort to be filled at your pharmacy? (That’s not clear from you post.) Usually that prescription includes some refills.

These drugs (Entocort & Asacol) can/are sometimes taken together (they are VERY different drugs) BUT those are in unusual circumstances. Personally, --- I would definitely talk with the Physician before combining these drugs.

You should know that: Asacol occasionally causes the very diarrheal issues that it is meant to deter.

Gayle

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:16 pm

Jmayk8,

I agree with Gayle. One month on Entocort is not nearly long enough for the diet to take over. It took 3-4 weeks for Entocort to begin working to control my D. IMHO, if you were doing well by the second week, then it was working for you and you should continue taking it until you can determine your food intolerances. If your doctor won't agree to renew your prescription, find another doctor or consider ordering it through India.

I have no experience with asacol, but others here have had problems with it due to the lactose in it.

Gloria

klhale · Post by **klhale** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:13 pm

It took 2 months for Entocort to start working on me....of course, that means also eliminating offending foods, that took another 9 months for me to figure it out.

catsrule · Post by **catsrule** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:45 am

I had a bad reaction to entocort and could not tolerate it. I was on asacol hd 3X's a day and all I can say is it worked wonderfully for me. It took about 3 weeks and I then weaned myself off. I have been eating all regular food since the beginning of the new year and I haven't had any issues. I guess I am the exception here. I think my mc was caused by drinking too much diet coke and diet iced tea and I quit it entirely.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:48 am

Mary Jo
that is great news that with relatively easy changes you have no issues! I hope it stays like that FOREVER!!!!

catsrule · Post by **catsrule** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:33 am

Thank you Gabes. I was miserable with it for 2 months and I think the entocort just made me worse. The asacol was a wonder drug for me. I drank alot of diet coke/iced tea and I think it just caught up to me.

jmayk8 · Post by **jmayk8** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:55 am

Mary Jo,
I am on my 5th week of entocort and I really feel like I am even worse then when I had started....Before the Entocort I would have soft stools, but now on the meds I have awful D and I am even GF and been DF and SF for the past 3 wks. I am going to stay with the Entocort for this month and see how it goes but I think I want to try the asacol. How many mg is it and how did you take the meds? All together or 3 diff times a day?

TooManyHats · Post by **TooManyHats** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 12:13 pm

I'm on Lialda, which is the same medication as Ascol (I think--I'm no expert here). I only have to take it once per day. I'm wondering if I do have a rapid small bowel transit time. If that's true, I wonder if doses may have to be spaced out in order to compensate. Sorry, just the ramblings of my mind.

catsrule · Post by **catsrule** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:38 pm

jmayk8 I was on asacol hd. I took 1 tablet 3x's a day. I spaced them out, one every 8 hours. I was on entocort for just 10 days and I couldn't take it. It gave me terrible insomnia (I never had any trouble sleeping before). I only slept about 2 hours a night. Rapid heartbeat, no energy. They had me take one a day and it was still terrible. I got off and then they tried the asacol hd. The first day my stomach cramped a little from it but it went away. It took about 3 weeks and I was so much better. Normal bowl movements and I got my appetite back and I then gained 5 lbs. I weaned myself down to 2 then 1 a day. Now none and everything has been good for 2 months now.

Post by **tex** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:10 pm

Mary Jo,

Quite a few of us have adverse reactions to Entocort, usually neurological symptoms. This happens way more often than the label indicates, so most GI specialists will argue that it is rather rare to have neurological reactions to Entocort. According to our accumulated experience here on this board, though, it's not rare at all, in fact it's somewhat common.

Many/most of us cannot tolerate artificial sweetners, after we have MC. I hope that avoiding artificial sweeteners will continue to maintain remission for you.

Tex

Foxnhound8 · Post by **Foxnhound8** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:36 pm

I did not have much luck with the Entocort until my Dr. added the Asacol. That being said, I only took the Asacol for about a month and doc said to see what happens without it. I am happy to say I am now only on Entocort 9mg/day and doing very well without the Asacol (I took a different name brand that was slow release).

foxnhound

jmayk8 · Post by **jmayk8** » Fri Feb 25, 2011 6:00 pm

foxhound,
What was your entocort and asacol dosage when you took them both together?