Bethany & Welcome to our famly.. Here is some information that may be helpful for you as you work on trying to figure everything out.
What does ENTOCORT EC do?"
For many people with mild to moderate Crohn's disease involving selected areas of the small bowel (ileum) and large bowel (ascending colon), ENTOCORT EC can control flare symptoms and provide maintenance therapy with a well-established side effect profile. Your results may vary.
Studies have shown that ENTOCORT EC can provide symptom control for flares comparable to prednisolone (a steroid used to treat Crohn's disease) and effective maintenance therapy for many people with mild to moderate Crohn's disease involving the ileum and/or the ascending colon for up to 3 months.
Although ENTOCORT EC is a steroid, it has a substantially reduced frequency of steroid-related side effects than prednisolone, a steroid, used to treat Crohn's disease.
Unlike prednisolone and other oral steroids, ENTOCORT EC does not have to circulate throughout your entire body to work. ENTOCORT EC releases most of its medicine in your intestine—and that's where the medicine is mainly absorbed. In fact, as little as 10% of the drug circulates throughout your body.
When ENTOCORT EC is taken for flare control or for maintenance therapy, the most common side effects are headache, respiratory infection, nausea, and symptoms of hypercorticism (too much steroid in your body). Symptoms of hypercorticism may include an increase in the size of the face and neck, acne, and bruising. Some of these symptoms occur less often with ENTOCORT EC than with other steroids.
"How often do I need to take ENTOCORT EC?"
Your doctor will tell you how and when to take ENTOCORT EC. The recommended adult dose for flare control is three 3-mg capsules each morning for up to 8 weeks. Repeated 8-week courses can be given as necessary.
For maintenance of remission, the recommended adult dose is two 3-mg capsules each morning for up to 3 months.
Do not open, chew, or crush ENTOCORT EC capsules. Swallow each ENTOCORT EC capsule whole. If you experience a recurrence of flare symptoms, your doctor may prescribe ENTOCORT EC again for an additional dosing cycle of flare control. While you are taking ENTOCORT EC, do not drink grapefruit juice regularly. Grapefruit juice can increase the amount of ENTOCORT EC in your blood. Other juices, like orange juice or apple juice, do not have this effect.
You will definitely receive some valuable information by asking questions and by just taking the time to browse this board.. This will be of great help when you have to visit your GI. You will be armed with things that you have learned here.
After everything that you have already been thru, you deserve to start having good health and hopefully a better quality of life..
I'll be pulling for you.....
Dee~~~~~~