HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Poll.... What medicines do you currently take for Crohn's?

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/30/2008 9:28 AM (GMT 0)
Good morning!  I thought I would start a Poll to see what meds everyone is on for Crohn's.  If you aren't taking anything/just managing with diet, post this, too!  I have seen quite a few new members lately, and a lot of questions about what meds we are on.  I always keep the list in my sig line.  I thought this thread would be helpful to us all......

Also, I have found a wealth of info on a thread regarding medicines started by our wonderful moderators.  If you are starting a new med, and have questions, this is a great resource thread!

1.  Medicines you took in the past

2.  Why you stopped them

3.  What you currently take (medicines, no medicines, diet only.)

4.  Is it helping

 

Posted 9/30/2008 9:34 AM (GMT 0)
I take Pentasa now, and I used to take prednisone too. I stopped taking the prednisone because it's problematic, and I want to take it as little as possible. I gained 30 lbs, etc. Also I got better and haven't flared for a bit. Hooray! I love Pentasa! I think it works but... I did have a bad flare (partial blockage) very suddenly while taking it, so I think it isn't perfect. I eat low fiber stuff and stay away from raw veggies and grains/nuts.
Posted 9/30/2008 9:37 AM (GMT 0)
I'll start....

1. Medicines you took in the past..... Imuran, higher doses of Pred

2. Why you stopped them..... Imuran possibly causing Pancreatitis and GI wanted to stop the Imuran/Remicade combo, currently on a SLOW Pred taper

3. Currently taking Asacol, Pred, Remicade, Miralax, Prevacid. Starting to eliminate sugar from my diet, and attempting to follow a modified-atkins approach to diet, ie. increasing protein, stopping white foods/flour/sugar.

4. Is it helping..... Not sure about the diet yet. Just starting. Remicade might have to be stopped. Awaiting blood test to see if I developed Remicade antibodies. If the Remicade needs to be stopped, I'm not sure what I'll do, ie. strict diet changes or start another TNF med.
Posted 9/30/2008 10:18 AM (GMT 0)
1. Past medications : Asacol, pentasa, nexium, prevacid, Remicade( 3 12 years) humira, 6-mp, methotrexate injection, topamax, zelnorm, entocort, cipro, bentyl, pamine forte, omeprozine, tramadol, levisin, lyrica, mirapex, and probably some others that I am forgetting.

2. I had to stop the methotrexate and 6-mp due to liver damage. Remicade was the one that still saddens me, but built up antibodies toward it. Humira made me really sick. Zelnorm, though originally for women was tested for men with crohn's but taken off of the market. The ASA drugs such as asacol and pentasa never worked for my case. The rest for for pain and cramping, but never completely did the job.

3. Currently, I am on prednisone, loritab 10, phenegran, neurotin, xanex, donatal, vitamin D, testostarone injection, fosamax, welchol, and getting ready to start Cimzia within the next week.

4. Right now my current medication look like a prescription drug addicts party list, but I have been in a ton of pain recently between my Crohn's, arthritis, and now pinched sciatica nerves. I have been able to get some relief from the pain medication, but this is just masking the real problem which has not been showing up on the scopes since I have only been off of remicade since March. Only few erosions have shown up, but the arthritis is really starting to manifest itself in all of my joints and I am have a second epideral today on my back to relieve some of the pressure on my sciatica. I have also had to have surgery on both of my shoulder rotator cuffs due to bursitis and tendon damage related to crohn's and my sports history. I am praying that cimzia will provide me with some relief. If this does not work, i have talked to my doctor about tysabri. He said at the last G.I. conference that he attended in Florida, many of the researchers and G.I.'s were either really against it or hesitant to use it, but I am getting desperate.
Posted 9/30/2008 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Past medicines: entocort, pred, levaquin/flagyl, 6mp, pentasa

Why I stopped: entocort wasn't enough, pred got me out of the flare, antibiotics were only when flaring, 6mp stopped before I got pregnant, stopped Pentasa to breast feed

Currently: Nothing. I know I am being horribly reckless, but I wasn't comfortable being on Pentasa while breast feeding

Did they help: the 6mp/Pentasa combo put me in a multi-year remission. Not sure if Pentasa really does much on its own, but I kept that up through my pregnancy and remained in remission
Posted 9/30/2008 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
I only take Asacol for my Crohns. Most of the time when I have flared it has always been controlled with Pentasa and Pred before my resections and Asacol and Pred after the resections. I have tried both Imuran and 6mp. The Imuran just made me really sick and the 6mp didn't really do much for me either.
Posted 9/30/2008 2:54 PM (GMT 0)

Past Crohn's meds:
Asulfadine. Ugh! Made me sicker than the Crohn's, unbelievable nausea! Lomotil, Cantil, Bentyl, only made things WORSE. More pain, more cramping. Phenergan and Demerol during repeated ER visits only real relief. I have no idea what meds they would have given me whilst hospitalized for obstruction and emergency resection. Cipro for 5 months when I started Imuran rather than taking Entocort. Entocort for 6 weeks after 9 months on Imuran resulting in a bout of very painful shingles. Alternating Tetracycline and Amoxycillin the first 10 days of every month for bacterial overgrowth for several months. They worked. Xifaxan for 4-5 months. It worked and no side effects. Flagyl was a MIRACLE drug for my active Crohn's symptoms - but LONG LASTING peripheral neuropathy. *sigh*

I was told after my resection I could eat anything I wanted, my gut would tell me what foods it didn't like. GREAT ADVICE! And accurate. No raw veggies or dairy products during a flair. In careful moderation when in remission. Sour cream has ALWAYS hated me. My gut is not particularly fond of spices or anything alfredo but that's more heartburn symptoms than Crohn's.

Currently on Imuran, alternating 85 mg and 100 mg on odd and even days. Its been working great for me for 5 years now. Pentasa 2 g 2 x daily kept me in remission or symptomatic remission when Crohn's first flared after surgery for some 5 years. Imuran started in early 2003 and along w/Pentasa has kept me in remission or symptomatic remission, but it needs the Pentasa, several months w/o the Pentasa and mild symptoms begin. I go back on the Pentasa and back into remission or symptomatic remission.

Posted 9/30/2008 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
1. past meds: pentasa, entocort, cortifoam, 6mp, humira, imuran, flagyl (plus a few supositories and enemas that I can't remember the names of)
2. why i stopped: none of it has worked. Still flaring after 3 years. Imuran made me sick as a dog, Humira cause my WBC count to get too low and 6mp caused issues with liver function.
3. now I'm taking methotrexate
4. No, it's not helping. I have a doctor's appointment in a few weeks and we'll have to go back to the drawing board.
Posted 9/30/2008 5:42 PM (GMT 0)

1. Medicines you took in the past..... pentasa, sulfasalazine, entocort, remicade, pred.

2. Why you stopped them..... pentasa did not work, same with sulf., entocort we believe caused pancreatitis, remicade was fine at first and then when restarted one year ago it caused a major reaction.

3. Currently taking... Humira every 2 weeks, and prednisone since June, cymbalta for general pain, percocet for more major pain, my asthma medications:Advair, and Singulair; Toprol for rapid heartbeat, don't know why I got this?

4. Is it helping..... I have hoped the Humira would heal a fistula that is somewhere from bowel to vagina, but no luck yet.  Pred. definitely helps the aches and pains, and inflamation,  and cleared the lungs after I had pneumonia this summer, but I hope I can wean off soon.  I have taken a medical leave from  teaching this year to try and get well!!!!!!

Posted 9/30/2008 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
I've tried all the oral RX out there, stopped taking them because I was either allergic or non-responsive...put my skeptisism aside and tried naturals, bee propolis, fibre supplements, omegas 3-6-9, vitamins A and C-calcium ascorbate, and yes I have some success with them along with altering my diet and regular exercise.

When I get proctitis issues, I use cortifoam and it's the only rectal med that seems to help...I will add, that since taking probiotics and bee propolis I have not had proctitis issues and that's the longest I've gone not having them (4ish yrs).


:)
Posted 9/30/2008 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
1.  Medicines you took in the past Asacol, Predisone for a month or so... Pentasa, Imuran and Entocort together for over a year 2.  Why you stopped them not working well Stoped pred for Entocort 3.  What you currently take (medicines, no medicines, diet only.) Humira for CD (plus stuff for other conditions see signature) 4.  Is it helping Yes, it is helping more each time I take it. I still have some bad days here and there but they are getting farther and farther apart. Karen
Posted 9/30/2008 7:19 PM (GMT 0)
1. Prednisone, Flagyl, Bentyl

2. Tapered off pred, to see if I could remain in remission. Flagyl as only a 10 day dose. Bentyl never worked.

3. Just Asacol and Questran now.

4. Yes, I think so. I've tried going off of Asacol before and went in to a flare. So I think staying on a maintenence drug is important. Questran helps me A LOT. I can function because of it.
Posted 10/2/2008 5:22 AM (GMT 0)

HI, just joined 1st diagnosed with crohn's almost 23 years ago (while my wife was preg with our 2nd), and was medevac'd from northern canada to the big city for treatment.  Met possibly the best gastro doc I could possibly need.  Regretably I have recently moved to a new province but have found a great new gastro, unfortunately to see him i have to drive 3 hrs (well worth it tho). So to the question at hand;

Since being first diagnosed (and hopefully spelling doesn't count), Salazopirine, Mesasal, flagyl, Ciproflaxin, Keflex, no longer taking any of these. Also no longer taking prednisone the most EVIL of all the drugs and in such a tiny pill...Cataract surgery for both eyes, osteoporosis, full set of dentures, kidney stones, all thanks to pred.

Presently on Imuran 50mg 4 times a day plus lots o' vitamins/supplements and hi dose potassium, K is always low but really craters during flare ups.

Dealing with a fistula lower back pretty much north end of right butt cheek. Recently returned from colonoscopy (three hour drive, wife drove the return trip) P.S. I HATE COLYTE!! especially with a fistula

My new doctor has me in for remicade, fortunately the province i live in has a phama-care program to help with expenses, and waiting to hear from my company insurance for the rest.  Everything I have heard about remicade seems to be great so i am looking forward to getting started.  After numerous scopes from all angles and extended hospital stays over the years this has to be better, right?

Posted 10/2/2008 9:07 AM (GMT 0)
I have a new medication to add to my list, Cimzia. I was just informed by by my G.I. that I was just approved by my insurance to start it. Now I am just waiting for the home help medical group to contact me for my first injection. It pays to tell your G.I. that you have suffered long enough and you want your life back. Now they have been calling me 3-5 times a day to check in with me and get this going. I am going to be the first one in my G.I.'s office that is using this drug, so I guess that I am not a guinea pig.
Posted 10/2/2008 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Meds in past Remicade, Imuran ,Prednisone. Periot.

Rash with Imuran, Rem. didn't compelely work wet into bad flare, pred. drives me a little loco with other sideeffects

Now vitties calcium with mag .,vitaminD and multi vitamin and B-12 shots

Stable now since resection in Jan following low residue diet.Seems to work for now .
Posted 10/2/2008 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
1. Medicines you took in the past
Asacol, Imuran, Remicade, Humira, Bentyl, Prednisone, Pentasa, Protonix, Entocort

2. Why you stopped them
Eventually, humira stopped working for me.
And I got to go off the Prednisone when I started Tysabri :)


3. What you currently take (medicines, no medicines, diet only.)
Tysabri and Nifrex--and that's it! My life is so simple now :)

4. Is it helping
I'm training for a marathon so I'd say--absolutely :) I'm going to medical school in January and I can't wait!

linn
Posted 10/3/2008 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
1. Medicines you took in the past- Prednisone, 6mp, Remicade, Cipro, Asulfadine, Entocort, Flagyl, Pentasa, Imuran I'm probably missing some more. You name it, I have tried it. LOL

2. Why you stopped them- I had reactions to them. 6mp I did take for about 2 years but then realized it was the cause of some major joint pain.

3. What you currently take (medicines, no medicines, diet only.)- I'm on Methotrexate, folic acid, and Cipro when needed.

4. Is it helping- It is, but not as good as I would like it to.
Posted 10/3/2008 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
Linn, way to go ! a marathon? wow, I just want to have energy to exercise everyday! good for you! Karen
Posted 10/3/2008 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
Pentasa, 6MP, Ranitidine......was diagnosed 8 years ago. Am currently 21 years of age and after remission of first original flare, with help of remicade, have yet to have another flare up yet...knock on wood.
Posted 10/4/2008 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
1. Medicines you took in the past Asacol colazal prednisone Flagyl Rowasa

2. Why you stopped them Asacol (allergic) colazal (worsened irritation) prednisone (try not to stay
on it long). Rowasa only while in the hospital.

3. What you currently take (medicines, no medicines, diet only.) Remicade (3rd) Pridnisone 20mg tapering
Nexium multivitamin Calcium probiotics topral xl timilol (for glaucoma)
4. Is it helping It helped a lot at first but since I started the taper on the Pred about 4 weeks ago I've
had constant D.
Posted 10/4/2008 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Current meds:Entocort 6mg day, Imuran 150 mg x day, Zoloft 100mg day, Klonopin .5 mg day & ambien when needed

Meds that I have taken in the past: predinisone, purenithal, pentasa,
The dr. said these were not working, so he switched them. I have been on Immuran for four yrs.now and entocort for three years. I have not been in the hospital in four years. Praise the Lord!!!!!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply