HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Does anyone use Entocourt?

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/22/2009 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have not heard of anyone talking about using Entocourt in place of Prednisone - why is that?  It seems that it would be ideal if it is like Pred but without the side effects.

Is it OK to Prednisone kind of like if you were taking Tylenol....ie taking a dose one time and then taking another a few days later?  Does it HAVE to be one continuous dose to gain any relief from a flare? 

Posted 3/22/2009 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
I use Entocort! My doctor tried Pentasa first, didn't work, so I'm trying Entocort now and it seems to be helping. I'm really glad my doctor didn't put me on pred right away, the side effects are a bit intimidating!
Posted 3/22/2009 6:54 AM (GMT 0)
... In my case, because it is very expensive in comparison with pred.
Posted 3/22/2009 10:19 AM (GMT 0)
Did take Entocort for two years after doc tried to wean me off Prednison but illness kept comming back when I went back to 7mg Prednison, then she switched me to Entocort. Prednisone works better to supress the illness I think, but Entocort is better for corticoid dependent people like me bacuse it doesn´t have as many side effects as it only works in the intestine.

At least that is how I understood it...
Posted 3/22/2009 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
I used Entocort once in the past. It is intended for mild-to-moderate cases of Crohn's. Entocort is not systemic so there are fewer side effects but it also won't help with extraintestinal problems and is less "powerful." It does not work against severe disease or Crohn's in the proximal (left-sided) colon.

Pred is systemic, works faster, can be given in high doses by injection ... if someone has very severe symptoms (blockage, bleeding with anemia, etc.) I think the docs will skip over Entocort entirely and opt for pred.

Entocort is expensive if you don't have prescription coverage. I paid about $450/month when I was taking the full dosage.

Also, you need to take Prednisone daily on schedule so you have a consistent level in the body. Some people do every-other-day but only when they are tapering.

Good luck.
Posted 3/23/2009 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
Entocort has been a blessing for my daughter...she has managed to stay in remission on only one pill a day for the past two years. It was approved by the FDA not only to put patients into remission, but also as a maintenance med.
Posted 3/23/2009 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
I take entocort and it has worked great for my strictures....I find it a lot easier to take then prednisone...the only side effect I think is occuring is that my blood pressure is becoming high...I normally run a very low blood pressure and how noticed a significant increase over the past month...other then that, there are no issues with it...

Posted 3/23/2009 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
I also took entocort for 2 months. Alas, prednisone worked better for me. Be careful, steroids are a blessing from hell :-) They help greatly in the short term but have serious long-term side effects... as if having crohn's wasn't bad enough. I'm taking humira now and am having success. Of course, I'm still on pentasa. Hope this helps.
Posted 3/24/2009 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
I took entocort in addition to Pentasa for a few months and didn't seem to have any better results compared to the Pentasa alone. The doctor then had me stop and start taking prednisone. BIG mistake. I had a huge flare up for 3 days before the pred could kick in. Not sure if you're supposed to or not, but I would suggest tapering off of entocort. Ended up spending $500 on a CT scan that I feel could have been avoided. Life Lesson for me tongue
Posted 3/24/2009 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
I've been taking entocort since mid-December with no problems. It was very effective at reducing the inflammation in my small intestines. I think the plan is to reduce my dosage now that I have started taking 6mp.
Posted 3/25/2009 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I took entocort instead of predinsone for the first time in October. You have to follow a similiar taper schedule as pred. in that you can't just stop taking it but I didn't have to take it as long.

It is very expensive for me even with insurance. If I continue to have frequent flares like I have been then I will probably have to take predinsone next time.

Sally
Posted 3/25/2009 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
I have been taking Entocort for about 8 months...I just found this site and I think its a great source...I have had complications for about 4 years...Constant Diarrhea started about three years ago...I started out taking imodium and other over the counter meds...Or I could drink three beers if I was at home and it would stop, and wouldn't have the constant feeling...Then I got a head coaching job and the stress made it worse...I found that pain meds, such as hydrocodone, would make me not even feel like I had to go to the bathroom...Every once in while I would have severe side pain...It was on the right, a little under my rib cage...It would get so intense the only thing that would stop it would be three hydrocodone...I cut push in with my thumb and it would make it feel better...Going with this problem I started going to specialists...I had ever test u can imag...Some of the test were done again by other GI doctors...Every doctor could not find anything on my test results...I went three years battling symptoms and having the feeling of having to go to the bathroom...The side pain started about 12 years ago but I was not having the diarrhea problems...They went in and took my gallblatter out...They said it has some adhensions, which was funny bc I had never had surgery before...Years after the surgury I still had the side pain at times but didn't start getting diarrhea symptoms until about four years ago...I just recently went to another GI doctor and he diagnosed me with chron's disease...He did not find anything on any of his test...He did a test where I swallowed a pill with a camera on it and hooked a harness up to me and sent me home for 8 hours...The only thing he found was a little influmation in the middle of my stomach....I just recently went back to him and he drew some blood...Two weeks later the nurse called and said I had chron's disease and sent me some meds...I had other barium test, x-rays, upper gi's, lower gi's, and camera pill test, and some other ones....None of these test showed anything...Different doctors would say I had IBS, Colitis, and this one said i had Chron's...When Im at home and Im having the side pain I can drink 2 beers and the pain stops and the diarrhea...I know this is not a good mense of helping, but its better than taking my hydrocodone...Sorry this message was so long Im just been battling this for along time and wanted to see if anyone has the same symptoms...

Posted 3/25/2009 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I wanted to know when do you guys start taking Entocort? When you are in pain just flaring without any actual pain.

I was feeling a lot of tenderness in the past few weeks on my right side below the ribs. So i went to see my dr. asking for prednisone but by then i was feeling better already. He prescribed 9mg a day for Entocort and also taking 4g a day of Pentasa. Today was the first day i started taking Entocort and i took only 1 pill on 3mg.

Will that help me reduce the inflammation or should i stick to 9mg? I really don't wanna start having side effects and since i'm not exactly in pain i though 3mg would be enough.

Thanks,
Posted 3/25/2009 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
Miss_82 - Entocort doesn't have all the side effects like pred. The only side effect can be some bone loss, but you can take calcium and vitamin D to balance it out. If you're in a flare, you really need the 9 mg. 3 mg is a maintenance dose, so it won't reduce any inflammation that you have right now. You should always follow your doctor's instructions, even if you're not in pain.
Posted 3/26/2009 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
I was on it. It is supposed to not have the bad side effects of pred but it is still a steroid. I had the bad side effects same as I did on the pred, including worsening of my depression. I will not take steroids again. I'm trying Cimzia right now.
Posted 3/26/2009 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Pred for MONTHS it was the only thing that helped at first. I am now doing humira every week pentasa and i am starting entocourt (sp) tomorrow for three weeks cause i keep having flare ups even on the humira so if this doesnt work I'm nervous to think what the next step will be

Posted 3/26/2009 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
I have been taking pentasa for a week now and I have been getting sick after every meal...Even tonight without eating I got sick and couldn't stay out of the bathroom...I finally took some pain medicine...Before I was diagnosed with chron's I was only hurting on my side maybe once a month and sometimes longer than that...If it was hurting it would hurt all week, until I started taking prolosac...Has anyone had this problem with pentasa...?I still don't think I have chron's...If anyone can help me out please email me...I have read the signs and symptoms....The only symptom I have is constant feeling of having to go to the bathroom when im not on my pain [email protected]
Posted 3/28/2009 4:46 AM (GMT 0)

Mis_82, 3 mg really doesn't do much, and the manufacturer of Entocort doesn't recommend it even as a maintenance dose. The following protocol is from the manufacturer's website, which recommend 9 mg for up to 8 weeks to induce remission, and 6 mg for another three months to maintain remission. 

Induction – Induce remission

  • 9 mg (three 3 mg capsules) once daily up to 8 weeks
  • Repeat 8-week courses as necessary for recurring episodes of active disease

Maintenance – Maintain clinical remission

  • 6 mg (two 3 mg capsules) once daily up to an additional 3 months

Re-treatment

  • Repeat the entire dosing cycle as needed for recurring active episodes

http://www.entocortec.com/HCP/Indications.asp

Posted 3/28/2009 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi njmom,

Thanks for the info.

I decided to go up to 6 mg because 3 mg might really not be enough to put me back in remission. I think i will go on 9 mg as recommanded but i don't really like this drug. My stomach feels all weird and after taking it i usually have D. Only once but still...
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply