What to try next?

If your colitis is in the left side of the colon, then look into rectal meds. Pentasa won't help much with that; it's mostly for terminal ileum/right-sided disease. There are steroid enemas and mesalazine enemas (eg Rowasa, Salofalk). For disease in the rectum, there are also suppositories.

The UC board is a good place to find info on rectal meds. I'm not that clued up on them, to be honest. Bear in mind if you have Crohn's colitis, mesalazine might not be able to penetrate through to all layers of the inflammation. (In UC, the inflammation doesn't go below the submucosa; it can be severe but it's always shallow, unlike in Crohn's).

But I would still give rectal meds a try; they are much better at reaching the distal (far away) end of the colon than oral meds, hence they tend to work better.

I'd wait until you speak to your gastro first, to be honest... :-/

When's the appointment?

I don't think I ever tried Colazal, but was certainly given other mesalazine drugs. Maybe it was 'cos my disease was more right-sided than left.

Re the weight loss: how many times a day are you going? I can't say I didn't lose weight - 'cos I did - but I always felt it was due to not eating enough than the disease itself. I've certainly put it back on with ease over the past 12 months :-/

Anyway, it's all about calories, really. It's easier to drink them to eat them. I used to occasionally make smoothies consisting of bananas, peanut butter, milk and ice all blended together. I once made it with Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice-cream, which made it absolutely delicious. (Obviously, can substitute ingredients as appropiate, eg non-cow's milk for cow's milk etc.)

If you're so ill you can't hold food down, that's an indication for not waiting and going to ER. But otherwise, just eat: bland, high calorie foods where possible. Veg and fruit can wait 'til you're better. (Though they can, of course, be blended and made into soups or smoothies.)

Hope that helps a bit!

I wish I had answers for you about meds & symptoms but quite frankly I'm less than 2 years into having the official diagnosis (was actively sick for 19 years before that) and they put me on Remicade right away. It's what you said about that isolating feeling that I'm answering...
I really just wanted to let you know that I can relate to feeling that at times (I presume all of us here can). Really I just wanted to lend my support & let you know that there is someone out there (or out here) that understands & cares.
Sending you good vibes & wishing you any bit of relief as soon as possible!
-Nicole

Thanks for saying so. It means soooo much to me when I can do anything to make someone feel better. And in this crazy world, with all the crap we've all had to put up with there is something comforting about people being able to find &/or appreciate the ironic humor that comes with all of these experiences (the kind that if one didn't know better, they would assume we all exaggerate if not just plain make stuff up).
To that end & in the hopes I can make some of you smile or even laugh...
I have Crohn's & my husband has IBS, we live in a cute one bedroom apartment, it also has one bathroom... If we were 'normal' people, that would be all well & good, but I think given the circumstances you can all understand why we'd be in a hurry to buy a new place...
Perhaps with a bathroom for each of us & maybe even a third bathroom, just in case. ;-)