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Lialda vrs Humira??

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/26/2018 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi. I've posted here and there and have appreciated all comments and advice.
So I've had colitis for 22 years and in 2015 got diagnosed with crohns. Up until this year I've been doing well on sulfasalazine and been on remission on and off. I got really sick 1/2015 and was admitted to the hospital where I stayed a week and got diagnosed with crohns. Was able to get back to remission a couple months after for 2 years just on sulfasalazine and prednisone but once I went in for my colonoscopy I went back to a flare and haven't recovered since . Although I ended up pregnant which made things worse got put on 40 mg on prednisone which worked miracles. Once I got off I went back into a flare and been struggling since. I was put on imuran 100 mg to start then bumped up to 150mg because it wasn't working. It's been 3 months so far and I felt I was doing better but had a iron infusion 2 weeks ago and just regressed (the infusion gave me mad diarrhea) so I've asked my GI if I can try lialda - my father and co worker are both on this and have found remission quickly and are doing very well. He says it won't work for me since sulfasalazine no longer does anything and imuran isn't working so wants to go straight into Humira which I'm just waiting on insurance approval. My co worker said he tried imuran and did nothing for him but once he started lialda it worked for him in just 2 weeks . My GI is trying to convince me to do a colon removal which I told him no until I have exhausted all my options. My situation now is still bleeding and going to the bathroom about 6/7 times a day w urgency. I have been much worse off in the past so I don't consider myself horribly off but just struggling to get this under control. Having a 5 year old and 7 month old and work and every Day life makes things so more difficult than they should be with me running to the bathroom unexpectedly. I'm really wanting to try Lialda but GI says it won't help-- is he right ? Should I go straight to Hurima?? Has anyone gone backwards with medication?? Thanks in advance.

Post Edited (Summer4) : 4/26/2018 11:40:17 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/26/2018 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Summer, sorry to read about what you have going on. Something I will comment in on, prednisone is great short term but using over the long haul is not a good plan. Keep in mind because the Lialda worked for those other people it does not mean it will work for you. I will add you honestly do not know the exact extent of their crohns so I would not base my decision on someone else. I am going to guess Humira has you scared, as most people do panic when trying a bio is brought into play. I would suggest that you go to CCFA.org & read up about the bios it's an excellent site with accurate info.

It is not our place here to second guess what your dr is telling you, nor is it unreasonable for him to recommend Humira. I was thankful for both Remicade & Humira, it was about quality of life for me. Having a job & 2 kids to take care of with this disease is difficult. I would prefer a medication that helps me the most. Not sure when you last had a scope but that may be something else to discuss until you can decide on medication.

You may want to add a heading to your post. Click the pencil icon to do this.

Take care.
Posted 4/27/2018 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Straydog.. I agree with the prednisone unfortunately no one told me the side affects before so when I was pregnant I stayed on it for 6/7 months and now I'm dealing with joint pain. And yes the Humira scares me. GI was reluctant to give it to me because he says there's more risk involved with it so it makes me nervous. But I also agree I'm looking for a better quality of life. I'm missing out on doing things with kids outside my home because of fear of having to use the restroom and not having one close to me. I do understand every medication works differently for each individual but I'd like to at least give it a shot. My last scope was Nov 2016 which put me back into a flare which I have not recovered from. Not to mention it was extremely painful as I was awake for the procedure. I want remission and live my life not stuck at home every day but the risk make me unsure. I will look at CCFA.org and hopefully it will ease my worries. Thank you so much for replying and the heads up on the heading smile
Posted 4/27/2018 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
If sulfasalazine isn't working well enough, then there's practically no chance Lialda will work well enough. Lialda is a mesalamine medication, a class of drugs similar to sulfasalazine, but weaker.

Lialda is effective for mild to moderate UC. It's not considered effective for Crohn's at all, whether mild, moderate, or severe. If you have a condition that is somewhere in between UC and Crohn's, it might be mildly effective.

But again, if sulfasalazine isn't enough, Lialda certainly won't be. Your doctor is right about that.
Posted 4/27/2018 11:20 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, beave and your GI are right. Lialda and Sulfasalazine have basically the same active ingredient: 5-ASA - it's just that with sulfasalazine there is an additional step to break it down into 5-ASA. If one doesn't work, it's pretty unlikely that the other one will.

Also, 5-ASA only works for mild to moderate disease. If your GI is bringing surgery into the picture, you have severe disease. If you want to give avoiding colectomy your best shot, get onto a biologic as soon as possible, e.g. Humira.
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