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Does anyone adjust their dosage of Asacol?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/25/2007 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
So, I'm going to start on Asacol and am supposed to take 2-400 mg 3 times a day. I was thinking about taking the 2-400 mg tablets twice a day. Part of the reason is I work from home and don't get my kids off to school until 8:30. That's when I eat breakfast. Lunch is at 12:00 and dinner is by 5:00. It seems like those dosages would be so close together. Plus I seem to have a strong reaction to most medications and would rather see if a lower dosage would work out for me. I think the doc wants me on the three times per day dosage but I was wondering if anyone else has played around with the dosage amount and had success.
Posted 11/25/2007 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
I am on Pentasa, not Asacol, but my understanding is that the only difference is that the Pentasa releases itself in the small intestine, and the Asacol, releases toward the colon. The reason that they want you to take it multiple times a day, is so that you are getting contiunual release to your intestinnes, so taking it only twice a day may not be a good idea. I take Pentasa three times a day. I was originally taking it four times but my doc said I can reduce to three. I find that even if I don't take it at mealtimes, as long as I have a snack, I tolerate it ok. The dosage seems to be dependent on your own individual reactions and level of disease. I would suggest that you talk with your doctor before lowering the dose, but even at a lower dose, you may be better off with three times a day. By the way, I have no medical training...this is just my opinions based on my experience and what I have read. Good luck.
Posted 11/25/2007 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
I've taken my asacol 3 times a day when I needed it more. Actually, asacol is a pretty benign drug. It's made to stay intact while passing through the stomach and doesn't break down until it gets to the large intestine. So, it does the work "locally" instead of "systemically". If I were in your shoes I would take it 3 times a day and then if you find that you are having a strong reaction, you can always take less. I take 4 400mg pills 2x's a day, sometimes 3x's. So, your dose sounds pretty low to me.
Posted 11/25/2007 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on 4, 400mg pills, three times a day for a few years now.  As someone else has said, it's a pretty "benign" drug.  I've never noticed ANY side effects from it.  My only suggestion for the time is to take them at breakfast, dinner and before bed.  That would be three times a day and even if you go to bed around 9, it's still 4 hours after the dinner dose. 

Good Luck,

Claudia

Posted 11/26/2007 7:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have taken Asacol for many years now. I used to take 4, three times a day. I have never had any reaction from the drug. It is hard to get into the routine, but you can do it. I don't always take it with food either. Morning, midday, bedtime. I think you should stay with the dose your doc recommends for now. He may lower it later. I am now, after 16 years, down to 2 pills twice a day.
Posted 11/26/2007 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
I take my Asacol 3 in the a.m. when I wake up and the other 3 at bedtime. Doc said that was okay as I kept forgetting my afternoon dose. I wouldn't cut down on the medicine without your GI's okay.
Posted 11/26/2007 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
The 5-ASAs work in the guts by delivering anti-inflammatory medicine to the affected area of the gut. For maximum benefit the goal is to maintain levels of drugs at a constant level throughout the day. You will not receive maximum benefit if you split your dose in two instead of three, but it may be enough to work for you. guess the only way you will know is to try it.
Posted 11/26/2007 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
You can also adjust like:  3 pills 2 times a day instead of 2 pills 3 times a day.

I am also on Remicade and adjust my asacol as to where in the remicade cycle (8 weeks) i am.   Right after remicade, I usually take 2 pills 2or 3 times a day, and the end of the cycle usually sees 4 pills 2 or 3 times a day.    I take it based on how I'm feeling and luckily I usually get some painless(?) feelings in my gut that indicates i'm about to flare, so I'll increase.

Posted 11/27/2007 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
I take Asacol twice a day. 6 400 mg tablets in the morning and 6 in the evening. I've been to two different GI docs who both say that you can take it twice a day.

Posted 11/27/2007 9:30 PM (GMT 0)

I've been told the same as belleenstein by a couple of gastros - that Asacol has a very short life span, so you need to take it 3 times a day to keep the gut under control.   I've never had to eat food with it. 

I used to play around with not taking it, or taking less, because I felt just fine, but eventually, I didn't feel fine anymore.  For me, I've learned that it's easier to just get into a routine of taking it on the same schedule, every day.

I used to take 3 Asacol, 3 times a day, but now I take 2 Colazal, 3 times a day. 

Posted 11/28/2007 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
cjal,

I switched (at one time) from asacol to colazal.  Do you find you now have acid reflux?  I swear, I never had heartburn until I took colazal.

I hated switching from those nice hard small pills to those big ol' capsules.  sad    They get stuck in your throat if you dont drink something before you take them. skull

Posted 11/28/2007 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
I was origianally taking 2 pills 3x aday, but thats to hard when I work at a hospital.. so I switched to 3 pills 2x a day.. I take them when ever I get up (no matter what time) and when I go to bed. just dont drop your does to 2 2x a day with out approval.. That caused problems with me and thats when the doctor told me I could take 3 pills 2x aday..
Posted 11/28/2007 9:08 PM (GMT 0)

Mishball2 -

I take Nexium because I have gastritis (or so the gastro says....even though he also said it would go away, but 7 years later, it's still here...).   So perhaps the Nexium hides the affect of the Colazal - I don't know.   I switched during a flare up because the Asacol wasn't dissolving - it was shooting right thru me, whole.   I could probably switch back to Asacol now, though, because they are easier to swallow.

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