New Crohn's Diagnosis

fillednoodle

New Member

Joined : Feb 2014

Posts : 5

Posted 2/15/2014 7:12 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone, I have been reading your posts to try and absorb all the information I can on Crohn's. I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's in Nov. 2013. I thought I was just dealing with IBS for the last 3 years and pretty much handled it with OTC meds. My brother was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer so I thought I had better have a Colonoscopy. Now I have Crohn's only in my Colon. I was put on Lialda 1.2 mg, 2 tabs at dinner and had a follow up in 1 month. Still with nagging diarrhea 3-4 times daily but I was coping with my daily life. GI upped the dose to 4 tabs at dinner and I have been having all sorts of stomach pain and massive watery diarrhea waking me up 2-3 times every night. I was told to continue with same dose and to be seen in 1 month. I have to work in Health field and I am missing days d/t diarrhea and fatigue now. I did not feel this bad before my diagnosis. Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

gumby44

Veteran Member

Joined : Nov 2007

Posts : 4505

Posted 2/15/2014 7:33 PM (GMT 0)

Lialda is a 5-ASA (mesalamine) class of drug that is often helpful with UC but not always very effective with Crohn's. Make sure your GI is familiar with treating Crohn's disease, as not all of them are. You may need a tapering dose of steroids to get things under control and then the Lialda may be helpful for maintenance. Or you may need a stronger class of drugs like immunosuppresives or biologics. For a good overview of the different medications for Crohn's, go to the Crohn's/Colitis website at www.ccfa.org. I have also struggled with bacterial overgrowth at times including c.difficile and salmonella infections that needed antibiotics to clear up. You should call your doc back or see a different GI. You shouldn't have to wait another month is you are struggling this much and missing work. Welcome to HW, btw, and ask us anything

Ides

Forum Moderator

Joined : Nov 2003

Posts : 7204

Posted 2/15/2014 10:56 PM (GMT 0)

Welcome to Healing Well, filled noodle! I am sorry you are not getting better. My mother takes lialda. She was taking 2 tablets and experienced a sudden flare up so her doctor upped her to 4 tablets. Her diarrhea and urgency got much worse. I figured it was the Lialda and told her to go back down to 2 or to stop it all together for a day or two and to see what happened. She stopped it for 3 days and the diarrhea diminished a great deal. She began just taking one tablet. Then after a week added the second tablet. And after 2 days on two tablets the diarrhea returned with full force!

She told her GI and he agreed that Lialda can cause diarrhea in some people. And the product info for Lialda lists side effects of diarrhea, fatigue, and other GI symptoms. Do not try what I had my mother do without consulting a physician. I agree with Gumby that you should not have to wait a month with worsening symptoms. Call the GI's office and let them know what is happening.

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