HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

please help!!!!!

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/21/2008 1:46 AM (GMT 0)
confused  Please Help, my doc just called in medicine for me its called "Entocort" i was just reading up on it and its for people with chron's diease, i'm not so sure my doctor has a clue, i was on asacol 400 mg 9 pills a day. He says I have UC but cant tell what type it is. I'm scared and dont know what to do.  My last colonscopy showed mild inflammation which was back in Nov 07, then I was good until April or May of 08 (cant remember which one) really sick fever 103.8 vomiting, dd etc. took levaquin, predisione, asacol, then it felt like it never went away the pain still on the right side, ribs sometimes sore to touch,(gallbladder is gone) any suggestions please help.

entocort 9mg for 2 weeks, 6mg for 2 weeks,  2mg for 2 weeks

             

Posted 6/21/2008 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Entocort is used for both UC and Crohn's. Like Prednisone, it is a steroid, but it's intended to release in the colon so much less is absorbed systemically and the side effects are usually less. It's used to induce remission, whereas the asacol is intended to maintain remission. The dosages prescribed for you are appropriate.

You'll want to observe some of the same precautions as with Prednisone. Taking it in the morning is more in tune with your body's natural rhythm and may help prevent the insomnia steroids sometimes bring on. Try to limit your salt intake and your nibbling between meals to help keep weight gain down. And, like Pred, it can give you gastro-esophageal reflux, so you may need to take something like Tums or Ranitidine to combat that.

Hope this gets you to a better place.
Posted 6/21/2008 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome, I am so sorry you're going through this. At this point I'm wondering why you weren't prescribed Azulfidine, it's the first line treatment for both UC and Crohn's. After his original diagnosis 5 years ago, my son responded very well to Azulfidine for a couple of years before it started loosing effectiveness. But for some people it works for much much longer. I would check into taking Azulfidine. Asacol is enteric coated, it's designed to dissolve in the colon but only given a narrow Ph range. It may not be dissolving properly, if that's the case, it wouldn't benefit you much. As for Entocort, it's a "non-systemic" steroid, as such it's claimed to not have as much of the bad effects of Prednisone. It had no benefit for my son at all, but it may help some. As UC and Crohn's are both inflammatory bowel diseases and both are not well understood, the same meds are used in both, that's not unusual at all.

My heart goes out to you. I know how miserable this can be. Things will get better once you find a treatment that works. Please keep us posted on how things work out for you.

Jsmom
Posted 6/21/2008 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
Please try not to worry.  I know that is easier said than done.  Trust that this will work for you.  Stress is bad for this disease. Hand in there, it will get better.  Bellski

Posted 6/21/2008 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
FYI - the sulfasalazine (aka Azulfadine) may be considered by some doctors as first line meds - however, it is the same general medication as the one in Asacol. One reason doctors are prescribing Asacol over sulfasalazine is that with the sulfasalazine patients need to take folic acid as the med depletes it. Many patients have compliance issues with additional pills so, Asacol simplifies that.

Stress does not help. It does not cause the disease, but it sure can make symptoms worse. So, if you have concerns about your meds, calmly discuss them with your doctor or his nurse. There may be reasons for certain meds - more than what we can find online. If you are really uncomfortable with your doctor, get a second (or third) opinion. It's your health, your body - it's worth it.
Posted 6/21/2008 10:16 AM (GMT 0)
ive taken entocort (called budesonide in australia)... its very expensive.. $199 a bottle.
i tried it for 3 months and it did nothing to help me. but i have heard that it helps quite a few people.
i was a point in my flare that not a single thing helped me at all.
i tried everything. but you have to try it first to see if it works for you. so dont panic!
you'll be ok.

just dont drink grapefruit juice with it.
Posted 6/21/2008 11:03 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the great advice "I love this site" so many nice ppl on here. One more thing though I need to ask, I have pain with my colitis espeically on the right side under my rib cage (sometimes it hurts so bad I cant even touch it) I have no blood in my BM's and very rare diraherra (sp) sorry, i have urgency sometimes, is this a normal thing for colitis.

 

Posted 6/22/2008 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
It's possible to have right-sided pain with either UC or Crohn's disease. Probably your doctor has prescribed Entocort because the Asacol doesn't seem to be relieving your symptoms-- then Azulfidine would not be of help either because it was the predecessor of Asacol. (Same type of anti-inflammatory, but bonded to sulfa, which can be problematic for some patients in itself.) I would agree with Judilyn's advice-- give the Entocort a try, but get in touch with your doctor ASAP if you experience additional problems. It sounds like he/she is trying sensibly to help you, not to bombard you with a whole medicine cabinet full of different drugs that could bring on side effects. Best wishes for you to feel better within the week. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 Colazal daily for maintenance of remission)
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply