MIRACLE DRUG !!!!!

Just wanted to get the word out there about the brand new drug that has CURED me (I know, sounds bogus but it's not):

I have lived with UC for 15 years and had to stay on twice-daily Asacol to keep my symptoms under control. If I missed doses, my symptoms would re-appear, and I would have to add the nightly Rowasa enema to get things back on track.

Earlier this year, I heard about a new medication called Lialda. It is also a 5ASA drug, but in a different time-released formula that you only have to take once a day instead of two or three times a day. This sounded more convenient, so I gave it a try... And it worked GREAT. I haven't had a single symptom since I started taking the pills. A couple months later I realized I had missed pills and still had no symptoms... even when I had missed more than a couple doses.... Which got me curious. So I started missing my doses on purpose. Still no symptoms.

I have been entirely off all medications now for four months now, eating whatever the F I want (all kinds of unhealthy foods, roughage, etc.), and had zero symptoms.

I am completely in remission for the first time in 15 years, and I'm totally convinced it was Lialda that did it. It has changed my life.

I would highly recommend this medication, especially for people who tend to have luck with 5ASA drugs.

Welcome to Healingwell Bootstrap (like the screen ID btw). I am happy you reached remission, that is what we all strive for. But I agree that you were being treated, not cured. Unfortunately, UC is not just "cured" but rather subdued. Uc is a lifelong chronic illness. Lialda has been around for a couple of years already and we have many members here that are on it.

A little story - I was on Asacol for many years. I reached remission, thought hmm ok, I was feeling great for about 6 months, stopped taking it, then BAM! I was thrown into the worse flare of my life. I became very anemic from the blood loss and was almost put on oral steroids but luckily the doc put me on the enema form of steroid. It took approximately 1 year to tame my flare. So please, keep an eye on your body and if you notice any changes, you may have to start the medication again.

been on Lialda for about a year... and it may have helped me achieve remission, I don't know. But I agree with everyone else here. It is a treatment not a cure. I'm sure everyone here agrees with me when I say A cure would be wonderful. Can't think of much I wish for more personal wise, and maybe someday the docs and researchers will find it.

It's VERY expensive as 5-ASA drugs go, and neither of my health care plans carry it on the formlary as a result.

Mods note: Let's give this poster the benefit of the doubt please

Post Edited By Moderator (Red_34) : 11/3/2009 5:52:30 AM (GMT-7)

As a 10 year UC vet who's been mostly in remission, I'll say "eating whatever the F you want" is never a good idea. It will catch up with you eventually. Better to eat a healthy and sensible diet (plenty of UC diet options out there), rebuild good gut flora with probiotics and suppress inflammation with omega-3s. In my experience, these are the "miracles" that help you rebuild a healthy digestive system.

Christine.... For some reason When I was at my worst in the flare pasta and tomato sauce was my best food. If I really needed a good day the next day I would eat that. Even adding the meat was fine. I know we are all different but..... Common sense would have told me that all that acid tin the tomatoes can't be helpin but it did. I know this was off topic but... Was just a curious thought.

unclebubba said...
Christine.... For some reason When I was at my worst in the flare pasta and tomato sauce was my best food. If I really needed a good day the next day I would eat that. Even adding the meat was fine. I know we are all different but..... Common sense would have told me that all that acid tin the tomatoes can't be helpin but it did. I know this was off topic but... Was just a curious thought.

Uncle Bubba,

Nightshades, which includes tomatoes, contain alkaloids. Alkaloids can impact nerve-muscle function and digestive function. That's why they are considered pro-inflammatory. Some people aren't as sensitive to alkaloids though. You might be one of those.

Yeah I don't know if a representative from the lialda manufacturer would show up on here with a bogus story, but I would chime in too and say to keep taking whatever has put you in remission. I stopped taking asacol cuz it was too expensive and my insurance would only pay for 80%, so my gi doc put me on sulfasalazine, which is also 5asa but it's more crudely made. There's a possibility for more side effects, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper, and so far I haven't had any side effects, plus it has put me into remission. And I know from checking into this site from time to time and reading the previous posts, that I better keep taking it, even though I'm doing fine. Also, thanks to lookingforthecure for talking about psyllium husk, it does work well. And thanks to everyone who posts on here, there's a lot of information that I get from here that is beneficial to people with UC :)