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Canasa Sups....few questions...

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/15/2010 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Ok I have only been on them for a week, but yea I finally feel completely normal down there...I good solid poop a day after I choose to get up.   Meaning I am actually staying asleep for 8 hours instead of getting up at 5:30 to poop.  This is so out of the ordinary for me I almost feel constipated!

I want to stay on them daily for a month atleast to make sure I am fully there, but I really can't imagine using them every night for the rest of my life.  What is a maintaince dose?  or is this a just get you there kind of drug like pred? 

I hope my GI learns from this and starts treating from both ends.  It took me forever to get them and I an anxiously awaiting blood tests next month!  I really can't believe I was hesitant to use rectal meds in the beginning....

Posted 2/15/2010 8:18 PM (GMT 0)
I'm using mesalamine enemas twice weekly as my maintenance dose.  Studies show people who use enemas twice weekly in addition to oral meds stay in remission longer than those who only use oral meds.  I don't know if it's the same for suppositories.  You might want to consider using enemas instead of suppositories, because they reach up a bit higher.
Posted 2/15/2010 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
Yay, I'm so glad they're working for you!
I have heard for the enemas a maintenance dose is like 2 times a week, but I don't know about the supps. I would imagine Quincy has good advice on this one....
Posted 2/15/2010 8:22 PM (GMT 0)
yes, stay on them for a month and taper to every second night and then every third, etc.

Great you've improved and your doc's attitude needs to improve as well....sheesh.

q
Posted 2/15/2010 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
Canasa suppositories were a big turning point for me in my first and only flare so far. After screaming for them because of pain preceding a bowel movement, my doc prescribed them and the next night the pain was gone. I was still on about 5 mg of prednisone. I've been on them since, and off pred, using them nightly and am tapering to every other night. Doc isn't that impressed with it, nor with rectal meds with my particular case (mild to mod pancolitis). Calls it icing on the cake (but I've discussed this before in the forum). Really made a difference for me.
Posted 2/15/2010 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
It is almost too good to be true...I can not ever remember being this way. It has always been 2 or 3 movements in the morning. The oral asacol firmed them up, but Thank god I don't go to work till 10 am and sometimes I would have to suddenly go to the bathroom as I was walking out the door.

The first time I asked him why no rectal meds he said because they wouldn't reach all the way up with pancolitis. At this point I am a believer in treating from both ends. and before I let him put me on pred again ( I am quitting smoking ) he WILL give me rectal steroids or I will find another doctor.
Posted 2/16/2010 6:55 AM (GMT 0)
FG...Why rectal steroids? I'd push you to ask for Rowasa initially. It's a retention 5ASA enema.

Of course, I'm biased....I still don't think you're on enough meds, but it's great you're having much improvement and you can always ask for an increase in them.

quincy
Posted 2/16/2010 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Can you explain rowasa to me? The reason say rectal steroids is my last bout with oral steroids was worse than the flare. At this point before I will only accept oral steroids if it is a choice between that and hospital stay.

I Know a flare will come when I go off the nicotine ( how I was diagnosed in the past) so I want to be prepared..l
Posted 2/16/2010 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Rowasa is a 5-ASA, basically the same medicine as the Canasa, but in liquid form so it will reach up farther into your system.

My general plan in a flare is to go with Rowasa, and if they're not quite doing the trick and the doc suggests pred, I counter by saying I'll do the steroid enemas. I've not had noticeable systemic effects with those, and since my initial 2- year bout with pred (yeah) I've done fine with rectal steroids even when I've had a somewhat bad flare.
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