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Salofalk mesalimine enema

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/5/2011 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everybody, new member here, I am a 39 year old male and was diagnosed with UC in 2008, I have had 1 to 2 flareups a year since then. I am going through a flareup right now, being treated with mesalimine, I have been on the enemas for a week now and I am still having bloody and mucus stools. Is it normal to take this long for the medication to work? My doctor prescribed 2 weeks supply, I took entocort in the past and was better in 3-4 days so I expected the same results this time around. Is this normal for mesalimine?  The information on this site has been very helpful to me, and it is overwhelming to know that so many people are suffering with this plague. I would appreciate any helpful replies.
Posted 5/5/2011 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
I would appreciate any info.Thanks.
Posted 5/5/2011 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
Hi..welcome to the forum.

It's best to use the mesalamine if your'e able to...but 2 weeks supply won't be enough. I hope you have refills.

What did the doc suggest you do after the 2 weeks are up?

How many bms are you having daily..and how much have you improved since starting them? Are you any worse?

Are you on oral mesalamine such as asacol as well?

The longest I used nightly enemas was for 4 months. I struggled the first year with getting my flares under control...I got "be patient" from my GI....yes, you need it.

22+ years later and ONLY have used Asacol oral and Salofalk enemas....

Be patient. You will need to taper them as well...so you do need refills.
I say give it at least a month nightly.
q
Posted 5/5/2011 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply, I see my doctor once the 2 week supply is done, he may prescribe more,  I am having less bms since starting the enemas, before that I was going up to 10 times per day, I feel less urges and pressure than before but I still have blood and mucus and tiny pices of stool. I find the mesalimine less effective than the entocort enemas I was on during my last flare up. I am on an oral antibiotic as well. It is difficult in the mornings with mesalimine, I get up at 5 am for work and spend at least a half an hour going back and forth to the bathroom with the urge to get out the enema, each time it is white colored with blood and mucus.  I will hopefully see better results by the end of the 2 week period. Thanks.
Posted 5/6/2011 3:26 AM (GMT 0)
It does take some time to see results with these. I've been using them for about a month, and the morning trips to the bathroom to expell the enema have gotten much better for me. It has been slow but steady improvement. Stick with it. You could also ask your doc about using the steroid foam during the day; maybe that would help speed things up?
Posted 5/6/2011 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
peppermint71,

I took salofalk enemas for years and yes they did take much longer to start working than the cortisone ones.  There was times I would be on them for months and still having symptoms. 

I have now switched to hycort because I do find they are faster at controlling symptoms. I use cortifoam during the day.

Posted 5/6/2011 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies. It is very helpful to hear from someone who knows what I am going through, it is frustrating to deal with but encouraging words always help. :-)   I also dont feel like eating much during this flare up, I was wondering if the mesalimine causes any appetite loss? I was also on an antibiotic and this might have caused this to happen.
Posted 5/6/2011 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
No, it doesn't cause a loss in appetite from what I have experienced.
Posted 5/7/2011 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
I have experienced loss of appetite as a symptom of a flare, not as a side effect of medication.
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