Asacol and back pain

Hi all --

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced back pain with Asacol? I've been on 12 pills (4 at 3 times per day, 400mg per pill) for a few months for pancolitis, and have tapered down to 8 pills per day. For a few months now I've been getting terrible back pain, especially overnight--it's driving me nuts because I can't sleep. I'm getting the runaround from my doctors--my primary care referred me to physical therapy, which hasn't done much, and my GI insists that the Asacol isn't the culprit but I have my suspicions.

I'm seeing a physiologist/spine dr. this week and perhaps that will move things forward. My gut (no pun intended) is telling me this is Asacol-related, but the Asacol has stopped the ulcerative colitis and frankly I'm afraid to taper down too much.

Been on Asacol since 2000. Had on and off back pain since about 1989. Asacol didn't make me any worse in terms of back pain, but chiro does tend to make me better.

back pain can be also an effect from the inflammatory process caused by UC. there are a lot of people with spondyloartropathiy and UC both.
for me the back pain investigations lead to UC diagnose....


the simpliest way is to see if you have problems from medication or it's a natural inflammatory process is to talk to your GI and switch the medication for a couple of weeks.
if your back pain will subside then you know is from asacol.