HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

What can I expect from balsalazide (colazal)?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/28/2011 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
I'm about to start balsalazide and I'm just wondering what other people's experiences have been with starting this drug? Is there a ramp-up period? What side effects did you experience?

I just did a week of Rowasa that made me insanely sick, so I stopped that. It probably didn't work since I'm allergic to sulfites, but who knows? My doc can't get me the sulfite-free version since it isn't covered by insurance. So here I go on balsalazide, but I'm scared. I've never taken Asacol either and after the last week I had on Rowasa I'm completely freaked out. Any advice or thought would be appreciated!
Posted 12/28/2011 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Rowasa has a PAP program. if you look in the resources thread, I updated the link this morning. You should be able to find the info you need to get a discount of some sort. I am not sure how much of a discount but usually PAP programs help quite a bit if you're elligable.

I tried Colazal when Asacol stopped working for me. I didn't have much response to it and went back to Asacol shortly after. It seems like you either respond well or you don't respond at all - unless of course you're allergic or intolerant and you feel worse :( I noticed I had yellowish BMs while on Colazal. The powder indside the tablets is yellowish if I remember correctly, probably why... I hated that the capsules were large & difficult to swallow.

I hope it works for you, I've seen a lot of people have success with it here on HW.

Posted 12/28/2011 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
I've been taking 750 mg (9) per day Balsalazide (generic Colazal) for almost 2 years. I've had no side effects whatsoever and no ramp-up period. I had no side effects with Asacol either except maybe tinnitus and hearing loss but cannot absolutely lay that to Asacol, may be congenital maybe not.

Some people here prefer Colazal however but there are threads about that being discontinued so you may not have a choice.

I can't say whether Balsalazide actually does anything positive for my UC because my symptoms were just as bad on Balsalazide as on Asacol. Not until I started diet modification starting with gluten-free did my healing begin. I continue taking Balsalazide because there are no side effects and it's not expensive ($108 mo.)

Sorry to hear you cannot tolerate Rowasa enemas and can't get the sf version. There are other enemas people have used like Budesonide and Cortifoam. Maybe you could look into alternative non-mesalamine enemas.
Posted 12/28/2011 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Seconding imagardener2 for her first 2 paragraphs.

I know Balsalazide does keep my UC in remission. I tried reducing Balsalazide after good for 2 years remission and I flared within 4 days, so I am continuing 9 a day.

Just curious, are you allergic specifically to sulfites or sulpha drugs overall? I think, Balsalazide does have sulpha component. I don't remember much but hope someone will shed some light.
Posted 12/28/2011 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on balsalazide for about 9 years. Don't think I've had adverse effects from it. I avoided other meds (specifically prednizone) because of the side effects but tried mesalamine and cortizone enemas for awhile.

I think an important part of getting rid of UC symptoms is altering your diet.
Over the years, I've discovered that dairy is not my friend. I now drink almond milk.
Yogurt has always been helpful. Also take probiotics.

I used to eat a lot of carbs because they seemed to pass "slower" thru my digestive system but eventually that diet led to issues with hemorrhoids.....not very pleasant.
Had to change my diet to solve the problem. For many years I was afraid to eat fruits and veggies because of the fiber but decided to give them a try.

For the past 2 years, I've been making lots of vegetable soup with a chicken broth base and onion, garlic, celery, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Red meat causes the big "d" for me. Broccoli, spinach and beans cause lots of gas so I avoid them. Soda and carbonated beverages also a problem.
Romaine is my lettuce of choice. Other types seem to stimulate activity.
Recently learned to make chicken with curry. Does not seem to pass thru quickly and is good for cancer prevention.
I would like to believe that our bodies have the ability to heal naturally but I think a lot depends on what you eat and drink. Hope some of this is helpful :-)
Pat
Posted 12/29/2011 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
deltaforce, I don't know if I was allergic to Rowasa because of the sulfites or the mesalamine. But I bet that will become more apparent after I try balsalazide. My G.I. said he'd never had anyone react poorly to Rowasa in 15 years--it either worked for them or didn't. He also hadn't heard of there being any issue with sulfites. Thank god I have healingwell for information since every G.I. I've seen has seemed somewhat clueless.

ItAlwaysSomething, I'm definitely in the diet making a big difference camp. I used to be able to control my symptoms strictly through diet and probiotics. But I can't seem to now. I'm just too sick and I don't have the time to rest since I have a two-year-old. That's why I'm just trying the drugs now even though I was diagnosed in 2006.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply