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How long for Lialda to start working?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/13/2013 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
I've been taking 4 lialda a day for about the past 9-10 weeks. It doesn't really seem to be doing much. I started steroid enemas about 2 weeks ago. I was hoping for results by now. It's not horrible by any means but still going 4-8 times per day with blood.

I'm wondering if the Lialda is actually doing more harm than good since some people don't tolerate it and the side effects listed are bloody D. I am thinking about going off of it and just using the enemas for a little bit to see if that helps.

I'm really torn because I was in remission for about 3 years on 50mg of azathioprine and 100mg allopurinol with no real side effects, but went off it because the risk of cancer scares me. Part of me just wants to take the easy route that I know works and go back on those but I just can't bring myself to do it.

After I went off the aza I was able to stay in remission for about 3 months using the paleo diet but that has stopped working as well :(

So my question is after 9-10 weeks on Lialda should I see results if I am going to?
Posted 1/13/2013 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
I saw results with Asacol almost right away. I was in a severe flare up, I was only on Canasa and I was able to get into remission with Asacol within a week or two, that remission lasted about a year. After that, I had a terrible flare up that required prednisone and I couldn't taper off, I had to start 6mp and take allopurinol to get into the theraputic range.

Did you ever have results with Asacol in the past?
Have you tried mesalamine enemas?

I would think that 9 weeks is enough time to see results. You could try another 5ASA but I am not sure how effective these medications are if you've been using Imuran in the past. Since I've been on 6mp, I am not sure whether Lialda is doing anything positive for me. I don't recall having seen too many people go backwards from Imuran to mesalamine and stay in remission. I am sure people have but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head.
Posted 1/13/2013 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply. I did try asacol when I first flared a few years ago but it didn't do much. I was hoping that lialda in combination with my diet would do the trick and be less harmful than azathioprine.

I think I'm going to go of the lialda since it hasn't seemed to help and just use the enemas to see if those can get me into remission in case the lialda is making it worse. If not then I'm going to try a few other things probiotics etc and as a last resort go back on the azathioprine since I know that works.
Posted 1/13/2013 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
The easiest way to see if they are doing more harm then good is by stopping them. I would think by this point you would be seeing a fair amount of improvement and usually the steriod enemas really help with the bleeding. I would stop them and see what happens and if the enemas and diet don't cut it for you then another form of treatment needs to be figured out. You don't want to spiral downward into a really bad needing hospitalization flare. Let us know how it goes.
Posted 1/13/2013 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
I would guess you might need to go back to the aza and maybe up the dosage? My mezavant usually worked first 4 weeks and if not then it will never.. maybe give the enemas a bit longer. Where is the inflammation?
Posted 1/14/2013 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
The Lialda doesn't appear to be working for you. Did I read that right, you are ok with getting cancer when flaring but you don't want to get it while in remission? I'm not sure your paleo diet did anything to keep you in remission. You were probably just healed well enough that it took 2-3 months before your UC came back enough to start causing problems. This is the same thing that happens while on prednisone. Hopefully you can find something that once healed, you can stay in remission. It always seems to be a mistake to quit doing whatever it was that puts someone in remission because UC often comes back and gets harder and harder to treat.
Posted 1/14/2013 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
thanks again for the responses.

Yeah colitis is a wonderful thing isn't it. When in remission you think man I don't want cancer I should get off these pills... then when you're flaring you're thinking how bad can cancer=death really be and what is the likely-hood I'd really get it... I just want to stop going to the bathroom all the time.

I'll update the thread in a week or so once the lialda is out of my system and it's only the enemas...hoping for the best.
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