Is there light at the end of the tunnel - medication question

Hello everyone,

I was rushed to A&E a few months back due to sever rectal bleeding (i was going into shock) and after a long process of referals and a colonoscopy, i am still waiting for my follow up appointment! They took nearly 30 biopsys so we needed to wait until the results were in. My consultant on the day said he was 99% sure it was UC.

Anyway i was given Asacol enimas in the weeks leading up to my colonoscopy, i didnt react well and spent all 3 weeks perminantly nauseous, not including the awful cramps and effect on any sex life ;-). That has now run out and all my symptoms have come back, the consultant had said i would need medication as a maintance therapy. Are there any other medications i could take, oral preferably!

And just to top it off, I have found out the hard way i have developed an allergy to milk (i cut it out completly and no cramps, gas, pain or D, it usually took 30 min to strat after breakfast!).

Any advice to a newby would be appriciated!

 

Hi newbie

It's hard to suggest an oral med without knowing where your inflammation is located and what your UC exact diagnosis is because different oral meds are designed to treat various locations of inflammation.

In the meantime since you seem intolerant of the mesalmine enema (if those symptoms indeed came from the enema) you could request a steroid enema. If you are non-US you have access to foam types (good) whereas we in US have fewer choices. That's what I'd suggest you use until you get a diagnosis and get on oral meds.

If you are prescribed an oral mesalamine you should be able to tell in a week whether you are intolerant of oral mesalamines (hope not). Don't put the cart before the horse, try and get your diagnosis, start oral meds (keep up with enemas also) and see what happens.

edit to add: I am also intolerant of milk except for swiss cheese. It's (for me) not exactly an allergy, rather my gut just can't handle milk or even yogurt with no lactose, much gas ensues. I use coconut milk cream instead of cream in my coffee/tea. No diarrhea since quitting milk products.

Post Edited (imagardener2) : 5/28/2013 10:02:20 AM (GMT-6)

Yes sorry I meant intolerance, force of habit writing allergy. It was just a generic brand from the hospital box it came in. So if I bring these concerns up with the consultant there may be alternatives for me to try? As longs as its not the enimas or nothing I can cope! Thank you all, im sure ill keep you updated following my appointment!

steven65msp said...
I live in the USA and I have a prescription for Cortifoam - I've got two packs of it at home right now. So steroid foam is available in the USA.

Thanks for the info, I didn't know that. I think the foam is better retained by many people. I know it took me a while to retain mesalamine enemas, learning curve and inflammation rejection.