Question about Rowasa

Yes, you're DR is probably wrong about the enemas. Plenty of people here are intolerant of mesalamine and that is true of the enemas as well as the oral meds. What is your reaction to the oral med?

My guess is that they'll probably bother you.

Are they offering other meds, such as an immunomodulator (6MP, Imuran) or biologic (Remicade, Humira)?

The "oral" mesalamine is still topical, so it matters naught to compare it to the rectal as being worse or better. Neither one is systemic.

I think you should call your doctor asap and say you want to try a steroid enema instead.

Or...you can prove that you are intolerant of the mesalamine if you react to the enemas you've been prescribed...and call him on Monday.

q

Any oral 5ASA is NOT systemic. It's released in the lower digestive tract to deal with the colon (in UC, but some are released within the small intestine then into the colon..not the point here, however), so your husband is iabsolutely ncorrect in his understanding of what the med does, as is the doc for even saying it in the first place.

It is possible, however, that since you are only on an oral 5ASA and not the rectal, your rectum isn't being treated and you're having continuing symptoms.

The other thing is that the sulfasalazine sulpha part isn't agreeing with you.

Regarding the align, when have you been taking it? Maybe start with taking it at bedtime...on more of an empty stomach when your digestive tract is in low gear. Probiotics can have a tendency to cause gas.

So, in light of what's a possibility of you actually being undertreated, try the oral AND rectal together over the weekend and see how you do.

I will say that using the enema might well possibly/probably give you urge to use the bathroom...follow the instructions and wait the urge out.

Hang tough, while there are some who are sensitive to mesalamine, it might be that you aren't...just that it hasn't kicked in to deal with your UC inflammation in its entirety.

q

Q, when I had my colonoscopy in Feb he said it was just ulcerative proctitis...then I had a flex sig done in May and he said it was up my left side about 25in? So I guess perhaps things had gotten worse.