HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Took 11 pills of balsalazide yesterday

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/24/2014 10:04 AM (GMT 0)
I was prescribed 9 pills of balsalazide and currently doing mesalamine enema rotating at night with hydrocort for two more weeks and also using canasa in the the morning, but i can't seem to lessen the blood, although the stool is firming up. Yesterday, out of frustration with this disease i decided to pop two more balsalazide caps in between my regular dosage and this morning I am better, I did see a little blood but not as much as yesterday. Does anyone here know if I can take 11 pills of balsalazide until I can see more improvement?

thanks, my doctor says I am at the maximum dosage when I saw him last month, but when I called him before this appointment he did say I can take a couple of more over the weekend, so he does contradict himself.

I read somewhere that you can take up to 16 pills a day while flaring. Any experience and guidance would be appreciated.
Posted 10/24/2014 10:47 AM (GMT 0)
Generally the maximum dosage of meslamine is 4,800mgs oral and 4,000mgs rectal per day. Some have tried higher dosages but much beyond that you are just wasting medication.

Sorry, time for stronger uc medication. Usually 6mp, Imuran or aza are next on the medication ladder for uc.
Posted 10/24/2014 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
ipoop, would you skip oral prednisone or try that first, never been on oral I always just said no to it, but i am going to see doctor in about a month.
Posted 10/24/2014 12:04 PM (GMT 0)
Well, 6mp, Imuran or aza take 2 months to build up to therapeutic levels in the body. And often corticosteroids are used concurrently until therapeutic levels are reached. If a rectal steroid isn't enough, then yes either an oral pred or uceris should be tried. Rectal steroids have less side effects, as does uceris (both are 90 percent topical and 10 percent systematic). Prednisone is 100 percent systematic thus the side effects we all hate...
Posted 10/24/2014 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
ceecee600, did you have a colonoscopy? If so, where in your colon is actively inflammed? I think balsalazide helps with left sided colitis the most, but other 5asas may help you reach other parts of the colon.

Also, when I was using generic Rowasas, they didn't work and in fact seemed to make my bleeding worse due to the inactive ingredient potassium metabisulfite.

sf Rowasa, sulfite-free Rowasa, helped immensely and stopped my bleeding within a few days.

I was also on Apriso, but I would give other 5asas a shot, such as Pentasa or Asacol HD, Colazal brand vs generic basalazide
Posted 10/24/2014 5:08 PM (GMT 0)
6.75 gr balsalazide breaks down in the colon into about 2.4 gr of mesalamine. So you would have to swallow 18 pills a day to get 4.8grs. Have you tried other 5asas that are labeled for 4.8gr a day usage?

I have never seen anything about using more than 9 pills balsalazide. Could be dangerous?
Posted 10/24/2014 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
I have never heard of taking anymore than 9 pills per day of Colazal & I've been on it for 9 yrs. Not something I would recommend. Could cause kidney problems. If the 9 pills is not working, I think you need to go on stronger meds at least temporarily to get your flare under control.
Posted 10/25/2014 9:48 AM (GMT 0)
My doctor said it was okay to try a couple of more pills i am sure he didn't mean forever, but it seems to have worked no blood this morning. I also read on the cleveland clinc and the only place that i read it that you can take up to 13.5 g/day of balsalazide.

I think I might try to take an additional pill for a few more days and see how it goes. I figure it can't be worse than the inflammation and it can't be worse than the other more potent meds.

I also read on here of someone taking 12 pills a day but not sure if they are still on this forum would love to hear from them.

Thank you all for replying I really do appreciate all you wonderful people.
Posted 10/25/2014 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Keep a close eye on things ceecee600, it could have been a fluke that you felt better after taking a couple more than you're suppose to...keep tract (like a journal) with how you respond each time you take a couple more of your RX to see if it is actually helping or not and tread with caution.
Posted 10/26/2014 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
My doctor has me on 12 pills a day and I've been on this dose for more than a year. (4 pills 3x a day)
(Though admittedly I sometimes inadvertently skip the mid-day dose)
Posted 10/26/2014 10:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks UCcurlygirl i finally found someone who does more than 9. Like I said before I did read on the cleveland clinic website that you can use up to 13.50 gms a day which would be double the 9, which i would never do. I skipped yesterdays extra pills because I admittedly got a little scared after reading these posts but today I think I will throw them in again.

Thank you everyone for your replies.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply