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Asacol causing my diarrhoea I think

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/20/2016 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on asacol 3 tabs a day 800 GM since early November and now feel sure they are not helping I still have severe diarrhoea about three days a week or more some weeks and still bleeding so sure they are doing nothing..
I was bleeding since Sept and am sure I had less diarrhoea in Sept /Oct than I have now so can I just stop these drugs or cut down before I see my doctor next Wed when I want to go on steroids to stop the blood.
I am very miserable right now sick so often no life and eatvery little.
A side effect of asacol is diarrhoea which is crazy as that was my main symptom apart from bleeding.
Posted 2/20/2016 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
unfortunately, there are no absolute right answers to your questions -

it could be your symptoms have just gotten worse in spite of the drugs - or it could be as you say, your body has become intolerant of the mesalamine - it does happen -

how many times a day are you going ? do you have urgency also ?

i tend to take risks and make bad decisions sometimes - but sometimes those risky decisions turn out ok - so it all depends on what kind of person you are when it comes to deciding whether to stop taking the asacol or not -

are you using any rectal meds at this point ?
Posted 2/20/2016 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
A mesalamine-allergy is described as a dramatic worsening of uc symptoms. You would go from several bms with limited urgency to 6-8 very urgent bms, dramatic. It happens to about 5 percent of uc patients.

I would think disease progression is the more likely situation. 3 asacol pills a day is a very low dose. A typical dose is 4,800 milligrams (or 4.8 grams) a day. I would ask for a dose increase if you're taking any less per day. Ditto on rectal mesalamine. Ask for those. If things aren't working, time to mix your treatment routine.
Posted 2/20/2016 3:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi...welcome to the forum,

While it's really easy to assume that it's the mesalamine or not working like it should, but my initial thought is that you are being undertreated without any medications properly treating the rectum and sigmoid in addition to the oral asacol.

Please ask for rectal medications, I'd suggest mesalamine initially. If that doesn't work, then switch or alternate to/with a steroid enema.

It doesn't seem in any way that you're in need of systemic steroids.

Rectal meds...

q
Posted 2/23/2016 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
I had worsening symptoms ( diarrhea and blood ) even with low dose asacal and all other mesalamines . It took awhile to convince Drs but it kept happening :( goodluck
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