mesalazine

Hi,

Apparently mesalazine is not working for me as well as it should but I have a question for you all.

I started on Lialda when first diagnosed. MY GI then changed me to Pentasa which made me worse so I went back on Lialda and saw improvement in a few days. A year later I tried colazide and this made me worse so went back on Lialda and saw improvement again after a few days. So Now I was given Salofalk granules in February and have been in a constant flare, not being able to get off steroids.

Now, is there a pattern there?

I have the option to go back to Lialda but thought I would give the granules a fair trial. I now think I should go back on lialda. I know I shouldn't swap and change but to me it seems logical to change. I know once back on mezavant that I would be unlikely to change again.

I am going to phone my IBD Nurse tomorrow but just would like the opinions of others.

Thanks so much for your help.

Thanks for all your replies iPoop, they are greatly appreciated. I think we tried the others to see if they were better than lialda. I was seeing the occasional whole tablets coming through intact with their little red coats so it was thought that the granules may be better. I don't think so now.

Occasionally passing a pill isn't bad. Regularly is. I passed a whole lialda pill maybe once a month.

I noticed the pills more when I was flaring and not when I was in remission.

Hi Mad Martha.

I understand your frustration. I've bounced back and forth between Lialda and Balsalazide. I only went to Balsalazide because my ridiculously high deductable kicked in at the start of the new year but I don't think the Lialda was doing a lot for me to begin with. I'm on Humira now, along with the Balsalizide but I'm wondering if I should switch back to Lialda. I got pancreatitis while on Lialda but I'm pretty sure it was more from the Imuran I had started, then had to discontinue.

Debating medications, then having to shop around for drug discounts, having to email doctor. Oy vey, the hassles we go through to be well.

That's not an option for me at the moment. Neither are biologicals. I am on steroids for the foreseeable future.

Can't have aza or biologicals because I have had a malignant melanoma and I also have a neurological condition in the same family as ms. My GI also says that the risks of the aza out weigh any response I get to aza.

I also have neutropenia and my white count is usually around 1.6 to 1.7.

GI said that due to the limited nature of my disease he would nor even contemplate surgery.