HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Necessary to take Colazal three times a day?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/23/2016 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
Is it essential to take Colazal (balsalazide disodium) three times each and every day? Or can I cheat and always take it all at once in the morning and get good results? Or take it only morning and again in the night and still get good results? Anybody done this on a long term, ongoing basis and what happened?

I got a free 30 day sample bottle of Lialda from my gastroenterologist office and its nearly gone. So now it's time to decide which mesalamine to actually fill. Seems my insurance wants a $200 copay on the brand names versus a $10 copay on the generics. Thinking I can avoid the copay assistance card entirely and extra hassle if I just go generic balsalazide disodium(Colazal). I'm just hung up on the 3 times a day thing, I just know as a fact I won't remember and be consistent at all about it. Otherwise, I'll maybe go Apriso and get their discount card thingy. Gotta ask first, at least...
Posted 9/23/2016 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
I do 4 in the morning, 5 at night and it made no difference in how it works. My doctor said I could, after I said taking them 3x's a day drove me batty.

Yes, it's quite a jump in cost, Lialda vs. Balsalazide. I never really noticed a diff, one working better than the other. I thought maybe the Lialda was the start of pancreatitis, which went full on when I tried Imuran but, I don't think that was the case.
Posted 9/23/2016 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
I take them 3x per day. It's a PITA, but after 10 years I'm totally used to it. I don't get too crazy about the exact spacing apart. Sometimes I'll take it 6 hrs later instead of 8.

I'm not sure if taking all 9 at once is hard on the kidneys. Since it is not a time released medication, you won't have constant medicine coating your colon if you take them all at the same time.
Posted 9/23/2016 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
The lialda copay card is so easy if you want lialda. You fill out the info once a year and give the card to your pharmacist. They run all the info. It always cost me $10 a month.

I've tried apriso, brand name and generic Colozal. Lialda always worked the best and kept me in remission for a year and a half on only the lialda and twice weekly rowasa.

My last pregnancy did me in and now I'm on remi and in the end added 50mg 6 mp.

How are you feeling? I see you added the 6mp back in. Are things getting any better?
Posted 9/23/2016 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
Prior to this flare I was only on Remicade (i gave up 6MP and flared as a consequence). I'm stable on the pred, so feeling pretty good (2 bms most days with urgency manageable). I added pred and rowasa at the onset of this mild flare, and unsuccessfully tapered off pred. Now, I'm 3 weeks on newly added 6MP + Lialda, and I have 3 more weeks to go before I can try another taper off of pred. Just the usual wait and hope game, and pred side effect gig we all know and loath haha.
Posted 9/24/2016 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Do you mind if I ask why you are adding an oral 5 asa back into the mix at the same time as the 6mp?

I'm just curious as to what the GI thinks the 5 asa will do when you already have remicade and 6mp.

I'm glad you are stable and not suffering while you wait for the 6mp to kick in. I hope once it does you can get off the dreaded pred with no issues.
Posted 9/24/2016 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
Essentially, this is the same combination of meds that got me into remission the last time. It took all of the following: Remicade + 6Mp + lialda + Rowasa + prednisone.
Posted 9/24/2016 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
Well I hope it works again!!

In my humble opinion I would stick with lialda and not go the generic colozal root. That's just my experience. Lialda worked better then any other 5 Asa I tried. And I tried them all for months at a time during my diagnosis/initial 18 month flare.

My second flare lasted 22 months. I'm just coming out of it. I decided to drop lialda mid way thru. Remicade kept me in a pretty decent spot but 6mp is what really did the trick. Started at 25 mg but 50 was the clincher it seems.
Posted 9/24/2016 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Maybe stick with the Lialda since you know it works for you. I have been on asacol, Lialda, Colazal and generic Colazal. For me personally Colazal always worked better. For some reason we all respond differently to different mesalamines. If it's the cost, the generic Colazal works on me, but I just felt not quite as good as the brand. You could always try it and if you're not happy go back to the Lialda.
Posted 9/24/2016 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Can you get the Lialda co-pay card? It should pay about $110 of your $200. Still not $10, ... but
Posted 9/24/2016 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with the others. Colazal is best for left-sided as far as I know, Lialda always worked best for my pancolitis. Not worth it for save 200$ to have your health suffer.
Posted 9/24/2016 12:44 PM (GMT 0)
I've never really achieved remission through mesalamine alone. Best I ever got was a simmering inflammation state with them, early on in my uc journey. I took asacol hd and then lialda with no real difference noticeable between them in their efficacy. Yeah, I dunno a little curious on the other brands and generics, annoyed by the necessity of copay assistance cards, but gotta decide this upcoming week as the pill bottle is getting low. How effective is mesalamine for me at this stage? Guessing not a whole lot but it's gotta be doing at least a little bit *shrug*.
Posted 9/24/2016 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
I would advise you NOT to take any form of Colazal 9 caps at once!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can be very dehydrating taken 3 x 3 caps daily as directed. Second, if trying generic version, go for Mylan-produced. Many members posting here in the recent past have complained about numerous problems with the Roxane Labs-produced gerneric. Good luck with your situation; hoping you get back to full remission ASAP. / Old Hat (36 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 9/24/2016 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Besides the dose people have different opinions on whether Colazal or generic Balsalazide is better for them. Not clear from your post which you are taking. I've tried both and Colazal upset my gut. Others feel exactly the opposite and prefer Colazal.

I always had trouble remembering the middle dose. Never thought about changing to 2 doses instead of 3. Duh for me haha.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply