Pentasa enema side effects

You're likely flaring slightly and might need stronger doses of your current meds to beat it.

What dose is your enema? Are you also taking an oral-pill like lialda or asacol for your uc?

They most likely are not side effects if the enema, only an intolerance to mesalamine would exhibit them and at the extreme end of the spectrum not just slightly worse. Abd intolerances happen immediately upon starting.

Every flare is different, UC is anything but consistent. I've experienced all manner of pains from mild to knife-stabbing pains that double-you-over. I've had everything from solid to loose poops over the course of a single day. Your UC can get worse in extent and severity over time.

Are stronger doses of enema available, above the 1gram? Would your doctor consider having you do two enemas a day? Things I would ask.

Were you diagnosed with a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy? And what kind was the last scope?

You should be checked for c.diff at the very least.

When did this bm symptom change? And how often are you going a day?

q

I have 2 suggestions

1. Ask for Rowasa 4g enemas
2. start on an oral 5-ASA med to keep inflammation down on the left side

I started out just like like you-- original biopsies normal in 2016-eventual diagnosis of mild proctitis / I was on rectal meds only for a long while/ added orals later. Recently out of nowhere spread upward and have left sided UC. Don't ignore any changes in your pain or BM. Its not a bug- I thought it was too when things changed. I was going once a day for a long time w/no blood and it was spreading up. Tell your doc every single change in your BM habits. If it turns out to not be a flare then so what -- you should be on oral and rectal meds anyway if you can tolerate them.

I have been in touch with the ibd helpline who have told me to stop using the enemas for a few days . She said people are normally told just to use them 1-2 times per week for maintainence . If I still have the cramps and loose stools by Friday I have got to give them a call back and they will look at what to do next . I have also been talking to my uncle who also has ibd but much worse than mine and the same thing happened to him after 3 weeks on the enemas .

Agreed "your medical support system seems to be bordering on incompetent". You need to have a doctor who knows what the heck he/she's doing. Shop around as you need a doctor who's knowledgeable especially when just starting out on your UC journey.

We often find out that as chronic illness patients we know as much as our doctor's do about UC. We have to know our treatment options and what we need to be well. We have to become our own best advocates for what we need to have the best quality of life. Learn what you can about your UC, treatment options and what's appropriate for various symptoms, know your flare signs, etc. And most importantly learn to listen to your body for signs that something just isn't right.. and act!

Hi all well I'm now on day 3 of not using the enemas and I still have the cramps and loose bm there is now blood again with the bm although I'm still only going once a day . The ibd nurse has been in touch and has ordered a stool test to check for c diff . I'm told over use of enemas can cause this ???

Thanks for your reply. No my stool isn't particularly foul smelling although like you say it won't hurt to check .
If I do I have c diff is it contagious like a stomach bug as I have 2 children that I would hate to pass it on to

hi shelly

my daughter takes oral pentsa for 8 weeks now and her hair is falling off like crazy- I understand this in another side effect...

More often than not hair loss is a delayed-reaction to a UC flareup. Flares cause us to rapidly loose weight and become malnourished, have lower levels of blood iron (anemic), vitamins B, B12, and D. Any of those things individually can cause us to loose hair. Every class of UC medications lists hair loss as a potential side effect, from anti-inflammatory mesalamine, to WBC suppressing immunomodulators, to biologics despite them having very different ingredients and very different mechanisms of action. That leads me to believe that the flare is the cause.

Hair regrowth is also a delayed reaction but to her recovery. A few months after feeling better, the hair should begin growing back.

UC does a lot to our bodies and helps us set vanity aside, from rapid weight gain, rapid weight loss, hair loss, and so forth. Feeling healthy and having a good quality of life is much more important that.

I had a pain free day Friday and restarted the enemas Friday night . Another pain free day Saturday thought I had cracked it until an hour after using the enema Saturday night . The pains returned which are eased slightly with bm's . The bm are varied they start off gassy with a little liquid and turn into fully formed stools . (Sorry for Tmi) . The cramps are still in the central lower abdomen and feel like menstrual cramps but also burn . It's starting to really get me down now .

Depends what blood tests you got. If they included a C-Reactive Protein test then, yes, inflammation can be inferred.