Lialda to Colazal

My Gastro doc changed my medicine from Lialda to Colazal today. I was experiencing hair loss while on the Lialda. Just wondering if anyone else has taken Colazal and if so their thoughts on the Colazal. Side effects?

Hair loss was likely from the UC flare and not the lialda...

We've had a number of people do well on colzal and lialda.

Thanks for replies! I’ll keep you posted. Wondering what the “specific carbohydrate diet” as mentioned by Adventureuc. To be honest, i’m Not sure what I should and shouldn’t eat.

Imbeccak said...
Thanks for replies! I’ll keep you posted. Wondering what the “specific carbohydrate diet” as mentioned by Adventureuc. To be honest, i’m Not sure what I should and shouldn’t eat.

Highly individual, your results will vary, and no guarantee any specific-diet will help you. Diets did nothing for me, yet some swear by them, and that's just UC in a nutshell. Specific Carb diet, IBD-AID, low residue, SCD, paleo, elimination-diet, going vegan or vegetarian, and many individual variations of the above have been tried and have had various results on here (keepers, didn't help, made symptoms much worse). There's no: you cannot universally eat "X" because you have an UC. There's no universal right and wrong things to eat. Very individual. Create a food diary tracking what you eat and your UC symptoms the next morning and see if you can correlate something (i.e., every time I have spicy chili I have a bad morning). It's possible to have food-intolerances, and certain foods might bother you, but then again they may not... try and see...

We have higher incidence of having non-celiac-gluten-intolerances and lactose/dairy issues than the general population, but we have no guarantees of having those issues. High fiber diets can sometimes be problematic, but for others it helps! Seems to be no rhyme-or-reason to it, but there's lots of things you can try.

Imbeccak said...
Gastro doc yesterday and he said to take Imodium every other day to try to avoid that situation. But isn’t that going to confuse my body even more? Has anyone else tried this and what were the results?

Ideally, you treat the underlying UC inflammation and then the extreme urgency goes away (rectal meds, rectal meds...). Imodium is fine for occasional use. We've all used it if you have exceptionally early am travel plans. Imodium for long term use has risk of causing toxic-mega-colon for us. Imodium slows down the bowels, it buys you extra time, but doesn't prevent accidents or make us poop less.

Post Edited (iPoop) : 12/15/2017 11:10:08 AM (GMT-7)

Yes, Rowasa enema is one of our best tools for treating rectal-inflammation which is the cause of our urgency. Make sure you fill that Rowasa prescription and take them as prescribed. I know their is an initial ick and eww factor, but the bottom line is result is what we're after and they are effective!

If you're new to Rowasa, then I can post some tips to use them successfully.

Tips for using meslamine/rowasa enemas:

• When you first start using enemas, use them in the bathroom very close to a toilet as they can come up very quick and unexpected. As you get better at them, and more confident, you can administer them in bed.
  
• Add extra Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to the tip of the enema.
  
• Warm the enema up to body temperature before administering. Put it in a pocket for a while before using, or warm it up under an armpit.
  
• Squeeze all of the air out of the bottle before administering. You do not want to inject any air into your bowel as it will both be uncomfortable and make it likely you will need to urgently evacuate the enema fluid.
  
• Lay an old towel down as any drips of the enema fluid can stain clothing, carpet, etc.
  
• Use one of the positions described in the instructions.
  
• Administer the enema slowly, too quickly and you will be less successful. If you wish, you can do one half the bottle first, wait a few minutes, and then administer the rest.
  
• Stay reclined on your left side for about 20 minutes to allow the enema fluid to be absorbed. Retire for the night.
  
• It takes practice to hold the enema in for 7 hours. Do not get discouraged, and keep trying. Even if you evacuate part of the enema, some will likely remain and heal you. As you heal, it will be easier to retain them for longer lengths of time.

See my inline answers below.

Imbeccak said...
Thanks Ipoop! A few more questions since this is all new to me......Caffeine, yea or nay?
Try skipping caffeine for a day or two and see if your symptoms are better. For some of us, caffeine will increase morning urgency during flares and for others it will not. I drink hot tea each day without issue but some do have issues.
Do you carry additional clothing with you in case of an emergency?
Having an emergency kit consisting of a large 1-gallon bag with a change of underwear, extra toilet paper, and wet wipes is always recommended. You can keep it in the trunk of your car, a desk drawer at work, or a purse/backpack. It helps for peace of mind,
and I've had to use it a few times. As urgency and accidents due happen during bad UC flares.
What to use on a sore bum?
Disposable wet wipes are easier on the bottom than toilet paper.
Buy some and your bum will thank you.
My issues have been going on since October, do flares always last this long? When will the hair loss stop, I’m afraid I will be bald before too long. Thanks for any advice!
No idea, flares can last weeks, months, a year, or longer. Flares come in varying sizes and it can vary a lot flare-to-flare. Same with regrowth of lost hair as it's usually a delayed reaction to healing. Give it a few months and hairloss should reverse.

Post Edited (iPoop) : 12/15/2017 2:32:45 PM (GMT-7)

The SCD diet: I believe it alone put me in remission last spring, but I did not stick with it. After being on it a few months, and being symptom free, I went on a multi day hiking trip. I did not have a bowel movement for two days, and I started freaking out thinking I had an obstruction. I feel asleep under a tree for a few hours, and woke up more relaxed. I then had a monster BM, which was perfectly formed gray/brown with no blood, mucus, or anything.

I convinced myself I was cured, and then went about eating whatever I wanted after that. After about a week I started to see small amounts of blood, then everything else like urgency, mucus, diarrhea, etc. It was a very unwise move. I did not want to believe I had UC, and I did not want to believe SCD worked. I simply got to the point where I was feeling great and instead of continuing went into some delusion that I was not ill, and my symptoms were all some nightmare I could simply put behind me.


Canasa is not the same as Rowasa, and from what I've read here it is not as effective.

There have been many threads posted here over time about Lialda causing excessive hair loss. It seems that Colazal does not get bad reports in that area. Yes, you should take a multivitamin daily; UCers can become deficient in vital minerals, too. RE Canasa vs. Rowasa: Canasa is a suppository that treats the anal canal, whereas Rowasa is a liquid that extends higher up, thru rectum to the sigmoid colon. That makes Rowasa generally more effective in combatting urgency, but one has to keep using it steadily for a month or more to see true improvement. In my experience it helps a lot to eliminate caffeine & carbonated drinks, especially when a UCer has urgency. Have you looked at the Website ccfa.org ? (for additional info on UC, recommended reading, etc.) / Old Hat (37 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)