Mesalasine and stool

Sorry in advance as this is a bit of a grim topic; but has anyone else noticed that stopping mesalasine (asacol) tablets has the effect of making their stools harder. I’ve had a couple of occasions now where I have run out of meds for a couple of days and as a result my stools have become more formed. Paradoxically though I seem to get more mucus when this though.

While, I completely understand and agree with what your saying. All this time I have been having issues with severe proctitis right at the bottom end, so I’ve not been experiencing problems higher up, and the change in form seems to be happening very quickly, as in a couple of days of not taking the meds.

What your suggesting (and what I have been wondering) is that by NOT taking the mesalazine I am I fact getting better, in the short term. As I mentioned though paradoxically, when stopping mesalazine I tend to start experiencing more left sided pain and get an increase in thicker mucus, which suggests the disease is actually getting worse. It’s an odd situation.

Ha! Well you can be as skeptical as you like, but it’s something I’ve noticed having stopped mesalazine 4 times now.

The first two times I’d only missed a couple of days does, being away for long weekends with the wrong meds. The third time I stopped for about a week because I wanted to investigate the symptoms. The stools were more formed after day two, but I was getting more stomach cramps and mucus, so I resumed the meds in fear of my disease progressing from proctitis to left sided colitis.

As I say, it did seem strange and the only reason i ask on here is because I missed two days again this week and a similar thing happened again.

I am also talking azathioprine, asacol suppositories and Predfoam. I just wondered if the oral mesalazine was causing me to have looser stools. Hence asking the forum for others experience.

@UCMee —

I have UP and took rectal mesalamine suppositories for 3 months. They didn't do anything for my flare. Now I'm taking apriso and it's helped a lot. Why would that be?

You're regulating your symptoms through inflammation, not through meds.

Oral mesalamine doesnt treat the rectum....keep in mind that that type of med doesnt sit or dispurse properly to treat that area.....that is why both end approach is best.
Try the enemas. Where you live determines what is available.

Continual use of the mesalamine treats and maintains eventually at tapered dosages.
I do suggest you be on oral mesalamine as well as fibre supplement and probiotic.

Low simmering inflammation isnt a good thing....methinks you dont yet understand how those meds work over the long term.

q