Remicade only - no colazol or asacol?

Has anyone's doctor said this is okay? My doc said I don't have to take Colazol anymore. I was surprised, but
I am happy because I am nearly going bald from it. I did think, however, that it provided protection from cancer.
Just curious if most people stop.

I think the reason Asacol, Colazol, etc provide protection from cancer because they keep the inflammation under control. The Remicade should do that as well. If the Remicade alone keeps you in remission, I'm not sure why you'd need the Colazol as well. But, I'm not the best person to answer that, since I'm not on Remicade.

You're still doing well, I take it?

I'm doing great! No reaction at all to the 3rd Remicade and absolutely no UC symptoms ever since. I don't even take the spasm meds anymore!

I had previously been on Colazol only and stopped (myself) because of severe hair loss -- which completely stopped when I stopped the Colazol but then I had the biggest flare of my life (landing me in the hospital twice) so I started taking it again along with prednisone, etc. I've been on it again for about 4 months and my hair has started falling out by the handfulls again. When I started Remicade GI said I could quit colazol. I questioned him but did it because of the hair loss. It does take a little while for the loss to subside after discontinuing it. My old GI had told me it was providing protection against colon cancer so I just wanted to see what everyone was told just to make sure that quitting is the right decision. It's hard enough to have UC without going bald from the meds!

When I was on Remi, I didn't take any other meds.

Looking back on things, I wish I was on a 5-ASA and / or rectal meds, maybe the Remi would have worked for > 6 months! :(

For those of you who don't know my story, when I was first diagnosed with UC, it was after a week long stay in the hospital with sudden onset of severe D and bleeding. When I was discharged from the hospital, they put me on Asacol, Prednisone, and Rowasa for a couple of weeks before I got so sick again with UC that I had to be in the hospital again for almost 2 weeks. During those 2 weeks, I started Remi and stopped Asacol and rectal meds (and I was on IV steriods, took 3 months to taper off the Prednisone that time!).

Remi no longer working. Trying AZA, tapering off Prednisone again. We'll see if it keeps me out of the operating room! Good luck to you guys, I hope Remicade helps you!

Jen O

I'm only on Remicade. My doc stopped the Asacol first thing after I started Remi.

I've been on Remicade for a little while now and my doctor said once I'm in full remission I can most likely get off all of my meds...colazal and Imuran. I hadn't heard about Colazal protecting against cancer. I'm assuming Remicade does as well otherwise I doubt my doctor would take me off of it. I'll have to ask during my next visit.