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Asacol, Rowasa and stuffy nose

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/10/2009 6:40 AM (GMT 0)

My 11 yr old daughter has had a stuffy nose for the past 9 weeks.  She's been on 2 courses of antibiotics and nothing is making her better.  Now I wonder if Asacol could be the cause of the stuffy nose.  It does come up as a side effect but I can't imagine it could cause THIS bad of a stuffy nose.  Plus, she's been on it since January and has not been stuffy ALL of these months.  In March, Rowasa was added in addition to Asacol and we are currently weaning her off of the Rowasa.

She is going through a large box of Kleenex every other day. Tomorrow we see an ENT physician but I'm not feeling very hopeful.

Has anyone else had this sort of side effect from Asacol?  She is at her wit's end (as am I) confused    Thanks in advance for any advice given!

Posted 8/10/2009 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
No doctor should bombard any patient, let alone an 11-yr-old, with antibiotics UNLESS THERE IS EVIDENCE of bacterial infection. A stuffy nose can result from many causes, allergies among them. Does your daughter also have dry eyes? Did she ever use any "natural tears" type of otc eye drops? In my experience those eye drops can relieve nasal problems, too; they're like lubrication. Make sure your daughter drinks plenty of water throughout the day because 5-ASA meds can be dehydrating. Definitely question why the doctor has put her on 2 courses of antibiotics because they can exacerbate UC by wiping out the "good" bacteria that normally reside in the intestines! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])


Posted 8/10/2009 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I participated in one of the drug studies for Asacol, and they took note of everything I experienced the whole time, and had to put it on the label as a potential side effect of the drug. I really doubt it is caused by the Asacol.
Posted 8/10/2009 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
Maybe try a NetiPot to see if it helps ease her symptoms. It might be pretty hard to get her to use it, as it's kind of weird, but it's worth a shot!
Posted 8/10/2009 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi..I would lean more towards something else. It would be good to have her tested for allergies or have a sinus x-ray done to make sure there's something actually going on before giving her antibiotics.

She might have polyps or deviated septum or even neck problems that can cause stuffiness...oh forgot to say hormonal changes (considering her age) can also cause stuffiness...

I suggest you take her to an allergist.

I second the suggestion of the Neti Pot...can be intimidating, but works well.

You might consider to ask the doc to put her on Singulair...which might help with the reaction causing her stuffiness.

Do put her on probiotics to make sure that the antibiotics haven't caused her any problems with her colon.

I hope the 5ASA meds are helping her UC....
quincy
Posted 8/11/2009 7:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi -- thank you for your responses. I have BEGGED her to use something similar to a netti pot but she will not do it - she sees me using mine and thinks it is the most disgusting thing ever! She did have a sinus xray a few weeks ago and it came back normal. Took her today to an ENT and he said her nose looks very, very allergic and gave her an antihistime nasal spray (Astepro) to use 2x a day. She's tried Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, Benadryl, Veramyst and steriod nasal sprays & none of them have shown any long term improvement which is why I thought *maybe* it was a side effect of Asacol. Let's hope this new spray works because I am SO tired of having to travel everywhere with a giant box of kleenex :) and the poor kids' nose is about to shrivel up and fall off !
Posted 8/11/2009 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Hi...get her on singulair....but she should be tested by an allergist..

The antihistamines will dry her out even more.

She could have rhinitis, but not the allergic kind...it could be related to UC.

It's possible she's allergic to salicylates....it would be sad if she were, however, if it's helping the UC...

What about a normal saline spray or rhinaris pump spray?

Oh, there was a commercial of another product that one puts around the nose to block allergens...if that worked for her, it's an external culprit.

Is she the same all year round?

You could ask the doctor for the 2g dosage of Rowasa.....

Allergist for sure...he/she can take a look at her blood levels to see whether it's autoimmune or allergy related.

The other option is a rheumatologist....eventually....

Have you done research on autoimmune rhinitis?

How is are her eating habits? does she use any fragranced products? hair products?
Do you have pets?

I also lean towards hormones.....

Singulair could be a positive for her....I've suggested it to a few friends for their kids and it's been an amazing change.

Hope you get it figured out...

quincy
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