Asacol not dissolving all of a sudden

I am really not sure, but this happened to a friend of mine as well. She had a pretty mild case, but it has been flaring up again recently and her new GI put her on Apriso. She just started, so I am not sure if it is helping yet.

I haven't checked mine (the pills have been passing for a long time, but when I checked well over a year ago, it was just the shell), but my symptoms tell me there is a high probability that the med isn't getting out of my pills either. I keep meaning to get a stick or something, lol, so I can check again and know for sure.

I would think they would change your med-no sense in staying on something that is basically just passing through you-but I am not really sure.

Could it be because you recently upped to more pills per day? I don't know what that would have an effect, but maybe it could?

Let us know what they say!

The PH level in the ileum and how fast the digestive system is moving pretty much determines the acrylic shell of the Asacol to at least be opened and the opened shell will go through the colon dispursing the medicine as it goes along.

Did you find one pill only or 3 or 5? If it was opened, I wouldn't worry about it at this point.

How many bms are you having?

There are other meds such as Apriso, Lialda, Dipentum, Colazal...choices that you might consider.

Possibly having more alkaline foods will help the PH level in the last part of the ileum and first part of the colon...

When do you take the Asacol?

Was the streak of blood along the stool? or on the toilet paper?

quincy

notsosickly...mine are full pills...I used a little piece of wood to poke it...whitish chalky grey powder inside.  You might want to be sure...

Quincy...I only see the pills on the '3rd day poop-a-thon' and I might see 3 or so...on the other days I don't see any so I know I'm not losing them all, and the ones I've investigated are completely full and dry...chalky still.

And on the '3rd day poop-a-thon' I have usually 3 large BMs then a couple of the small amounts of runny stuff...I think those are just irritation to the rectum causing those.  On the other days I have 1.

and yeah, I'm referencing that article about which meds dissolve at what pH...this GI just loves me and all my information...lol

I take the Asacol at breakfast, mid afternoon and right before bed...I can space them out the farthest that way.  And I take 3 at a time for a total of 9 per day.

And the blood was a streak along the stool :(  Just once though...not everytime.

I will look into the alkaline foods.  Thanks.

I was having the same problem but as of yesterday have switched over to colazal.
I hope this works for me!!