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Red blotchy rash on my face... Colazal?

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Posted 2/16/2010 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi-

I have just changed my medication:
75 mg 6MP --> 150 mg 6 MP
4 1.2g tablets Lialda --> 9 750mg tablets Balsalazide Disodium (Colazal)
weaned off Prednisone

and I was wondering if these changes could cause a red blotchy face rash? It doesn't itch, but it is bumpy and seems to be spreading. I started noticing it about a week ago. Also about two weeks ago I developed a cough and instead of going away the symptoms are worsening and I have diarrhea, pain when urinating, loss of appetite, fever/chills and nausea/vomiting.

I would think it is just a bad cold/flu (even though I got the darn flu shot I know it does not work always) but I have never had a rash like this before! What do I do? I see my GI doctor next Monday but if this is some kind of drug interaction I would like to do something about it sooner. Also I keep having to skip class because I am sick. :(

Thanks,

Kelly
Posted 2/16/2010 7:17 AM (GMT 0)
That's hard to say.....could be that you're off the pred or that the 6MP is masking some of your symptoms and you actually have a cold or bronchitis or something like that.

How high is your fever?

The pain upon urinating could very well be a UTI, you should get that checked out sooner than later. Ask the GI's office if you can come in to leave a urine sample so that it can get tested or call your GP asap.

The fever, etc can be related to that and not necessarily your cough.

Do call the doc and present your concerns and maybe you can go back onto the Lialda for a while to see if that will improve the symptoms. At least that might help you determine if it is the Colazal.

The face rash could again be the pred...like an acne rash, you know like babies get from the hormonal fluctuations after birth?

Have you changed your makeup or cleanser or anything else?
Do you have the rash on your back, chest or arms or just your face?

Hope this gets resolved soon,
q
Posted 2/16/2010 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
The rash sounds like what happened to me when I increased my 6mp. I still have the face rash but I keep it under control with prescription Elidel and when it acts up bad I use a prescription strength steroid cream. Your nausea may also be from the increase of 6mp. However the fever and chills is not a good sign. Call your doc as soon as possible.
Posted 2/16/2010 1:59 PM (GMT 0)
     I never developed a rash when my doctor increased my 6MP from 50 to 100 mgm last summer.  However, I did get very sick....fatigue, flu like symptoms...felt terrible.  Also, my white count dropped down to 1.6....extremely low.  My doctor took me off the 6MP until my white count went up to normal and then placed me back on 50 mgm.  It did absolutely nothing for my condition.   He took me off it for good two weeks before I started Remicade.
Posted 2/17/2010 1:04 AM (GMT 0)

I got a rash that started out that way when I was on the Remicade and it got worse within a few months when I had gotten out in the sun. It started itching and spreading. My GI sent me to a dermatologist who took a biopsy of my skin and it turned out to be dermatitis. I am using a cream and now it is going away. Clobetasol Propionate Cream is the name of it.  If it dose not go away I believe I would go see one.  As for your other, I really don't know. I know since I have stopped the Remicade and they switched me back to Colazal I started having stomach cramping, D, cold chills, and feeling really sick to my stomach off and on but I have gotten over most of it with in a weeks time. Still having some problems. Who knows, it could have been a stomach virus or the Colazal is not working for me, don't really know. Good luck to you.

Blondie36  Diagnosed April 2007

Posted 2/17/2010 6:29 AM (GMT 0)
It's hard to pinpoint the cause of a rash when one takes combo meds. Colazal doesn't usually cause rashes, but there have been a couple members who posted here over a yr ago that they got chin rashes while on it. I also recall that Rey posted about her daughter (your age) who got a pesky thigh rash while on Colazal + 6MP & made several trips to dermatologist to get help with it. As for painful urination, there are many possible causes, but keeping well-hydrated is a must while taking Colazal-- so be sure to drink plenty of water daily. I hope you can resolve these issues ASAP. Definitely check symptoms with your doctor. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 2/17/2010 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everybody,

My doctor from home called back and told me to stop taking Colazal to see if my rash goes away, but of course now I am afraid that my UC symptoms are going to resurface. I'm going to a primary care doctor today and hopefully they can tell what is going on... heck it might just be a symptom of whatever flu/infection I have. (Though it my University's health center, I'm not sure as to the doctors' expertise there). Anyway, I'll keep an update on what happens. I stopped Colazal yesterday and I am already cramping up but I'm not sure if it is my UC or just me being nervous.
Posted 2/21/2010 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
Welp, I went to the health clinic on Wednesday to check out my cough/flu symptoms and when they checked my blood, they found my WBC to be down to 1.2. So I've been in the hospital on isolation since then, with my WBC dropping to .7. They believe it is due to the 6MP so I am off that right now and so of course having a flare of UC in my transverse colon.

They've been giving me shots to try to boost my white blood cell production, but so far no results. I am seeing a hematologist tomorrow so hopefully we can make some progress. I'll let everybody know what happens.

-Kelly
Posted 2/22/2010 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, and apparently my rash was a fungal infection on my face due to my lack of an immune system. GROSS!
Posted 2/22/2010 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, rats! Sorry this has happened to you. Why don't they restore you to Colazal, which at least is anti-inflammatory in the colon? Or maybe let you try Apriso-- if your transverse is acting up? Some medical staffer should be addressing your UC inflammation even though you have to suspend 6-MP to restore immune function. Are you able to eat or did they put you on IV nutrition? Best wishes! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 2/22/2010 4:17 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, they put me back on Colazal thankfully :) I am also on solu-medrol but sadly it is not quite enough to stop the cramping from the UC. :( They haven't put me on IV nutrition yet, but I have not been eating much solid food lately anyway due to feeling sick. I have a great GI doctor here who also works at Georgetown, he is just trying to communicate with all of my other GI doctors to see what the next step will be. It looks like I will end up on Humira or Remicade if I can't find a good balance of 6MP.

We shall see!
Posted 2/22/2010 8:47 AM (GMT 0)
Wow...nothing like from the frying pan into the fire! I sure hope the hematologist will give you some insight as to what else is going on. Good that you're back on the Colazal.

Let us know how your appt goes.
quincy
Posted 3/4/2010 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
Hey thanks everybody

Well my WBC improved with the Neupogen shots (although they KILLED my bones, oh the agonizing pain) but they can't put me back on 6MP so of course now I am back on PREDNISONE :'( and on Colazal but they are going to start Remicade treatments and wean me off the prednisone.

Of course, the last time I was in the hospital for a flare, I was on the same amount of pred I'm on now (40 mg) and still flared so I am walking on glass trying not to trigger a flare considering I really am not on any medication to prevent one, and I hear it takes up to 6 weeks for Remicade to start working and I am not scheduled for my first treatment yet.

So that's the story for now... hoping that I am okay until the Remicade (hopefully) starts working! I took this semester off school so at least stress won't be a problem (it tends to trigger for me) although it is kind of stressful going through the process of withdrawing.

Man, I'm about to say JUST TAKE THIS THING OUT ALREADY! lol
Posted 3/4/2010 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the update. I don't know what you mean by the Neupogen shots killing your bones. You mean weakening them? Wouldn't the pred make that worse?

Your situation is very complicated. I hope the Remi helps bigtime.

I guess rectal meds are out of the question for you? at least to help with that area hoping the other meds will get you back on track quicker.

q
Posted 3/4/2010 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, no neupogen just ups the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow so all that activity in the bones causes like crazy bone pain for some people. It's just short-term while you are getting the shots though, luckily.

Yeah, rectal meds won't do much since I have pretty well-defined pancolitis so it would only be treating the parts it could reach. Pretty much just crossing my fingers and taking precautions at this point, and I know exactly who to call and what hospital to go to if I flare again, lol. This time, with WiFi! haha
Posted 3/4/2010 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Kudos to you for keeping a sense of humor throughout this ordeal! Hopefully, the Remi will give you needed relief as it has for many on the forum. Thanks for updating us, too. You might be interested to read about Elephant Pipe's experience with ringworm, which appears in Rey's thread about her daughter's current situation. Best wishes for you to feel better soon. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 3/5/2010 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I hope they gave you some cream for that fungal stuff or it might spread (btw ringworm is a fungus, I'm sure you figured it out lol). It spread to my neck, face, shoulders, and I was getting spots on my back and stomach. Oh and my arms. If the cream doesn't help maybe an oral anti-fungal.

Make sure you keep eating! I can't believe you're flaring so badly so soon after being taken off 6mp. I think it generally takes a while to leave your system. But it's not impossible I guess, just start trying to feel better!
Posted 3/5/2010 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
I know I got some antifungal through IV along with the other anti-everythings they were giving me (it made me really itchy though, I think I was kind of allergic) and just some triamcinolone cream to stop the redness and itching on my face.

ElephantPipe: Yeah, the whole starting to flare thing surprised me, too... but maybe it was just the combo of having the neupogen shots which really boosted my immune system and awful hospital food (I know food doesn't trigger, but I had a CAT scan and my whole transverse colon was already inflamed... I guess it never really went away even on the 6MP).

Has anybody else had AWFUL experiences with the contrast fluid for the CAT scan? They injected me and about 5 seconds later I had an uncontrollable urge to vomit. Blech!

Old Hat: All you can do is stay positive, right? I like to make little video blogs for my friends when I am in the hospital, helps out a lot and I figure spreading awareness in a less somber light is always good. :)

Now just to wait for my insurance to approve my Remicade treatments! Ohhhhh boy! Now that is the REAL torture lol
Posted 3/6/2010 2:09 AM (GMT 0)
When I got it (I think it was a CAT scan...) it made me feel like peeing. But they warned me about that.
IV anti-fungal? Jesus lol

I hope they approve the Remi!
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