Medicinal side effects

Hey Guys. I have any other question. :) When starting your treatment/maintenance medication, did the initial side effects that you experienced disappear after a while? If so, how long did it take to disappear? Is it normal for side effects (especially mild and common ones) to continue for as long as you use the medication?   I am currently medicating myself with: -           Daily Pentasa (Mesalazine) suppositories (number of suppositories depends on how often I move my bowels but about 2 per day) -           Daily 1.5g oral Salofalk granules sachets (one in the morning and one at night)   I am (so far) not experiencing any noticeable side effects from the Salofalk granules (aside from seeing them in my stool) though I have only been taking the Salofalk for about 1 week.   However I have been on Pentasa suppositories for well over 3 months now and I am still experiencing the same side effects that I experienced during the very first time I used them. The side effects aren’t major and they are listed as mild and common under the product information sheet that comes with each box of suppositories. The side effects I have are: -           Sensation that I need to empty my bowels after insertion of suppository (usually after a few hours, once the suppository has had time to liquefy) -           Slight increase in gas -           Slight abdominal cramping -           Slight rectal pain   All these side effects don’t always occur each time I use the suppositories (at least not simultaneously). Is it normal to still be experiencing these side effects even after 3 months of usage? Can I expect them to go away anytime soon or should I accept the fact that they will be there for as long as I use the Pentasa supps?  

I'd suggest stopping the supps and do the steroid foam I think you have.?
q

What you got is mesalamine, and quincy was suggesting steroid. Maybe the enemas, since they are liquid, won't bother you as much as the solid suppository will.

One bottle=one dose/application (whatever you want to call it)

My GI advised me to use only a half of a bottle at first, because I was in such a severe flare he was worried I would not be able to hold it. But it doesn't sound like you have terrible symptoms (forgive me if I am wrong), so I'd probably just start out with a whole one. The biggest things you need to do are relax, and squeeze the air out of the bottle before using it (if you can...some enema bottles aren't designed for you to be able to do this).

So you're traveling to China? You should be able to take quite a few with you in your carry-on luggage. DO NOT put them in your checked bag. They'll likely leak all over the place. If the boxes show your prescription, and if you have a note from your doctor, you should be ok taking them with you.

Will you be able to get medical care while you are in China, and perhaps get a prescription for them filled when you are there? That does complicate matters quite a bit!