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5-ASA's not work in the past...did you try again??

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/19/2011 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
I am getting really nervous reading all this stuff about 6-MP and not sure how long I want my daughter to take it.

She is currently doing really well on it but am starting to think it is just a short term band-aid and we will need to come off as you really can't take it forever.

She has been on for 1 year.

In the past during her initial diagnosis and while flaring the first meds we tried were 5-ASA's.

They made her diarrhea worse...that was her only side effect.

Not that it is a good one but she was also flaring at the time.

Anyone ever try them a second time with better results?

Reading about all the new FDA warnings about 6-MP is making me really unhappy and I will talk with her GI this week but am exploring my options

Thanks

Posted 4/19/2011 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
I would try other 5ASAs. I did when I was flared up badly and none of them helped unfortunately. To keep things in perspective, I just did some reading on this FDA warning and while it seems like there has been an increase in cancer from the use of immunosupressant medication, it is still a fairly low risk. I read that there were under 100 cases in the US in 2010. I am not sure how accurate these statistics are. It also said men were much more likely to develop cancer. I am very worried about being on 6mp too. I have been battling fatigue for quite some time and you never know... I am thinking about trying to get my GI to open up to letting me try LDN.
Posted 4/20/2011 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
I would try them again too. When I had my first flare I tried colazal after asacol and it gave me D but I tried it again a few years later and I responded really well to it and I'm still on it.
Posted 4/20/2011 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
Exactly what 5ASA meds....brand, dosages, etc. how long whas she on them?

Was she on any other supplements at the time?

Where exactly is her UC located?

q
Posted 4/20/2011 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
When she was first diagnosed she was started on Pentasa and took it for 6 weeks- never really getting better, in fact her D got worse.
She probably should have been on Prednisone but I refused so we tried to deal with her flare with just Pentasa.
She was taking in pill 2 X day.

Then we switched to Sulfasalazine but she got worse D very quickly and then we changed to Colazal but same thing- she took Sulfa and colazal for no longer than a week.

She has Pancolitis on her last scope which was about 8 mo ago but she is in a good place now after taking Pred and on 6-MP.

If we had to come off 6-MP or chose to come off would the 5 ASA's maybe work this time especially if not in a flare?
It may be worth a try...

I will ask her Gi today at our appt

Thanks Samantha= good to know
Posted 4/20/2011 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
you need more time for a 5-asa treatment to work. this is my opinion.

2 pills - you mean 2* 500 mg?
this is a verry low dossage for one in a flare.

i would try a combination between oral medication and rectal medication (both 5-asa's).

but it's up to your doctor.
Posted 4/24/2011 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
You could go to gastroendonews.com & read clinical review by Dr. Ellen Scherl on "If at 1st you don't succeed, try a different 5-ASA ..." (Site requires registration, but it's free.) Dr. Scherl describes 3 case studies of patients who improved after changing these meds & explains why it likely turned for the better. She is one of the most knowledgeable/experienced gastros treating IBD in the U.S. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 4/25/2011 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
There is another interesting article called "Crohns and Colitis: responders and non-responders" in that issue of gastroendonews.com
Posted 4/26/2011 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks AZYooper and Old Hat-

I did read the articles and it is something to try in the future,

My daughter's GI is pretty happy that she is doing so well on her current med but if for any reason things change I would ask to try ASA's again-

the bad news is my daughter can't swallow pills and most of these asa's in pill/capsule form are HUGE so that is a

problem for us.

Keep waiting for another drug to come out that is safe and effective- one can hope turn

Posted 4/26/2011 10:52 PM (GMT 0)
RE ability to swallow large pills: your daughter may be able to deal better with them as she matures. Keylime's daughter was diagnosed with UC at age 8, and could not swallow the pills, either, so the doctor had her mix Colazal powder into applesauce and take it that way. Then after a year or more passed, she was able to swallow the pills and generally stayed in remission from UC. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
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