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Budesonide questions

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/19/2011 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Can budesonide (oral or rectal) be used as an alternative to cortisone enemas?

Or would I just be replacing one steroid with another.

The reason i'm asking this is that I've been on nightly cortenemas for over a year now, and it's quite clear that I'm dependent on them.

I have a colonoscopy tomorrow afternoon and I think my GI may want me to start remicade infusions. I would want to try something else prior to remicade and I've heard some positive vibes about budesonide.
Posted 4/19/2011 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
Yes. It is a steroid but not as strong as cortisone I believe. Orally, it releases directly into the intestines rather than the stomach as prednisone does, so it treats it more locally rather than systemically. Same for the enemas
Posted 4/20/2011 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
I see you have budesonide enema 'on hold', are you contemplating taking it?

I've read it's available as a foam enema in the UK, not sure about this side of the pond.

Thanks for the input.
Posted 4/20/2011 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
I was using the enemas, but my inflammation got so bad that I couldn't retain them, so they are on hold for a bit.

My Dr gave me a homemade, stronger version for the enemas. I take 3 capsules of the oral meds, dump out the little granules, and grind them up in a mortar & pestle. I add 60ml of water, mix and insert using a syringe. Doing it this way gives me 9mg of medicine, rather than the pre-made ones which are only 2.3mg.

I actually tried my cortifoam last night as it is easier to retain. My Dr doesn't feel that that is strong enough either, but I figure something is better than nothing. I'll go back to the budesonide enemas once I feel more confident that I can hold them.
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