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Lialda causing flu like symptoms?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/19/2011 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone.

I am new to this site, but have been lurking for a while. A little background on me...I was diagnosed with UC 8 years ago and was put on Asacol. I have had about 4 major flare ups that required cort-enemas, rowasa, and canasa, along with the Asacol.

This last flare, about a month ago, my doctor put me on Apriso, but I was not getting better at all, I was also on canasa supp. 2x a day.

On Tuesday he switched me to Lialda (4 pills) and I am on my fourth day on this medication. Last night I got the most unbearable headache, along with chills and low grade fever. Today when I woke up, I felt a little better, but then after taking the Lialda, I began to ache (like when you have the flu), and started having a fever. My lower back is achey also.

I have been on Mesalamine in some form or another without any reaction.

Has anyone else experienced these symptoms with Lialda? I called my DR., but he's already left for the afternoon. I have some spare Asacol I will switch to for the weekend.

OR...maybe I have some sort of bug, it's hard to figure out.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Posted 8/19/2011 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, and welcome to the forum!

I know there is a lot of sickness around this area right now (I don't know where you're located) but I also typed "Lialda flu-like") in the search area at the top right of the forum and came up with these and other threads:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1739493

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=38&m=1936866

What an obnoxious thing that the doc has left for the day! (When my kids were small, I was always in a panic if they got sick on a Friday afternoon.....)

If I were in your shoes, I'd probably switch back to the Asacol for the weekend.

I hope you feel better soon! Keep us posted, OK?
Posted 8/20/2011 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
thanks songlady for getting back to me.

I think that maybe I had some sort of virus because my fever really spiked last night.

I hope that's all it is because I've noticed that on those short days of Lialda, my bleeding has stopped completely, so I would hate to have to stop taking it.
Posted 8/20/2011 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Kriskind, it does sound like a bug or flu and probably not an effect of Lialda because you were OK on Asacol. Lialda and Asacol are almost interchangable with the exception that Lialda is more convenient. They are not identical but usually if you don't have a reaction to one, you won't have one to the other. I am sure there are some people who do react to one and not the other but it is probably rare. My last flare up, while I was on Asacol, I switched to Lialda, then Colazal and neither got me into remission. Finally, I ended up having to take a course of prednisone and start 6mp. I hope you're able to manage with Asacol and the rectal medications. If not, I personally would suggest trying some of the 5ASAs that are formulated differently. Perhaps Colazal (better for left sided), sulfasalazine or pentasa. Lialda and Asacol are so similar, if one doesn't help, they probably both won't. My GI did mention she has some patients who "do better" on Lialda. I didn't notice it being anymore helpful than Asacol but it is easier.

Flu-like symptoms can be a sign of a mesalamine intolerance so keep an eye. Hopefully when your fever goes down, the symptoms will go with it.
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