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Questions about Pentasa

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/25/2013 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
I started on Pentasa about a week ago. I am taking 3g per day.

I have two concerns...I've been having night sweats. I wake up multiple times during the night and my pillow is soaked. So I have to get a different one and that happens 2-3 times a night. I don't know if it is the Pentasa, the UC or my Panic disorder.

The other concern is...

The tiny balls of the medicine that is in the capsule...I am having some pass in my BMs intact. Is that normal?
Posted 5/25/2013 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Mark, the tiny balls of pentasa that get into your bms, it does happen but it shouldn't be happening.

Talk to your doc about it, you may need another med.

 

Posted 5/25/2013 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
How many times a day are you going?

A few will pass normally if your bms are very fast or very often.

ARe you also on rectal meds?

Yes, it could be the mesalamine that makes you hot, but normally not to the point of soaking your bedding.

Were you recently on prednisone?

When are you taking the Pentasa?

What meds are you on for your panic disorder?

What other supplements are you taking?

I also read in another post that you're drinking way over a gallon of water...maybe your electrolytes are being diluted...cut back a bit on the water.

Are you eating OK?

q

Posted 5/25/2013 6:37 PM (GMT 0)
Right now I'm having about a dozen BMs a day. No rectal meds, was just dx'ed the 15th and haven't had office appt with GI yet.

No prednisone

I take 1g of Pentasa 3x day. I try to take it when I eat something. Around breakfast, lunch and dinner times.

I was on Zoloft 50mg 1x day and Valium 5mg 2x day but I just recently seen a psychiatrist. (My GP was treating the panic disorder) The psychiatrist took me off Valium and Zoloft and put me on Wellbutrin SR 100mg 2x day. The wellbutrin didn't agree with me and I started having lots of panic attacks. I told the psychiatrist he made me unacceptably worse. Now I have an appt with GP on tuesday for him to resume treatment. Before the Valium I was taking 1mg Klonopin 3x day. I don't know why he wanted to switch me to Valium because the Klonopin was working great. I think I might ask to go back on that.

Since I was just DX'ed and haven't really spoke to GI I have no idea what supplements i should take. But I am taking a daily pro-biotic and a one a day multivitamin.

I am not eating much. I went from monday morning to thursday night on liquids only. I started to slowly try solid foods thursday night.

I am now drinking some pedialyte during the day but I can't afford to completely replace water with it. I have been drinking so much water because I'm craving it. I feel like I cannot get enough.

Post Edited (Markh) : 5/25/2013 12:40:01 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/25/2013 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
So, look at the big picture. you're eating very little.
You've had major change in medications.

You're taking tramadol still?

You you have multiple issues and panic disorder being one of them...you need to keep things in perspective and try not to focus on the UC issue at this point.
You'll have to wait for the med to kick in, but with you not eating and consuming so much water, that's not going to slow things down too much.

I'm serious when I mentioned slow down on the water...

I'm serious about you eating some foods...and contrary to others' fears, a protein and a carb will be your best friends.

If you were doing better on your other meds, it's best to resume.

Are you seeing a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist? The therapy can be rewarding, maybe cognitive behavioural therapy will be helpful for you.

Do you have high blood pressure as well? is that why the atenolol?

q
Posted 5/25/2013 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I have high blood pressure. That is what my GP thinks it is but honestly I think my BP is always up when they take it is because I get really anxious just leaving the house and being around other people.

I have been taking the tramadol as needed for the last ~3 years. I tore my ACL in my left knee and caused cartilage damage which has progressively worsened since the injury. I had ACL replacement surgery when that happened. So the tramadol is basically for the osteoarthritis in that knee. I really need to have surgery again but my ortho doc says it isn't quite bad enough for Illinois medicaid to pay for it. Without the tramadol I can't even go up and down stairs because of the pain. With it I can be a little more active.
Posted 5/26/2013 3:55 AM (GMT 0)
My GI explained that mesalamines work sort of like salves on the colon, meaning that the medicine needs to make it past the gastro tract pretty much intact, and make it down to the colon, where it can act on the inflammation.

When I was taking the Pentasa in granules I also saw some in my stool, but with the above explanation, it seemed to make sense.

I ended up switching to Lialda though.

Hope you find what helps soon.
Posted 5/26/2013 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
It seems the night sweats I was having is a symptom of UC itself, not the Pentasa. At least from what I read online, is this correct?
Posted 5/26/2013 2:41 PM (GMT 0)
possibly...your situation isn't as clear cut. I tend to feel very cold when I'm flaring...but even a slight fever can have one feeling hot if it breaks.

Hormonal ups and downs and meds can cause the same thing...you best check if you do have an actual fever.

q
Posted 5/26/2013 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
When the night sweating happened I was not actually feeling hot at all. I was just sweating profusely. Sometimes I sweat for no reason during the day too without feeling hot. My GP wants to get a test of my thyroid I guess something wrong there could cause excessive sweating too. I also read that night sweats is one of the possible symptoms that can come with UC.
Posted 5/27/2013 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
It's not something I've ever had with UC, even during my worst symptoms. I sometimes feel HOT at night when I've taken the salofalk enema.

One thing that's connected to night sweats is cystic fibrosis...do you have that in your family?

Thyroid...definitely get it checked.

Tramadol has night sweats as a side effect as well...especially since you mention in your signature that you've upped the dosage.

q
Posted 5/27/2013 2:08 AM (GMT 0)

quincy said...
It's not something I've ever had with UC, even during my worst symptoms. I sometimes feel HOT at night when I've taken the salofalk enema.

One thing that's connected to night sweats is cystic fibrosis...do you have that in your family?

Thyroid...definitely get it checked.

Tramadol has night sweats as a side effect as well...especially since you mention in your signature that you've upped the dosage.

q

No history of that in my family.

I also haven't increased the dosage for about 2 1/2 years. Been taking 2 50mg tablets 3x day for over 2 years now. In my sig I meant that I take up to that amount. If I don't need it I will skip a dose, but most days I need to take the maximum.
Posted 5/27/2013 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
So...the days you skip the dose...are those the days you might have sweating?

Do a search on night sweats and the reasons why.
Maybe you can make a list of a few tests your doc could do.

Pain can make us sweat...and if your pain is worse at night, that could be another reason.

q
Posted 5/27/2013 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah my pain is the worst at night and in the morning. From not moving it gets really stiff and I wake up multiple times a night because of the pain. I guess maybe that could also be the cause of my excessive sweating. I've been having the pain in my knee for so long now that I didn't even think of that being the cause.

I'd like to thank everyone one here that has replied to my threads. I really appreciate it. It really helps to talk to people that understand and know more than me. None of my friends or my family understand how I could be feeling so bad all the time. It is to the point that I feel like they are angry with me.
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