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To switch medicines or to not to?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/8/2013 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone. Right now I'm going through a mild flare so my GI described me Uceris once a day in the morning 9mg. I know it's suppose to take 8 weeks to fully kick in but I've been on it for about 4 weeks so far & have seen no drastic amazing improvements compared to most people that have seen it in about 1-2 weeks.

With uceris my bm's are decreased, I go about 3-4 times a day. Kinda gassy. No blood in the beginning but suddenly I'm experiencing blood right now? The urgency is still there. Whenever I feel anxious I feel the need to go to the bathroom.

My first day of school is tomorrow & I'm thinking about getting homeschooled then coming back when I'm done flaring.

I'm considering on taking prednisone again since it is a medicine that heals quicker but the side affects are absolutely terrible. However, my GI also suggested at my recent appointment with her that I can get "shots" twice a month? I forgot the specific name of this medicine but she used it for her rheumatory arthritis I believe.

Bottom line is, should I proceed & extend my time with uceris since I have 4 more weeks to be on it? (Even though at this point I give up on it) To take prednisone instead? Or consider those shots?
Posted 9/8/2013 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
You should not take prednisone unless you are in an uncontrollable flare. It is a terrible way to treat your body.

Do you know where your inflammation is? Most likely it is the rectum and sigmoid colon. The best way to treat that is with rectal mesalamine. I would suggest that you get mesalamine enemas and start using them every night.
Posted 9/8/2013 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
I disagree that it takes 8 weeks for the Uceris to fully kick in. Yes, Uceris is prescribed for 8 weeks but it should kick in much, much sooner than that if it is going to work. The shots your doc is referring to may be Humira, which is a whole different ball of wax. You need to educate yourself more on this disease and it's treatments as putting yourself at the mercy of the doctors isn't always in your best interest. In the end they are nothing more than used car mechanics, trying treatment after treatment until they find something that works. They have no way of knowing in advance which treatments will work best in which patient and all treatments come with their own list of side effects. You need to learn enough where you can be part of the decision making process instead of just blindly following the doctors down side effect alley.
Posted 9/10/2013 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to read that Uceris doesn't seem to be working fast for you. Have you ever used steroid retention enemas? (Or Cortifoam, 10% steroid insert that can speed healing in the rectum?) Do you follow any type of cautious diet that eliminates possible food irritants? Those are things that might help you before resorting to Humira shots. You could also check the Website ccfa.org if you haven't already-- because it includes a lot of info for teenaged UCers. Best wishes! / Old Hat (33 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
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