next treatment step

It sounds to me like the AZA is not working. If it were working then when you tapered off the pred you would not reflare. As dangerous as AZA can be I don't see the point of taking it if it is not doing anything. How long have you been on it? Sometimes it takes a few months to kick in. What about oral 5ASA's?

I have wondered several times about taking low dose pred of 5mgs per day or less, forever. Some here (very few) have had their doctors do this and believe in it. I just asked my doctor the other day and he gave me the standard textbook answer of you don't want to be on pred long term. I really don't believe there has been enough research on long term low dose pred. Everybody just always seems to quote the textbook but these textbooks are always talking about higher doses of pred long term. With most UC'rs they usually would start seeing symptoms again at 5mgs or even more so the question would be moot for those patients anyway.

I was under the impression that the UK health system would not allow for Remicade to be used as a regular med. Sometimes they use it for really bad flares in the beginning but then when the flare gets under control they give you the line that Remicade can't be used as a treatment for UC. You may want to check into that.

Gary - Uc_cured thanks for the replies. Ive been on the AZA for around 2 and a half years now when i first started it got me out of a big flare which lasted around 6 months, since then i dont know if it has worked i stopped AZA breifly the first time i took steriods which was around 18 months ago as i was not advised properly but been on them now for around a year again without a break and to be honest i cant tell if they work or dont. I take a oral mesalsine everyday called salofalk granules, these are just for maintenance but again not to sure if there working or not. I think you are correct about the UK with Remicade, its called inflixmab over here and when i enquired about it when i was in a bad flare couple years a go i just got fobbed off and said unfortunately its just for Crohns patients. went to see a nutrionist yesterday shes started me on a similar diet to SCD and added a few supplements such as Bio A Emulsion, Bio D Enulsion and Biocare Polyzyme Forte   Hopefully i start seeing an improvement, but still dont really no what to say to my consultant when i see him again at the end of October  

Hi Judy,

Thanks for the post appreciate it, yes a friend i know had inflixamib he has crohns and his last colonoscopy showed no signs of inflammation.

thanks