What medications can we take that won't upset our disease????

Hey I was wondering what brands/types of pain killers/cold medicine we can take that won't cause us to go into a flare up! I usually just take tylenol, is that alright?

Tylenol is fine as are most cold medicines, as long as they don't contain NSAIDs like ibuprofen etc. So, for example, Sudafed is fine.

I've never heard of that Coffeencake.

Is mucinex safe to be given with colitis/crohns?

As far as drugs go, most pharmacists know their stuff. Doctors make a lot of stuff up based on their own personal prejudices.

There's been a fairly new drug out there for a while called Naprelan CR...it has an alleged "duodenal protection" system that makes it easier to tolerate through your GI system.

I've had UC and an ulcer from naproxen before, and I can tolerate this very well.

They have a co-pay card online, gets kind of expensive.

First of all, I've never heard that decongestants aren't okay to take with Asacol. I have an appointment in a couple weeks, so I'll try to remember to ask. I'm not on Asacol anymore, but I might as well find out for everyone else's benefit.

As for the whole aspirin/NSAID business:

Aspirin and most NSAIDs inhibit the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. COX-1 inhibition can sometimes be detrimental to your GI tract, which is why taking too much ibuprofen can give you stomach ulcers. In addition to that, if you have chronic inflammation, especially something like chronic hives, COX-1 inhibitors can aggravate tissue swelling. I have chronic hives; when I take Advil, my lips and eyelids swell up.

If you have UC, your GI tract is pretty sensitive, and you're more likely to have an adverse reaction to NSAIDs because of chronic inflammation. So people with UC are cautioned to avoid aspirin and NSAIDs. There are COX-2 inhibitors, which are safe to take, but most of them were taken off the market years ago in the US (e.g. Vioxx) and they're all prescription only.

If you're taking 6MP, then you don't want to take a lot of Tylenol, even though it's generally safe for people with UC. It's for the same reason why 6MP means you're not supposed to drink alcohol, or why you can't drink alcohol while taking Tylenol. Each of them can take a huge toll on your liver by themselves, so two or three together can be very dangerous. However, you can totally have a beer or a glass of wine while on 6MP--you just shouldn't binge--so I'd say it's also safe to have Tylenol, as long as you keep the dosage low and pay attention to how much/how often you're taking it.