I think Entyvio is helping

I think Entyvio might be starting to help! I had my first infusion about 5 weeks ago, but I started to notice improvement a few days ago (at about 4.5 weeks). The improvements are minor and revolutionary at the same time. It's mostly a lack of pain in situations where I'd normally expect pain. For example, the past few days I've been able to stay up late or get hungry without having painful cramps that last until the next morning. Also once a week I have to get up early and take the train to work which normally causes bad cramping all day, but today, nothing! (Also, not sure if these are symptoms other people experience. EDIT: realizing now that's probably just gas which I'm overly sensitive to when I have inflammation.)

Now I can't be sure its the Entyvio b/c I made a lot of changes all at the same time. I increased Rowasa to 2x day (which definitely helped), I restarted VSL#3 DS, I'm happier b/c of the warmer weather and longer days, and I passed an important grad school milestone (which I didn't think I was stressed about, but maybe I was). So I can't be sure that Entyvio is the major contributor to these improvements, or that these improvements are part of a larger trend toward remission. But I haven't seen too many posts about Entyvio, so I thought I'd share.

I have my 3rd loading dose in a week and then will move to every 8 weeks. Still not totally sure it's helping. I wasn't expecting to see improvements for at least 6 weeks. I'm more optimistic now than before, but we'll see how it goes.

decaf4me said...
That is good to hear you are doing better. Are you still taking Lialda along with everything else?

Yup, still on Lialda (generic) 4.8 g. When I tried Remicade, my doc mentioned that we'd try get to a monotherapy, but that seems very unlikely to me now.

That's okay Suttie, many of us use a combo of drugs here - - whatever it takes to stay well and in remission!

I’m 2 years on Entyvio and living as if I don’t have UC!

I also noticed subtle changes early on. Others will mention that Entyvio is slow acting and it is but along that slow journey are many small improvements. I was able to start a prednisone taper with my first infusion and by the time I was done with the taper had only small occasional symptoms. That was the first time without prednisone in a year. So while I say it was 4-5 months for complete symptomatic remission, I was MUCH better after The loading doses, managing symptoms with suppositories and rectal steroid foam, and continued to improve from there.