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Posted 11/19/2007 3:57 PM (GMT 0)
Though I don't want to take steroids, my doctor may prescribe entecort (instead of prednisone). 

I've noticed that there are many people on the forum who take prednisone but a lot fewer who take entecort.  From what I've been told, entecort offers similar benefits as prednisone with fewer side-effecs; so I'm wondering why more people aren't on it instead.

Does anyone have any feedback on entecort? Thanks.

Posted 11/19/2007 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry, I've been mis-spelling it, so just in case someone's been wanting to look it up too - it's Entocort

Posted 11/19/2007 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
I've taken Entocort one time in the past, and it did work for me. It comes with much fewer side effects, too. I wasn't able to use it during my last flare because I am pregnant and it is not recommended for use during pregnancy. My GI always wants me to try Entocort first. If it doesn't work, then we will go to Prednisone. The time I tried Entocort, it worked, and I never needed the Pred. I assume it will be the same protocol for future flares.
Posted 11/19/2007 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
I have taken Entocort in the the past also. It worked great for me. The thing is though, probably the reason Doctors don't use this more often, is that Pred works faster. It took at least 2 months for the Entocort to kick in for me.
Posted 11/20/2007 12:16 AM (GMT 0)

expecting226 said...
I wasn't able to use it during my last flare because I am pregnant and it is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

my GI told me that when i get pregnant he wants me to go on entocort (budesonide in australia) to keep my flare under control. 

im not on it now cuz im on 50mg of pred, but i plan on getting pregnant very soon and he said that i will need to go on it. 

a maintenance dose along with my mesalazine. 

budesonide/entocort does not get absorbed by the body like prednisone does so it is safer for pregnancy than the prednisone/steriods.  it supposedly goes straight to work on the colon.

i've used budesonide/entocort before for about 3 months and i stopped as it is $200 a bottle.  got a little spendy and i wasnt seeing any results.  so im not sure how good it works.

but im wondering about the whole pregnancy thing and who is right...

should i take it or not while pregnant?

 

Posted 11/20/2007 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
kazygirl - You should do your own research on the Entocort vs. Prednisone issue so that you can make a decision you feel comfortable with. There are do many do's and don'ts during pregnancy, that it is very hard to know what is the right thing to do (even down to simple things like whether or not to die your hair!).

I did my research when the flare arose, and I found that the studies were in line with the opinions of both my OB and GI. My OB is high-risk, and he told me that there is absolutely no issue with taking Pred during pregnancy. If you are on it for an extended period of time, you run the risk of developing gestational diabetes (which is also a risk for perfectly healthy pregnant women), but that is the only risk associated with it. Pregnant women take Pred for numerous reasons during pregnancy... rashes, asthma, pneumonia, and many other diseases. My own research agreed with that. There is a large body of research on Pred during pregnancy.

There isn't as much research on Entocort because it isn't as readily prescribed for various issues given that it targets the GI tract... and the research I found wasn't good. My GI wouldn't even prescribe Entocort during the pregnancy because of the birth defects associated with it -- and this is a GI at the Cleveland Clinic who has many pregnant patients on Remicade and 6-mp throughout their pregnancies. He isn't generally conservative.

So, I found that Pred was the choice I was most comfortable with for my flare taper.
Posted 11/20/2007 10:50 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Entocourt for a couple of weeks now, trying to get off Prednisone. Not seeing much improvement. I haven't found anything that will get me completely out of this flare -- been mostly in a flare since diagnosis.
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