Howdy! I'm a regular user of the Salofalk version of this medication (same medication, different manufacturer) so I'll have a go at answering your questions. 1) Mine doesn't say 2g or 4g, how it...
Yeah, I think the pred is most of your problem. You sound just like me the couple of times i was on about that dose. For me, I feel fantastic on 30mg pred or greater then get really down from 25-20...
No, not an immuno-suppressant. It is a compound with anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties but does not suppress the immune system....
Adding some lube (ky or similar) onto the applicator helps me....
Hi. I also have left-sided colitis. My advice is rectal meds, rectal meds and more rectal meds (Quincy will be so proud!). But also oral 5ASA (lialda, asacol). First of all, don't just give up on...
Canberra, Australia :-)...
Hi Bellski Quincy and I are just talking about 5ASA rectal meds - Canasa, Rowasa, Salofalk - all mean the same thing for these purposes. They are just different methods of delivering a topical dose...
Hi Quincy I do my 5asa foam enemas every Thursday and Sunday night to get my twice weekly enemas. I find that two set/regular days is easier than counting out every third or fouth day. My reading of...
I use two a week (Rowasa) for maintenance. Works beautifully. I intend to keep this up for the long term as it works so well for me. I've been doing it for over a year and have been flare-free the...
Drugs. 4 gms of oral 5ASA had me down to a flare or two a year, adding 2 maintenance doses of 5ASA enema per week (after reading a study posted here that recommended it) has resulted in 14 months...
Hi Donna I still do 2 enemas a week, no matter what. Thursday and Sunday nights! This has been working for me so well that I'm not intending to stop anytime soon. In fact, it works so well for me...
Hi Donna I've experimented with slow tapers and then coming off the Rowasa totally but what works best for me is to always do 2 a week for maintenance. I got the idea from this article...
I recently went to a UC talk where the speaker (a UC research Dr) said that they are now encouraging UCers to keep their vaccinations up to date in case they ever have to go onto immunosuppresants....
I agree with Sara - start with the Rowasa (5ASA) and see how that goes. Since I added 2 regular weekly 5ASA enemas to my drug routinue, I've been doing great. I haven't had any issues since I started...
My friend's Dad also has UC and much of his treatment was in the bad old days when all they had was pred. He was on pred for years, if not decades. Then he went on Imuran and never flared again....
Canberra, Australia. There are at least two of us Aussies here, Severin!...
I'd say pred for sure, plus the fact that you've been sick. I've been flare free for a year now and my running times are heading back down close to what they were pre-UC. If I could lose the last...
Hi Heather It's been just over 2 years since I last had pred but I know exactly how you feel! I went through a stage of sobbing at my desk at work for no reason! Once I explained it to my work mates,...
Yep, I do 4gm oral 5ASA daily and two 5ASA foam enemas a week. Last flare was April last year. I have never noticed any side effects from the 5ASA drugs. The oral 5ASA did a lot of the work but...
I'd say blood = flare for sure. If you have doubts you could ask your Dr for a blood test to check your inflammation markers and confirm it, but I'd be pretty confident that you are flaring....
Yep, we have a mesalamine foam here in Australia. PLEASE - when it does come to the US, your daughter will certainly be able to use it and go about her day. My Dr says it's best to lay down for 1/2...
My friend's Dad had UC in the days where pred was the only drug. He also spent a lot of time in hospital (once almost a year!). My friend's main memory of his Dad through this time is that he was...
I know you don't feel well and are really stressed but please try to think calmly about this. Researchers put hydrogen peroxide in the digestive system of lab animals to make them develop UC - ie....
I don't understand why you are taking Hydrogen Peroxide? It has a clear link to UC and they use it to trigger UC in lab animals. Google Hydrogen Peroxide and Ulcerative Colitis and you see heaps of...
Hi You could ask your Dr for a blood test and see if it shows inflammation. I bugged my Dr for blood tests a lot in the early days because I wanted to be able to recognise a flare nice and early so...
Hi Sara In the doses that Quincy and I are talking about, you really have nothing to worry about. I've just checked with "The Vitamin Bible" by Earl Mindell (a famous book about vitamins and...
When did you go back to 15mg? Wednesday? And it's Friday where you are? (It's Saturday for me!) From my experience with Pred, I wouldn't feel the full effect of the new dose for about 3 days. So I...
I think you should let your Dr know about it. Have you just gone down from 20 to 15mg Pred? If so, I'd guess the taper is the cause of the extra blood - you might need to do a slower taper or stay on...
Hi Sara I've been taking zinc for just over a year now. I just started with a mild one - about 22mg because I had white spots on my fingernails. It took a while but really helped for that problem and...
Interesting that Shire is an international partner - they are the company that supply/market Lialda, which we still don't have here in Australia. I think I'll write to Orphan and ask them their plans...
Hi Old Hat! The name of the company that is the supplier of Salofalk (in Australia) is Orphan. Here is their website http://www.orphan.com.au/ The Salofalk range of drugs (delayed release 5ASA...
Yep, I've seen it too and thought it was good. I get so excited when UC is mentioned in movies or stories! My friend who saw it with me knows this and was laughing really hard when we first learnt he...
I have left sided UC but tend to get fairly lengthy periods of remission. For me, the trick was getting the right amount and right mix of oral and rectal 5ASA meds - I seem to need both for...
Thanks all. It's morning here in Australia and I just had a non-eventful morning BM with no blood so it must have healed up overnight. I've actually got some hydrocortisone cream at home - can't...
Hi all I'm currently in remission but doing 2 5ASA enemas per week for maintenance (in addition to my oral 5ASA). Anyway, last night I did a Salofalk foam enema and they have applicators that are...
I've decided not to have kids but my UC is only one of many reasons behind that decision. I was a sickly child for the first few years as were both my sisters. I have a few weird things that I'd be...
If it were me, I'd have a *little* bit of chocolate! My thinking would be that I'm in a flare anyway, might as well try to have some enjoyment of life. I'd probably avoid eating a whole snickers bar...
My Dr said that recent studies show that Salofalk (Asacol) will probably work the same for you if you divide it into two daily doses. I currently take 2 tablets 4 times a day and he said that taking...
I haven't had any hair loss and I've been on 4 gms daily for 2.5 years....
Hi Gargamel I've used a fair bit of Hi Maize. You can buy it as a supplement and it looks and tastes just like plain white flour. You add a bit to your cooking and it increases the fibre and,...
Munchies and night sweats are also classic pred side effects :-( Sounds like you need to gain weight back so hopefully the munchies will help you do that. Just try to munch on good food rather than...
Thanks heaps Old Hat. Great article. Interesting that they said that (for left sided UC) taking your oral 5ASA and just doing 2 5ASA enemas a week is way better than just doing the oral 5ASA. I'm...
Hi Kazygirl I think it's the pred causing all of your current troubles. I experienced most of the things you are when I was on the sort of dose you are. I was really moody - could go from really...
UC Fighter - I've done that too! I was saying to myself "this enema must be blocked or something" and when I (eventually) took it out to look at it, the cap was on. D'oh! I'd also noticed that it...
I've always been told to take them before about 9am as that's when your body would have naturally created the hormone (that pred is based on) for the day. For me, that let me sleep the best, although...
I've never had any leakage during or after applying it. I have however, shaken the container vigorously without checking the lid was on and got it over the bed and floor! Seriously, I was nervous the...
Hi All Me again! I had asked the Dr for a blood test to check my inflammation at the same time I asked for the steroid foam. I did the blood test just before starting the steroid foam. The Dr has...
The crazy food cravings will be the prednisone! Try not to give in to those cravings :-) I used to try to work out on paper what was reasonable to eat for a day and stick to that. You can't trust...
I agree with the above two posters. You need to get to the ER now or at least as soon as your health insurance kicks in (which is tomorrow, right?). I can understand waiting a little time to avoid...
Hi All I've just sent an email to my Dr (actually his nurse, who is the person we contact him through) to ask about tapering. The package insert just says use it for 14 days straight and then stop...