I don't know about pentasa, but I know I'm supposed to be taking Asacol 400mg 3x a day, but stopped taking that 4 years ago.. My doctor will get mad at me if he knows I stopped taking it that long ago, but it never did anything for me, and I still don't notice anything different now then I did 4 years ago, so I think these medications are worthless if you ask me, unless your having flaires or something serious I don't think these medications do anything if you ask me..
I'm taking everything else my doctor says, but NOT the Asacol.. At first it was because that particular medication doesn't come in generic form, so I would have to pay $60 every 3 months for the stuff, which is too expensive for me, so it started out being I just didn't want to pay for medication I knew wasn't working worth a darn. My Blood pressure medication costs that much too, but that I know I need, if I was spending $60 every 3 months for all 8 scripts my doctor said I should be on, I'd be spending $500 a month just in scripts! and thats the copay amount I pay before insurance covers the rest, so I HAVE to be choosy like that because I can't afford all these scripts even with insurance, can't cover the copay cost even.
anyway, sticking to a diet that lacks complex sugars, wheats, and starches has helped me much more then those medications have.. My doctor says its for fnflammation, but i haven't noticed anything wrong in those areas, the only problem I have are Fistulas in my rectum, and from what I gather, Asacol isn't even for that to begin with, so I don't feel bad for lying to my doctor one bit about it, as alot of these doctors tend to give the same medication to everyone for the same disease, like they think medication for one person is supposed to help for everybody, or something, when we ALL know crohns affects all of us differently, but my doctors don't seem to know that anyway. its like they think what works on George should work for Tom too, and it just aint so, esp since a change of diet has helped more then even the immune suppressors have...and thats a BIG deal
Its even safe for me to say that a change if diet has helped my condition more then remicade has, I've avoided surgery indefintely asside from minor fistula surgeries, for the last 9 years, have even reversed symtoms I once had in the beginning, so I'm very prowd at the decisions I've made, just wish they'd find a cure already so we can get off all these medications and side effects, and so I can buy chocolate ice cream from the store again