My daughter stopped her Pentasa a few weeks ago. The last few days she has been getting lots of pain and loose stools. Now she wants to start taking the Pentasa again. She was taking 3 tablets am and 2 tablets pm. Do l start giving her the full dose again or should we slowly increase the dosage ?
Advice about Pentasa
- Thread starter upsetmom
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DustyKat
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Hey upsetmom,
We don't have any experience with Pentasa out our place. I think the 5ASA's are a drug that you can just start taking the recommended dose of without building up. I assume the GI knows you stopped it so it would probably be best to speak with them first before recommencing.
Dusty. xxx
We don't have any experience with Pentasa out our place. I think the 5ASA's are a drug that you can just start taking the recommended dose of without building up. I assume the GI knows you stopped it so it would probably be best to speak with them first before recommencing.
Dusty. xxx
Hey there,
Sorry to hear she's not feeling well...
My son has been on Pentasa for 3 years now. The only time he's been off of it was when his GI wanted him to try Lialda (he takes 3500 mgs Pentasa per day - 4 pills in the am/ 3 pills in the pm) and she thought it would be easier for him to deal with only 3 pills of Lialda per day. Needless today within a week he felt different, by week 2 he was exhausted and experience a cramp. I switched him back to Pentasa immediately (contacted the GI the next day and told her what we were doing. Because we were "trying" the Lialda she was cool with it, and he was back to his "normal" within a week or so.
It is probably best to call the doctor on Monday and confirm before restarting them (especially if you didn't have an agreement in place prior stating, "If this happens, start taking meds again.")
We don't have any experience with Imuran - did the Imuran replace the Pentasa?
I hope she feels better soon!
Sorry to hear she's not feeling well...
My son has been on Pentasa for 3 years now. The only time he's been off of it was when his GI wanted him to try Lialda (he takes 3500 mgs Pentasa per day - 4 pills in the am/ 3 pills in the pm) and she thought it would be easier for him to deal with only 3 pills of Lialda per day. Needless today within a week he felt different, by week 2 he was exhausted and experience a cramp. I switched him back to Pentasa immediately (contacted the GI the next day and told her what we were doing. Because we were "trying" the Lialda she was cool with it, and he was back to his "normal" within a week or so.
It is probably best to call the doctor on Monday and confirm before restarting them (especially if you didn't have an agreement in place prior stating, "If this happens, start taking meds again.")
We don't have any experience with Imuran - did the Imuran replace the Pentasa?
I hope she feels better soon!
No!!!
At our last visit she asked if she could stop the Pentasa and he said he'd prefer her to take them but he left the decision up to her....and l never got back to them.... I wish l had pushed her to take them.
Oh wow... Given that information, is she willing to begin taking them again? Especially since the GI was in support of it...
I do not recall us being "ramped" up to take Pentasa. Initially my son was on 1500 mgs a day (2 in the am, 1 in the pm) before we ramped up to the 3500 mgs.
And please don't be hard on yourself... :ghug: It is hard enough when a doctor says the kids *must* do something, but when a doctor is a bit wishy washy - aka: "It's up to you if you want to continue taking another 4 - 5 pills per day, but I'd prefer you would." :ybatty: I mean who wants to do that?! I can't fault her (or you) for wanting less meds... But now, maybe she feels different...
:ghug::ghug::ghug:!!!
I pray it is resolved fast!
**When we ramped up to 3500 mgs, it wasn't a ramping. One day he took 1500 mgs, the next we started on 3500 mgs. (When I read what I said, it didn't make sense).
DustyKat
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Does your GI have kids?!?! Who in their right mind would give a teenager that option! :lol:
In that case I would just ring and tell the nurse that your DD decided to stop them, a per docs instructions, but now wants to start taking them again so that is what you are going to do. Just my thoughts mind!
Dusty. xxx
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Our GI was wishy washy with my son too back when he was on Pentasa, but it was because he's of the opinion that Pentasa doesn't work 50% of the time. He'd said that if we thought it was working he should keep taking it, but if we didn't, then he could stop. DS chose to stay on it. Then he flared (again) and we decided its probably not working very well after all.
I thought taking Pentasa along with Imuran made the Imuran less effective? No? When DS switched to Aza, he was told to stop the Pentasa.
I thought taking Pentasa along with Imuran made the Imuran less effective? No? When DS switched to Aza, he was told to stop the Pentasa.
Who knows!!!
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I would just make sure that her dosage of imuran has the desired effect when you are reviewing her regular blood test result. Her white blood cell count should be in the lower normal range (4-5) or potentially even lightly below 4. If it is often or always above 5 or even 6 then you might consider upping the dosage slightly. Imuran's primary beneficial effect is from suppressing the white blood cell count into the low normal range so whenever there is a potential trigger for a flare up, the immune system has to jump through a considerable barrier to get up to inflammation causing overreaction levels.
