Allergic to mesalamine/5-ASA: what now?

[FrancisK7]

GI doc told me I was allergic to 5-ASA. He's ordered a ppd, a radiography of my lungs and specialized blood tests to put me on biological immunosupressors ASAP. He says I'm a candidate to cortisone. I refused and will stick to MM for now until my tests are done.

So being allergic to mesalamine/5-ASAs is bad and limits our options he said. Then he gave me the papers for the tests and threw me out the door, which is how it's done here.

In the grand scheme of things, what does that mean? The pancolitis is severe apparently, so even if I understand the rush to get immunosupressors, if I'm allergic to 5-ASAs, what else is there?

 

[muppet]

It sounds like you could use a new doctor who is a little more willing to talk to you and not throw you through doors.

My daughter is also allergic to 5-ASA (she bleeds and her inflammation worsens) and is now on 6MP and doing quite well.

Someone may correct me, but without ASAs, immunosuppressors are what you have left. 6MP, Imuran, Remicade, Humira, Azathioprine are all immunosuppressing medications.

BUT, immunosuppressors are not as scary as they sound. My daughter's experience has been that she gets an extra cold here and there. She gives her little sister more colds than she gets, by bringing the germs home from school. However, we've had no severe problems with her as a result of being on immunosuppression. We bug and nag her about her hand hygeine a bit more, and that's all.

 

[FullM3lt]

I was on 6MP for a long time...the only negative side effect was that I got sick a lot. Tried remicade and that ended in an allergic reaction....I know it works well for some people though.

MM and other otc vitamins/supplements keep me asymptomatic, although my Pancolitis is still pretty mild compared to most people. At least according to my last scope. Stick with the MM for now but if you haven't tried the 6MP, I'd at least give it a go. It worked decently for me during my teen years but like I said I didn't like catching a cold every 2 weeks.

Keep in mind that MM also has slight immunosuppresant effects as well...but it's also an anti-inflammatory among other things. Hope you can find relief, good luck

 

[FrancisK7]

It sounds like you could use a new doctor who is a little more willing to talk to you and not throw you through doors.

I am from Quebec, Canada. You have to wait 3 years to see a specialist, so even if everyone gets treated for free in our country, you don't get to choose and pick. If you're lucky enough to have a specialist follow you, unless he is truly incompetent or dangerous, finding a new doctor is next to impossible without months, if not years, of waiting. Sad, but true. I have no idea whether 6MP was the one he wishes to prescribe.

I had all my MM form ready to be signed but I didn't even a chance to bring it up. I won't see this doctor for another 2 months at least (just the test results take a month to get) so I'm gonna have to deal with MCRCI to get my card and pay up.

 

[sickinlk]

ditto, here in Ireland we don't get to choose either. you get landed with whoevers available. oh how I love to sack some of the morans i've come across.
anyway theres steroids, immunosuppressors and biologicals. theres also diet modification traditional Chinese medicine...the list goes on. loads to try seeing you've time on your hand between appointments.
im on remicade. a choice not easy to make, but it put me in remission. I reacted badly to 5asa's too. they gave me pancreatitis. and steroids didn't work.
anyway good luck.
ju