Am I overthinking this?

[Crohniac]

I would like your input on something. I posted a couple of weeks ago that I was very pleased with my GI's recommendation that I stay on the Entocort long term versus starting Imuran to manage my crohns. Having said that, I have been researching (don't believe the hype) and I cannot find anything "positive" with relation to staying on Entocort long term. Have any of you got any advice for me on this? Maybe others who have experienced this? I would like to believe that my GI knows what he's doing and that it is, in fact, ok to be on this drug long term. Help!!!!!!

:confused2: :yrolleyes:

 

[Cara Fusinato]

I was offered the Entocort long-term theory. Of course, they also wanted me on the Pentasa and Imuran. But, after 6 days, I want to kill people (steroid mania) and so I can only take a little if I begin a flare-up. Instead, I focused on XanGo brand mangosteen juice. It does so well for ME that I got off everything else. I would go with your Doc on trying to manage it without the Imuran. Once you start that, you are stuck with it because you can't go on and off of it. The side effects I have heard are not great. I boycotted the immune suppressants and am very glad I did. It's been a year . . . and still counting!

 

[Nancy Lee]

I took Entocort for quite some time...maybe a year..
it was after I came off the Prednisone.
Then my GI switched me to Asacol which I have been on for about the past eight years.
Now he wants to switch me to Imuran as the new studies show
that Asacol doesn't do as much as they thought at one time for Crohn's patients.

At times I feel the doctors are as confused as we are. :confused2:

Nancy

 

[ruthymg]

I only had the entocort for a short period of time as it didn't really do much for me and so I took Prednisolone for about 18months instead. I obviously can't give feedback on long term use of entocort but I can comment on Prednisolone and that was evil stuff, it made me moody, irrational, voilent, angry, depressed along with outbreaks of spots, bloating, mooning of my face, hair growth in places I had never imagined and loads more unpleasant side effects. I believe entocort is a lot milder and I have heard over here in the UK, that some people do well on long term treatment with it. I personally would rather have that than Imuran, I'm on that at the mo and thats also rather ugly. Hope you get the result your after.


Ruth

 

[TammySue62]

Hi Nancy
You should ask your Dr. about taking Pentasa instead of Asacol.
The change worked for me. I have been taking 2 tabs 4 times
a day @ 500mg each. It might be worth a try.

 

[Mazen]

Hi Nancy, Depending on where you Crohn's is , Pentasa might help more than Asacol. Asacol only works for Crohn's in the colon....

 

[Nancy Lee]

Hi Mazen...My Crohn's runs the entire length of the colon.
So I'm not too sure...:confused2:

 

[Dekar]

pentasa releases in the ileum