Asacol - does anyone take this drug?

[QuicksWife]

I was talking to a friend of mine who said her roommate takes this drug and has started feel much better. Has anyone else used this?
2

 

[EthanPSU]

I was on it for 3 years. I was up to a 9 pills a day dose. It eventually like started not working as well and my GI said I was already at the highest dosage so I was taken off of it about a month ago.

 

[Jennifer]

Sure have for many years! My Crohn's is/was (I've had a resection) located in the TI. Now Asacol says its meant for colitis as its time release but it does release in the ileum and works quite well for Crohn's. It helps stop more inflammation from being produced. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000880/

I never had any side effects from it and it worked for me for a number of years until a few years after my resection where my GI decided I didn't need it anymore so I was taken off of it. I don't see any harm in suggesting it to your GI and trying it out.

 

[CLynn]

I was always under the impression that it is in the same family as pentasa. I could be wrong, but had that impression.

 

[SarahD]

I used to take Asacol many years ago, it was the first maintenance drug I was on after diagnosis. It helped for a year or two but then stopped working so well and I was put on Pentasa instead. I remember the Asacol tablets sometimes passed through me without being digested. I think Asacol tends to be used in UC as it releases in the colon, so if you have Crohns in your colon it might be helpful.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I am taking it right now at 9 pills a day. I've been taking it for about 4 or 5 years or so in fact and actually started it while I was diagnosed with UC. But, within the last year or so it seemed to stop working and last year I was diagnosed with Crohn's. But, my doctor hasn't taken me off it yet. I do pass pills frequently, but my doctor has always passed the info off as no concern.

 

[Jennifer]

Its pretty common for time release pills to come out still fizzing or often times its the full empty shell you're seeing. The GIs aren't concerned because its usually the shell which looks like a full pill plus if it is one of those instances where the pill is fizzing in the toilet (my GI laughed when I told him that) you still got some of the medication (that's what he told me).

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Yeah, she said the same thing too. Basically just passed it off as the shell coming through.

 

[QuicksWife]

Well maybe it wont work. I am on pentesa right now and I have UC and Crohns.

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[Cross-stitch gal]

I've done a little more research lately and depending on where your disease is the asacol could work for you. I think possibly why it worked for me for so long was where I was infected at the time it was able to get to. But, now the infected area has moved even though I'm still on the same drug.

 

[nikimazur]

I'm on Asacol HD right now, after being on Pentasa and Entocort. Asacol has worked better then Pentasa for me, due to where the medication was being released. It has cut my frequency of bathroom trips in half, along with decreasing urgency but still has yet to put me in remission of any sort. I'm having weight loss issues still, as well as severe joint issues and am going for a colonoscopy endoscopy Thursday, before moving on to immunosuppressants and or biologics.

Melasamine whether asacol pentasa..etc, is a great choice for mild to moderate crohns, at least as being a "safe" drug. My only real side effect from both pentasa and asacol has been hair thinning/ stop growing completely, though I've known people who never experience this. Other then that no complaints!