Asacol what was your experience?

[Jeffgotcrohns]

Been on asacol for five days and noticed no change. 800 mg HD asacol 2 pills X3 a day. My bowel movements are now just bloody diarrhea with lots of water.

 

[buttER]

The bad news, it is not a miracle cure. In my experience you have to wait at least 6 weeks to start noticing a difference. At least you are on a high dose: if it doesnt have any effect after 2 months I would get advice. Also because of the mechanism of release from the tablets Asacol might not work for you. If you can hang on that long! Where do you have inflammation?

I saw you posted about antibiotics for treatment. What has been your experience, especially in terms of finding bacteria in biopsies?

 

[Jeffgotcrohns]

My experience with GI infections is not normal compared to other experiences I have read and heard about. Just got back from my GI doctor an hour ago and had a discussion about it. All my latest stool samples were all negative and I am having another colonoscopy in a couple weeks.

Flagyl and Cipro work for some people which neither should work for someone with an autoimmune disease, those antibiotics are used to fight infections. So if they result in the person getting better it was a bacteria imbalance or infection in the GI tract. I had C-diff once and the stool sample came back negative and then shortly after had a colonoscopy and they took a biopsy where they found C-diff in the biopsy. Some worms can only be found in colonoscopys too.

This past visit he said there is notable inflammation in my small intestine which if I did have C-diff wouldn't cause inflammation there. Most likely I have crohns according to them.

 

[honestmoe]

Asacol is a maintenance medication. If you are in a flare most likely you need something stronger than asacol, like biologics.

 

[buttER]

I am not sure if Asacol is the right drug for Crohns in the small intestine? I thought the tablets only release at the end of the small intestine and predominantly in the large intestine.

 

[Jeffgotcrohns]

My GI doctors seem like they drop the ball anytime I hand it to them. I am having severe diarrhea anywhere from 4 - 12 times a day. They don't want to prescribe me anything until I have had another colonoscopy. I don't understand, all they are going to see is my intestines are inflamed. I've had two other colonoscopies and they say they are useless since I had GI infections at the same time. I am barely able to eat anything, anytime I eat anything it causes pain no matter what it is. I just eat one pouch of baby food and drink tea and water.

 

[Jeffgotcrohns]

Also the worst of my inflammation is in my colon. All the pain and blood is coming from my colon, but my small intestines are percolating a lot. So it seems like my small intestines have mild inflammation too.