Confused about meds prescribed

[MonkeyLing]

As of today, I've had 2 colonoscopies (had one this morning actually), an endoscopy, capsule endoscopy and contrast ct scan within the past 4 months trying to determine what is really going on with me and what medications that I should be on.

My GI has put me on Lialda (mesalamine) on the max dosage. I'm assuming that he's trying to induce remission with it since I'm currently tapering of prednisone and ramping up Entocort. I wasn't able to talk to my GI after the procedure.

I've been on Apriso and Pentasa before, both other brand names of mesalamine and have never experienced a true remission, just more manageable symptoms. My GI is aware of this and we had already discussed mesalamine not being an effective medication for Crohn's.

So I guess what I'm trying to ask is, why would my doc put me back on a medication that won't really do anything to get my Crohn's under control? Does anyone have any insight to this or have gone through something similar?

 

[theOcean]

It may be because they release differently (earlier or further into the colon) but from what you're saying it sounds like you should ask to be put on an immunosuppressant.

 

[MonkeyLing]

@theOcean - At my last followup for my capsule endoscopy, my doc and I had talked about going ahead with a biologic and seeing how I responded to it since every time I've been on the mesalamine it's been a short lived relief. We were going to wait and see what the colonoscopy showed and go from there. My first two didn't show any signs of inflammation, just some small ulcerations. Other than those he said that I did not show signs of crohns. My colonoscopy yesterday showed that I'm having inflammation in the terminal ileum which is consistent with crohns. As of right now I'm going to waiting till the pathology comes back and then will followup with him in a few weeks if my work schedule permits. I think I'm going to push for going on a different type of medication at my next appt. After being on mesalamine and knowing how I respond I don't see another course.