Does Entocort/Budesonide cause blood clots?

[CrohnsChicago]

Brief story. My active crohn's in my colon includes inflammation and ulceration. It also tends to involve streaks of blood mixed in my stool and specks in mucous which is bright red. Never anything more than that since my first flare a year ago. I know where my crohn's is most active and the pain I experience in my lower back tends to correlate with the "hot spots" for my crohn's. I can confirm this with the color of the blood (it's coming from somewhere near the middle/end of the colon).

This year I started a baby flare and my GI put me on Entocort. First time on it. It's been a week now. I mostly experience terrible gas and toggling between diarrhea/loose stools and constipation but the last two days I have experienced something never before experienced:

I get a sense of urgency and once per day (never more than that) if I use the bathroom I will see small maroon blood clots in my stool or mucous. Any other time I use the restroom I either have the typical small blood streaks in the stool or specks in mucous. Could this be a side effect of Entocort? Has anyone ever taken this medication experienced this? Is this a sign of healing trying to occur? I feel I should at least let my GI know because this is new to me and I am uncertain if I am getting worse, or if my body is trying to heal somehow by clotting.

I'm getting frustrated because I can't tell the difference between my flare and the medication side effects anymore

 

[Jennifer]

Just from reading about blood clots in general: http://www.medicinenet.com/blood_clots/article.htm It sounds like it could be more of a sign of healing.

"...platelets are recruited to the injured area to form an initial plug. These activated platelets release chemicals that start the clotting cascade, using a series of clotting factors produced by the body. Ultimately, fibrin is formed, the protein that crosslinks with itself to form a mesh that makes up the final blood clot."

Its still worth mentioning to your GI so they are aware of what's going on and know if you're getting the proper dose of Entocort or if its the right medication for you.

Yet it could also be a sign that there's bleeding further up.

"Bleeding of the Stomach or Intestines" http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-220...=22007&drugname=Entocort+EC+Oral&pagenumber=6

"Blood Clot in Vein" is listed under rare side effects in the link above but doesn't mention blood clots in the stool specifically.

"Passing blood from the rectum that is dark red or includes clots usually indicates bleeding from higher in the colon than anal fissures or hemorrhoids would produce." http://ibs.about.com/od/symptomsofib1/a/BloodinStool.htm

Let us know what your GI says about it CrohnsChicago. Hope you start feeling better.

 

[CrohnsChicago]

Thanks Crabby. Went to the doc today because my pain and symptoms were getting worse. The likely cause is that my flare is getting worse and the entocort is taking too long to do its thing (besides the gas, although I got an x-ray for obstructions today). He said the blood clot is most likely because of the flare worsening and sitting around in my gut for a while (having minor constipation issues off and on right now) more than it being a healing situation.

He's taking me off entocort and putting me back on pred and antibiotics this time since the pred helped me other times before and fast. Also getting put on other meds and having additional tests done so we will see.