How long until you started feeling better?

[Spootage]

How long after you started taking medication did it take for you to feel better?

I am currently taking:

Prednisolone 10mg (started at 37mg)
Azathioprine 150mg
Mesalazine 3mg

Been taking the medication for 7.5 weeks now and I'm not really feeling that much better. My bowel movements are more regular and under control, however the stomach pain is still there. I thought that the pain was a lot better about 3 weeks ago, but then I had an MRI and the pain has been back since. I was also on 15mg of the pred, which may have made a difference. Then again, I was on antibiotics at the time for a throat infection, so that probably just took my mind off the stomach pain which was likely there all along.

I know everyone is different, but how long after you started taking medication did it take for you to feel better?


On a side note, does anyone take any pain killers in addition to their medication to help with the pain? Looking at the medication I am on, is it safe for me to have panadol?

 

[Clash]

Pred usually starts working the first few days but as you taperbthe pred symptoms can start returning in some cases. The GI will sometimes have you go back up a little on the pred. Azathioprine can take up to 3months or so to reach therapeutic levels.

Is panadol like Tylenol? If so most GIs recommend it over ibuprofen and NSAIDs since they can cause promblems in the stomach.

 

[Daisy123]

I am on Pentsa and Aziathropine which works for me. Absolutely safe to take Panadol. I use the Panadol advance as I find them more effective than ordinary paracetamol. I take 2 4 times a day, as recommended by my GI. I have other pain meds though.

 

[theOcean]

It really varies from person-to-person and depending on severity of what they're dealing with.

Azathioprine takes about three months to be at a therapeutic level. If you feel like decreasing the prednisone is having a negative effect on you and you don't feel safe lowering your taper just yet, let your GI know and you can probably stay at that level for a little longer. Mesalazine is also very mild, so its efficacy is questionable depending on the case. (For instance, it did nothing for me.)

It's good that your BMs are getting better, but if you find you're getting worse again I would report it to your GI immediately. You may have to raise your prednisone again or consider a hospital stay.

I was put on hydromorphone for the pain, but that's an opiate so you have to be careful as that can cause constipation. (As well as temporarily affect you mentally -- about three hours, I found.) What would you be taking the pain medication for?

 

[CrohnsChicago]

It does vary from person to person since we all have different symptoms/severity of the disease and we also react to certain medications differently.

Keep in mind that it typically takes around 3 months for the azathioprine to kick in.

I'm on mercaptopurine/6-mp (similar to azathioprine) and Asacol HD. I started taking the mercaptopurine/6-mp in February 2013 along with prednisone for three additional months. I would stay it took me about 6 months or so before I started to feel that I was entering into some form of remission. It's been a little over a year now and things aren't entirely perfect in the sense that my body has changed in a bit because of the disease, but I am in a place where remission finally feels real.

Never taken pain killers although I did discuss with my doctors the fact that my xanax sometimes helped ease my worst IBD symptoms a little bit whenever triggered. I use it for anxiety emergencies but I have also used it for some IBD emergencies as well.

Keep your doctor up to date on your symptoms and make sure you are getting your routine blood tests done including TPMT testing for liver and pancreas safety.

Hoping that you continue to see more improved symptoms and get into remission very soon!

 

[VeganOstomy]

Predisone worked VERY quickly (like maybe 2 days), but I was on 80mg to start and the benefits didn't last long at all before I started getting severe side-effects and experienced a return of symptoms. Every single person has their own experience with meds, which is why it's important to keep your GI up-to-date with how you're feeling.