Hi All, I'm paying $40/month for Pentasa. I've been taking it for 3 years and flaring pretty much the whole time (except for when I was pregnant or on pred). I'm having a hard time justifying the expense. Has anyone just quit it? It doesn't seem to do anything! I'm going to discuss this with my GI but wanted to get y'alls opinion. I've asked her to quit it before and she said it doesn't hurt anything, but I'm in a financial bind and need to cut as much out of my budget as possible. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and hopefully respond!
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Pentasa! Is it worth the expense??
- Thread starter Jenamonkey
- Start date
Jenamonkey....obviously don't do anything without the doc's okay, which it seems you have. But that being said, I saw a doctor at Mayo Clinic in MN on Monday and he told me flat out that there is no real scientific evidence that Pentasa does anything for crohns (I'm on it too). He said if a patient comes to him already on it as prescribed by another physician and they are not having any issues, he will leave them on it. However, he said if he is treating a new patient for crohns, he does not even consider it. I am sure that information can be found supporting either theory, but I tend to agree with him.
I've been on it since 2004 when diagnosed and flaring for the last 3 or so years (except when on prednisone). So I almost think I went into remission in 2004 due to the other medicine I was given concurrently, and then had a flare because the Pentasa doesn't do much.
It is hard to say. If it matters, I am still taking mine in the meantime.
I've been on it since 2004 when diagnosed and flaring for the last 3 or so years (except when on prednisone). So I almost think I went into remission in 2004 due to the other medicine I was given concurrently, and then had a flare because the Pentasa doesn't do much.
It is hard to say. If it matters, I am still taking mine in the meantime.
Thanks for your response TWSS! I actually haven't done anything yet (hence my statement that I'm going to talk to my GI about it again). I think my GI has the same opinion of the Mayo Clinic doc, basically she says let's just keep taking it so we don't change anything. Given I'm flaring though and it doesn't seem to keep that from happening I think there's an argument to be made to cut it out. Especially if the stress of all these co-pays is adding to the problem 
I'm in a similar bind - I don't feel that Pentasa is really helping much. During a stretch of about a month in which I was changing insurances, I was running low on my supply, so I only took half of the recommended dose. I noticed no difference.
And this is now setting me back about $110 a month. :/
The reason I'm hesitant to stop it, though, is that my GI said the next option is Prednisone. Which I am deathly afraid of - had bad experience with it in the past.
A related question - so the Pentasa obviously isn't controlling my symptoms, but my symptoms aren't *terrible*, I can live with them. But if I have continued inflammation, I'm worried it will lead to scarring. So do I forget the Pentasa and move onto Prednisone?
And this is now setting me back about $110 a month. :/
The reason I'm hesitant to stop it, though, is that my GI said the next option is Prednisone. Which I am deathly afraid of - had bad experience with it in the past.
A related question - so the Pentasa obviously isn't controlling my symptoms, but my symptoms aren't *terrible*, I can live with them. But if I have continued inflammation, I'm worried it will lead to scarring. So do I forget the Pentasa and move onto Prednisone?
Hello all. My first post here on the boards. I tried it for a while and had zero results. I was shifted to a long term round of Entocort and that seemed to be a decent med for me. But now after a year on Entocort. I am shifting again to other treatments. I would ask for some other med besides Asacol or Pentasa. Both are pricey and don't seem to do much IMHO.
Pentasa is for UC it is time released so only a fraction is released in the terminal small intestines, the rest is large intestines. A cheaper alternative that is released quicker and if you respond to sulfa pills in general you will rexpond to sulfasalazine (Sp?) And you can get a 90 day supply for like $10 off insurance. Most people cant tolerate sulfa medications for long term it causes horrible rashes, these medications only work for a small percentage of people if you continue to flare on sulfa you might be wasting your money anywaya as it comes down to an absorption problem.
What kind of rashes can it cause?? J.C.!! I am starting to wonder if my issues are actually being caused by the pentasa, despite my penchant for having defended it for so many years.
I was on pentasa for years in the 90s it didnt really do anything for me, now the sulfa pills did seem to work a little bit better due to them not being time released. So i would take oral sulfa pills and enema sulfa which seemed to get everything but then i started getting a really bad jock rash. It sounds funny but it was constant itching that was so severe i couldnt get any relief. Once i stopped the sulfa it went away the next day and i have never gotten it again. I would probably still be on the sulfa pills if i didnt develop such a severe allergic reaction to it.
So my Crohn's is (luckily) constrained to the illeum at this point. Since the illeum is really the tail end of the small intestine which leads into the large intestine, I wonder if the Pentasa is even needed. Of course, the minute I say that, then I worry .. well perhaps the reason the disease is limited to the illeum is because the Pentasa is working on the large intestines!
I've been on Remicade for the past year and just switched to Cimzia. I'm about to take my 3rd dose of Cimzia on Monday. I'm sure I'll see my GI after that, depending on my reaction to the Cimzia (so far I have not had a good reaction). We'll see!
I've been on Remicade for the past year and just switched to Cimzia. I'm about to take my 3rd dose of Cimzia on Monday. I'm sure I'll see my GI after that, depending on my reaction to the Cimzia (so far I have not had a good reaction). We'll see!