• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Time to give up on entocort?

Hello, I have recently been diagnosed with crohns after a colonoscopy that showed I had ulcers and inflammation in the terminal ileum. I was put on 9mg of entocort on 28th January (4 weeks today) and told to go down to 6mg after 4 weeks and then 3mg 4 weeks after that.

So it's been 4 weeks of 9mg and I don't feel any better. I still have low energy, have gained no weight and have mild pain on my right side (BMs have always been normal and this has continued). Is it time to give up on entocort and try pred for the first time? I have a GI followup appointment on 16th March should I wait until then? I just don't want something bad to happen before then like a perforation (I've had a perforation before which was wrongly diagnosed as a burst appendix).

Thanks
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
I don't know that I would "give up" on Entocort so much as I would report back to my GI that it wasn't working very well so far. The correct course may be to switch to predisone, or it might be better to give the Entocort a little longer to work - maybe extend the 9 mg period from 4 weeks to 6 or 8. Four weeks is a pretty short course.

Talk it over with your doc. In general you are a lot better off (side effects-wise) if you can get by with Entocort rather than switching to prednisone.
 
I know pred does sound very unpleasant but I would really rather try that then wind up needing another bowel resection :-( I just hope it isn't too late. I only started getting pain on my right side a week before starting the entocort that is brand new to me and the fact that it has continued through this month of treatment rather than subside makes me worried it's too late for medication to help me :-(
 
A few years ago, when I first tried Entocort my Dr said to took 6 weeks to fully start working. Get the therapeutic levels. So he had me on Prednisone for a "kick start" until I had more of it in my system. Just 2 weeks ago he gave me a 6 weeks course. So does he not believe I ma having trouble? Or has the drug changed- I don't think so.

I hope it kicks in soon for you,'

Lauren
 
A few years ago, when I first tried Entocort my Dr said to took 6 weeks to fully start working. Get the therapeutic levels. So he had me on Prednisone for a "kick start" until I had more of it in my system. Just 2 weeks ago he gave me a 6 weeks course. So does he not believe I ma having trouble? Or has the drug changed- I don't think so.

I hope it kicks in soon for you,'
So do I.

Lauren
So do i
 
Just to say my GI has put me on Entocort at 9 mg for the first sixteen weeks, only tapering down after that. So maybe she expects it to take that long to work.
 
Top