Update & questions

It's been 5 weeks on colazal and I'm so bummed right now. It seemed like a week ago the medication was working i.e. formed stools, good color, no urgency now this week more stools, diareeah with looks like tissue and blood (back to the way it was before the medication) I kind of kick myself b/c I was on physslium and switch to Heather's tummy fiber and things went bad, no formed stools.What the heck? I switched b/c I was having diarreah and Heathers tummy fiber says withing a few days it clears up.

You seem to be on a relatively low dose of Colazal.  Standard dosing to induce remission is 9 pills - 3 pills 3 times daily.  (I've even gone as high as 12 - although the heartburn was so bad that I stopped.)  Colazal itself was not enough to get me into remission - although with my first flare it definitely got me to about 75% better.  You really should try the rectal meds - like Rowasa.  In what way do the enemas make you sick?  If you really can't tolerate them then you should try Canasa - anything coming in from the other end is better than nothing.

Good luck.

I can tolerate the canasa, but will that help since it doesn't get all the way up the colon? The enemas make me feel hung over of flu like symptoms, it brings on aniexty/panic attacks too.

My doctor only recommended 3 pills twice a day.

Hmmmm I was on 9 Colazal a day. Just now after a year of feeling decent (knock on wood) have I even gotten down to 7.

---

Tabitha

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-9 a day (attempting to cut this down to 6 by slowly tapering), acidopholis pearls, just added Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

What do you mean by decent? Can you go for walks or work out comfortably like, you won't poop your pants comfortable?

I would ask your doctor about upping the dose.  It says clearly on the package that 9 pills is the normal used to induce remission.   As for the Canasa - if you can tolerate it then definitely use it.  You can try doubling them up so that they reach further.  As I said before - anything in the rectal area is better than nothing.

As for me - I am in remission - knock wood.  With a few blips here and there - I've been out and about enjoying life.

OH I can do anything. I have alot of issues w/ IBS so that is more a problem for me now. I workout 3-4 times a week no problem. No pooping my pants as of late:) I am also on Imuran in addition to Colazal.

---

Tabitha

100mg Azathioprine, 2 Fibercon, Colazal-9 a day (attempting to cut this down to 6 by slowly tapering), acidopholis pearls, just added Prilosec OTC

http://www.healingwell.com/donate
Co-Moderator UC Forum

Good to know. I will do rectal meds tonight. I didn't know you could double up on those. Good to know this.

 

Colazal wasn't enough to get me in remission. I was on a high dose of prednisone last fall and got in remission. I started taking Colazal when I got down to 10 mgs of Prednisone. My GI said the real test would be how I did when I was off the prednisone. It was awesome! The best my UC had ever been in 14 years, but....I started having joint pain which can be a side effect from Colazal. So my GI had me try Lialda. We were hoping that I might respond better to it than Asacol. Unfortunately after 3 weeks on Lialda my UC came back AND I still had joint pain. I was kicking myself up and down for even trying it, because the Colazal alone isn't enough to put me in remission. I went back on prednisone for about two months this Spring/Summer (at 30 mgs). I tapered just fine and was great for about one week off the prednisone and just taking Colazal. But now, my UC seems to be flaring a bit (mostly mucus). I'm hoping that the combination of the Colazal, healthy eating, and recently started a probiotic, will be enough to keep my UC under control, because I know it can work for me and I just want to get back to where I was before I tried Lialda. The joint pain also went away after a few months.

I had not heard that it can take six weeks for the Colazal to start working. Good to know and for me to remember to be patient.

---

Diagnosed UC - 1993
31 year old female

Current Meds:

Colazal (3 pills two to three times a day)
Flax oil and fish oil capsules occasionally

Post Edited (LWW1993) : 8/24/2007 4:16:19 PM (GMT-6)

suppositories for the rectum
enemas for the rectum and sigmoid.

Better than nothing...for sure.

You can use the canasa up to 3 times a day.
You can also double up..My suggestion is to quickly wet the tip with water and insert it asap..it will just slip in...then insert another one right after to push it higher.

or...

use one three times a day.

Let us know how it goes.

quincy

---

Hi, THEREAREM! You should drop that Heather's Tummy junk!!!!!!!!! Beware of so-called supplements. You should be able to achieve remission on the correct dose of Colazal + reasonable diet by 8-10 weeks. An occasional Rowasa can help-- by "occasional" I mean once a week. You do not have to be fanatic about rectal meds unless you have continuous urgency/multiple bms daily!!!!!!! Notice that writers above tell you standard dose of Colazal when flaring is 3 X 3 capsules daily-- that's what I already wrote you a couple times. Take the 3 X 3 Colazal, drink plenty of water, avoid junk food, rest as much as possible, do some stretching exercises to stay flexible & you'll likely get back on track. In my experience it pays to avoid overmedicating & oversupplementing. You're taking a multivitamin daily, right? That should help-- avoid overly salty/spicy foods & fats. The oral UC med is most important for you now with involvement around cecum + left side!!!!!!!!! You have been doing well in recent weeks so take this latest departure as a temporary setback & resume the positive thinking. / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC; currently on 3 X 3 Colazal daily for July flare in descending colon, which is responding)

Old Hat I like reading your posts. Just by your posts I can tell you not a person on the attack and I like that. Thanks. Unfortunatly, but I'm glad, to share comments with you b/c we have the same type of UC. I rather of hoped we had something else in common, like running a race together or camping or water-skiing, but it's not. Thanks for being there anyways. Thanks to everyone who posts. We're just one big internet family.

I had spicy and fried food this week, what was I thinking? I was feeling good, that was the problem. I thought, hey I can eat this. Nope WRONG! I know better, shame on me. My left side hurts and I knew some thing was going south when I would pass bm and my left side hurt like someone was stabbing me, I could hardly breath. This started over a week ago. Man, I just beg to get back where I was over a week ago. I'm having a lot of mucus (real slimy and hard to wash out of the underwear with blood) I have slimy farts and still just can't pass dry gas at all. I can't believe that my blood is just from my hemmroids, that's what my doctor said.

This just totally is trying to bring me down. I'm staying prayful, if  I don't, I just get sad and cry. I know GOD brought me to this and he can bring me through it. This is all I know. What we all go through, we are all strong.

Thank to everyone who writes a response to posts. I try to do a little, but I'm learning myself. After 3 years, I'm just beginning to recongize a stupid flare.

It takes a lot of self-discipline to avoid foods that are bad for active UC, but we just HAVE to do it or suffer the consequences. RE bloody mucus on underwear: 1st soak in cold water to get rid of blood, then use hot, soapy water to get out the mucus, which can be like glue! Take care-- we're all in this UC puzzle together. / Old Hat

I have been on Colazal since being diagnosed.  I lowered the dose to 3X2 daily but I'm going to call the GI tomorrow and see about going back to 3X3.  I don't believe I have ever gone into a complete remission.  Lately it has been more problems with rectum and bleeding, and I literally can't remember my last formed BM (not counting the one after my last colonoscopy a year ago.  I should have taken a picture.) It seems we all keep looking for the magic bullet and the right combination.  Old Hat has good advice - we're all in this together.