what medications you take for UC? (a list all in one place)

Hey y'all. I was wondering if you could list what meds you take for your UC in this thread, how much, how often, etc. and maybe your feelings about it, ie: if you think it is helpful, how it makes you feel, other meds you've tried that you don't like and why. etc. etc.

I'm going to see my GI October 2nd for the first time since I was diagnosed. I want to find out information about the different medication options before I go because I stopped taking my sulphasalize long ago because I felt like the amount of pills (the hassle) I was taking wasn't as bad as a minor flare here and there. So I am hoping to find something a little more manageable.

(another quick question for anyone who knows... obviously flaring and getting ulcers inside our bodies is bad for our health (the only direct effects Ive experienced are obviously pain and energy drain)... I don't take my pills and I guess I "allow myself" to have a full day to day and a half of having diarrhea about once a week. Is that so bad? Will that really effect my health in the long run? IMO its not as bad as having to choke down pills everyday. Is it a no-no to let it go like that? Or should I really make an effort to be completely flare free? Does light flaring here and there still lead to health problems? Which ones? colon cancer? removal of the colon?)

Thanks so much for your help! Hope you are all doing alright! -Sarah Jean

By not taking medication, you can be setting yourself up for disease progression/severe future flares/or the increased risk of colon cancer. By taking a 5-ASA it has been shown to decrease our risks of colon cancer significantly. Also by taking your medications, you may not have to be so "accepting" of having a weekly occurance of D.

The meds I take are:
Colazal - 9 daily - I feel it has helped me 100% more then Asacol. My symptoms increased in the beginning but after 2 weeks of adjustment, the number of bms went down alot, the pain lessened and the bleeding lightened up.

6mp - 50mgs(Mon,Wed,Fri,Sat & Sun), 75mgs(Tues & Thurs) - this is what helped me the most. Of course this is considered a heavy duty drug and mostly reserved for patients that are resistant to other types of meds and/or are steroid dependant.

Canasa Suppositories - nightly - these have helped alot as well. It keeps my rectal flares under control.

when I was first dx'd I took Rowasa nightly for two weeks and sulfasalazine (I don't remember the dosage) for 6 years. The Rowasa gave me immediate improvement (my UC is in my rectum).

Then Doc changed me to Asacol one year ago, I took 2400mg 2xday, it was great, and I did not have to take it w/food. Noticable difference between sulfasalazine and ascaol to me, my pee was not super yellow any more and I did not have to take it w/food, made it a little easier. Also, Doc told me to take Calicum + Vit D 500 mg 2xday, said I needed to while on Asacol.

A few weeks ago, I started Lialda I take 2.4mg 1xday. Basically same as asacol but instead of taking pills 2xday, take them 1xday.

I did not take all my pills as prescribed while on Asacol and am on week 10 of taking my meds like I am supposed to and working on coming out of a flare, doing much better but still not completely there yet. That's why he put me on Lialda, so it would be easier to take all my meds 1xday rather than 2xday and not miss them.

HTH!

I also have started Lialda, and it is much easier to take pills just once a day.  I think they are working, but am also on entocort and will begin tapering off that next month.

Why do you forego your medicine?  Why on earth would you want to have diarrhea??  It seems like you would be in a continuous cycle of adjusting back to the normal dose. 

Lialda is better tolerated than some of the other drugs for this disease, it doesn't break down until it reaches the colon and you only have to take it once a day.  Maybe you should ask your doctor about it, if you're interested in changing meds.