question re: steroid enemas

Hi. Two quick questions about steroid enemas in general (or hydrocorts in particular if you are familiar with those) -

1. how long can you use them if using them every night? (I have a call into my GI about this but am curious to hear your experiences)

2. any side effects from them like oral steroids? any weight gain?

thanks.

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29/Female/NC
Pancolitis dx 3/07
*12 Asacol/day
*150mg Imuran/day (steroid dependent)
Various vitamins, probiotics, fish oil.

I think the longest I was on them at one given time was 6 weeks then taper but I couldn't get off the taper because I would flare again horribly only to have to start back on them again. So basically I was on and off (mostly on) for about 6 months.

The side effects didn't start hitting me until about the 4 month mark. I started getting the ole chipmunk cheeks, insatiable appetite, leg cramps etc. It takes longer for the steroid to accumulate because only a small percentage actually enters the bloodstream.

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I used cortifoam for as long as a yr before tappering off them...no weight gain from rectal steroids...infact, from my experiance with them (and there's been alot) no side effects at all.


:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)