Mesalamine User Reviews & Ratings (Page 3)

• Doing...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 5, 2017

Lialda (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease "Ok, not enough room on this review to put up my full history. So will be brief. :) So far, I tried Asacol and Humira, and both did nothing for me. Now I am on Lialda twice a day, 1.2 GM tablets. And these are working great. No cramps and limiting me now to about 2 - 3 bowel movements a day. And no bloody stools, unlike my past (10 years diagnosis). I have also changed my diet to a Mediterranean diet with little to no red meat. Mainly chicken and fish for my sources of protein. No deep-fried foods. And has worked out great. Also, for veggies/greens etc., skip out on any gas-producing veggies (broccoli and onions, for example). And taking vitamins/iron supplements daily to keep those well maintained."

• Johnny
• August 5, 2011

Asacol (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Maintenance "I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 17, had a colonoscopy done, and that's when I was prescribed Asacol. It was terrible, my diarrhea was just horrible, and it also came with a lot of blood. I started taking Asacol, about 9 pills daily. After about a couple of months, the diarrhea was completely gone. That's when I thought it was okay to stop taking them, so about 4 years later, the flares started happening again. So I don't recommend delaying the pills."

• Jerry...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 1, 2017

Asacol (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Maintenance "I was diagnosed with UC when I was 20 years old. I am now 64, so 44 years with this annoying condition. Over the years, I have been put on various medications, but Asacol tablets, along with occasional Asacol foam enemas, have kept me well. I take 8 x 400 mg tablets a day (4 first thing in the morning and 4 last thing at night), no side effects whatsoever. I only need the foam enemas if I get a bit of mucus or that 'colitis feeling,' and the enemas work within two or three days. I use the enemas for a week, though, to be on the safe side."

• boora...
• April 19, 2019

Apriso (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "I'm a 63 yr. old male, had UC for over 5 years before my second colonoscopy showed the inflammation in my lower sigmoid colon. Diagnosed as mild. Although I had no pain, the symptoms were debilitating (fatigue, joint ache, loose bowel motions (bm) all morning, poor sleep, anxiety, depression, nausea, chills and sensitivity to cold with no fever, bleeding internal hemorroids during bm's, etc). My Dr. put me on Apriso, within 3 weeks my symptoms improved, no more fatigue, normal bm's. Been on it for 6 months and would say my quality of life has improved greatly. I have an occasional mild flare once in while but no where near as bad as without the meds. I find my body wakes me up at about 7 am to use the toilet but the bm's are 3-4 on the stool chart vs. 5-6. Remission is different for everyone. There is no set standard to quantify remission."

• Anonymous
• November 28, 2010

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "Pentasa is the only drug I take, and it works great! Never have had any side effects. I was in horrible pain from the cramping until I started taking it over a year ago. I am very pleased with this medicine."

• Bud
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 10, 2019

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I am 70. I was diagnosed with Crohns disease three years ago after I had severe rectal bleeding for the third time in three months. I was put on Prednisone for four weeks then 6-MP. A week later I ended up in the ER. It took the hospital six days to find out what was wrong with me but finally diagnosed sepsis. The 6-MP was replaced with Budesonide for a month then I began taking two Pentasa pills four times a day. The Pentasa seems to be working perfectly. I have a few minor side effects but some or all may come from by heart medicines."

• MAG
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2019

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "I have been taking Lialdia for 8 weeks. I fought getting started on a prescription as I prefer holistic approaches to healing, but there was way too much stress in my life to be able to focus on that. So I finally attempted a medication and am glad I did. It took about 4 weeks of using it daily. I take 4 tablets in am with food. After 3 to 4 weeks the bathroom frequency went from 6 to 8 visits per day to just in the morning. Since then I have gained 5 pounds so am thrilled about that as well. At first the only side effect was sinus related but that went away after a couple of weeks. The only thing I have since noticed is my hair more easily breaks when washing my hair but thinning hair for now sure beats 6 to 8 bathroom visits. It is still a journey to healing but trying to focus on reducing stress has helped a lot as well. I use a calm app and love it."

• Beaner
• April 24, 2014

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 8 years ago and, due to my financial situation, stopped taking any meds for the past 5 years. But recently, I went back to my GI, and after being reprimanded for my actions, I was put back on Lialda. It has been about 2 and a half months, and most of my symptoms have improved, though I am still having soreness/dull ache in my abdomen and urgency for the bathroom more than my GI thinks I should. A colonoscopy is scheduled in a few weeks to see what the condition of the colon is in, and I may have to add another medication. I would advise, even if you are feeling fine, do not stop taking your meds unless directed by your doctor. I have been told I will need to take meds for the rest of my life."

• Stephen
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 30, 2023

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "I have had left side colitis since my return from Vietnam in 1970. I have been in and out of the hospital, put on Prednisone so many times, every drug imaginable over the years… Five years ago I had one of my twice yearly bad flares and my Dr. put me on 8 500mg tablets every day. It has been a miracle for me. In remission for 5 years. No side effects. I’m 78 years old, so I have had this a long time. The only negative side is trying to swallow those horse pills… my advice to my fellow sufferers is don’t give up! One last thing… I moved to Costa Rica with my wife 13 years ago. I belong to Caja which is the country's socialized medical system. It covers all the cost of the drug."

• cajun...
• December 13, 2008

Asacol (mesalamine) for Lymphocytic Colitis "I have been on Asacol for about 5 years, and it has changed my life. I had diarrhea for about 5 years previously, and my doctor and 2 specialists couldn't find anything specific to help it. We moved to another state, where the gastric specialist did uncover the problem, and I was started on 6 Asacol daily (2 tablets, 3 times a day). It took about 2 months, and one day my diarrhea completely vanished. Gone. After about 8 months, I began lowering the pills daily, kept on with 4 a day, and am now taking 3 Asacol daily for maintenance. For the past 8 years, I have been swimming 4 times weekly at a wellness center. Couldn't do that with bowel problems. I had a colonoscopy in December 2008, 5 days ago, and all is normal. I'm 72 years."

• TikiT...
• February 1, 2013

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I've just started Pentasa, and so far, so good, I think! I was diagnosed when I was 19, and now I'm 32. I was on Asacol for most of that time, but my doctor felt it was no longer working the way it needed to! I ended up in the hospital for 2 days due to severe dehydration 2 weeks ago! I had also lost 30 lbs in the last 2 months. I have actually been able to eat the last couple of days, and I'm not feeling the pain from eating!"

• Mama
• December 29, 2011

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Maintenance "I was prescribed Asacol, Apriso, had 3 sessions of Remicade, all with disappointing results. I have been using Lialda for about 21 months. I was in total remission until about 2 weeks ago, so I did really good for nearly a year. Then one hugely stressful incident caused a flare-up. I am working with my doctor to get back on track."

• Lee
• August 27, 2010

Asacol (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Maintenance "I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1991. For the last few years, I have been using Asacol, with no problems, only if I try to stop taking it, which I'd rather not do. It's really helping me. I'm 46 and happy. I'm going for a colonoscopy every year just to make sure everything is fine."

• gtr
• October 27, 2011

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "My doctor switched me from Asacol (which was working very well) to Lialda, and the results were horrible. When I started having bad flare-ups, my gastroenterologist had no clue what to do. She put me on Remicade for over 16 months with no results, and I was miserable. When I suggested that perhaps it was the Lialda that was causing the problems, she stated that that was 'not likely.' Well, after about two years of misery and being back on steroids, I switched doctors - a guy who came highly recommended. After a heart-to-heart consultation with him, he stated he had some patients who did not do well with Lialda and decided to take me off that medication immediately. Within three weeks, I was off steroids, back to using Asacol, and life is now okay."

• Tummy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2014

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I was told to switch to Lialda after being on Asacol HD for 3 years, 2 pills 3x a day, 800mg each, due to my insurance not covering it anymore. My doctor told me the only difference was the coating, so I felt confident making the switch. By the end of week one of Lialda, 1200mg, 2 pills 2x a day, I was starting to get pain and go more frequently until it turned into diarrhea. I had no flare-ups for a year and had been feeling great on the Asacol, so I immediately switched back to it after a month on Lialda. It was too late, the wheels had already started turning on the road to a flare-up. I am now on day 8 of being back on Asacol, waiting for my prednisone to get me better. I am so disappointed this happened."

• JodanA
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 6, 2014

Asacol (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "Had severe bloody diarrhea for a couple of months, went away for two years, then came back worse. I was then diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. My doctor started me on 6 pills a day of Asacol. Within two weeks, I was having completely normal bowel movements again with no pain. I then began decreasing my dosage (doctor's orders) and now I am currently on 2 pills a day of 800g. My life is completely back to normal. The only side effect I have is slight dizziness during more stressful times. I have had a couple of minor flares. I do miss my dosage once in a while, but it never seems to affect me as long as I take my next dose. Would recommend Asacol in a heartbeat!"

• Derew
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2019

For Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I've encountered ulcerative colitis (UC) at the age of 36. I had symptoms of a bad gallbladder "so the docs thought" did the surgery and 12 hrs later BOOM! The same symptoms occurred. Explosive, painful, bloody diarrhea. Then put on antibiotics for c-dif. Again no progress. So far into 4.5 weeks of my life that were by far the worst. Lost 30+ lbs and couldn't leave my bathroom or couch, my family and I thought I had cancer/dying. Finally after 4.5 weeks and 4 doctors, 3 ER visits and surgery, I finally got a colonoscopy. Loe and behold I've got severe UC, the worst case the doc has ever seen. The whole colon and some look like alien si-fi stuff. Well put on Mesalamine and budesonide and within 7 days my stool is normal 7 out of 10 times, 1 to 2 bowel movements each day and so far no major cramps. I'm going on 5 weeks since I started these and no side effects. So goes to show works for some and not for others"

• Bosto...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2015

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I take Lialda 3.6 g each morning, which cleared up my diarrhea and bloody stool, but I have had neurological side effects of headaches, fatigue, and slow thinking, and abdominal pain, gas, and bloating as well. I'm too scared to switch to other meds despite an Asacol prescription, given the risk of flare-ups when meds change, but I don't want the mental haziness for the rest of my life."

• Anonymous
• June 1, 2014

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "Lialda is not for everyone. Talk to your doctor about other options because they're out there! I was prescribed to take Lialda 3 times daily. A couple of hours after my third dose, I developed the following reaction: fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, rash/hives on my throat and neck. My doctor wanted me to continue taking Lialda but lessen the dose. I did as told and was bedridden from the side effects. I then found a GI doctor and was prescribed Asacol and medicated enemas. No reactions yet! I wonder why Lialda made me sick, but I am fine with Asacol?"

• Jay
• March 11, 2016

Lialda (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I have been on this medication for the last three weeks and have not noticed any improvement. My symptoms the last 6 days have been at their worst (going to the bathroom almost every 2 hours). My doctor told me to keep taking the medication and is putting me on UCERIS. Just took that pill yesterday. Hopefully that pill works because this disease sucks, right? I am so afraid to go out anywhere because I am waiting on when I will have to go to the bathroom. I'll keep an update if UCERIS is effective."

• Steve
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 1, 2019

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "I began taking Pentasa in 1986 when it was still an experimental drug. I have taken over 150,000 250mg capsules! My UC has been in remission for over 25 years now. I still take six 250 mg capsules daily. For me, Pentasa has been a miracle drug, as I wasn't too far from death in the early 1980's. I just wish it was available as a generic. I am now on Medicare, and the prescription part D plans don't pay well. It will cost me hundreds per month."

• 7year...
• October 22, 2013

Lialda (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease "Diagnosed in 2006 with severe Crohn's disease. Tried a dozen medications and never had any success or even close to finding remission. Consistent pain, diarrhea, nausea, etc.... started Lialda 1.2 GM once daily 4 days ago. My pain, nausea, and everything stopped within a few hours of the first dose except diarrhea, it's actually gotten worse and completely watery. Is this normal, and if so, how long does it typically last? I am SO happy to be 100% pain-free for the first time in 7 years without having to use a painkiller, just want the diarrhea to stop so I can be more active outside of the home with my children."

• Anonymous
• December 26, 2011

Pentasa (mesalamine) for Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I'm a 25-year-old female. I was diagnosed with Crohn's in August 2011. I had a bowel resection at the end of September due to the severity of my illness. I've been taking Pentasa for about 3 months now and feel good, but my hair has been falling out like crazy. I read a normal person loses 50-100 strands a day, I'm losing probably triple that. It's really depressing. I'm switching to another medicine to see if that helps with the hair loss. Other than that, I haven't had any side effects. Good luck!"

• Anonymous
• March 19, 2010

Asacol (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis, Maintenance "I have been taking Asacol for my UC for 6 years now. I strongly recommend taking it 3 times a day (I take 3 pills, 3x per day), it is better to have a higher frequency of the drug in your system. I haven't had a flare in 3 years, it has provided great results."

• A...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2020

Salofalk (mesalamine) for Ulcerative Colitis "Measalazine Foam enema. Available from NHS in UK so insurance not an issue I have only taken this for a week so it's early to say ... But so far I think it is working better than other formulations. I tried the same brand suppositories which were not effective, pentasa was better but this foam seems to be doing better again.. Probably as my inflammation extends to 20cm. After four days I started to feel better, I had more energy and more regular & solid stools. At first it was hard to keep the enema in, which is still true if I use a double dose as prescribed. It is uncomfortable to take and so far a double pump often leads to a bowel evacuation.. but I'm hoping this improves as the inflammation recedes as stated in the instructions."