Budesonide and Diarrhea: What Users Say

• Col...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2017

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "I suffered from massive diarrhea and horrible incontinence that kept me hiding at home, deeply depressed and wearing a diaper. Budesonide changed my life! I travel now and go everywhere with confidence. The bad news is that the American pharma industry has jacked up the cost of GENERIC Budesonide to over $1,000 a month (without insurance). Even WITH my United Healthcare insurance, the cost is STILL $300 a month! Luckily, I found a Canadian website that sells drugs from Europe and India, so now my cost for 30 days of Budesonide is $125. Check Consumer Reports for guidelines about how to safely purchase meds from Canada. Meanwhile, tell your congressperson that the U.S. pharma industry is BLEEDING us!"

• BBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2020

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "I have experienced diarrhea, incontinence of stool, and abdominal pain for many months. Found an MD that was actually interested in finding an answer to my symptoms, which was lymphocytic colitis, and I started the budesonide medication and have had no symptoms. Starting my second month and then will be weaning. So far, no side effects except increased appetite, but I am living a normal life."

• Anonymous
• December 1, 2011

Budesonide for Inflammatory Bowel Disease "This medicine changed my life. I have taken it for 2 years, but now I have no health insurance and can't afford it. I have severe cramping and constant diarrhea. Food is repulsive to me, and I am losing weight like crazy. I sure do miss it."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 1, 2021

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "I have completed 2 rounds of this budesonide, and when I'm on it, life is good and my IBD is controlled. Suffered for 10 years with chronic diarrhea and stomach pain. After the 1st dose, I felt much better and progressively got better during the 8-week course of treatment. My symptoms came back a couple of days after completing the medication, so the doctor prescribed the 2nd round. Just finished the 2nd round and can feel myself reverting back, waking up with stomach pain and diarrhea again. Waiting for the doctor to see what he recommends going forward, can't imagine taking a steroid for the rest of my life."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2018

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "I have been on budesonide 9 mg for nearly 2 weeks. The diarrhea slowed down after a couple of days. I have been very sick on and off this last week. Stomach pain, nausea, headache, weakness, insomnia. I have read the side effects just now and realized that it is the tablet that is making me so sick. Going O/S in 2 weeks, and I am extremely worried."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2014

Budesonide for Ulcerative Colitis "Been using Balsalazide 3x3 for 9 years or so, with occasional flare-ups I could resolve with slight overdosing. Could not resolve the present flare-up. After a month of 4 bowel motions a day, blood, diarrhea, the doc started me on Uceris. Next day, change to 1 bowel motion, no blood, slight diarrhea. Now, 1 week later, pretty normal 1 bowel motion per day, with occasional nausea in the abdomen. I think pretty good for a week. But the price is outrageous, and even my copay is $75 a month. Doc insists on giving it to me for 3 months."

• Ali...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2019

For Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I have had diarrhea for months. They put me on Bentyl, but it did not help. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy, and my biopsies were all negative, but I was diagnosed with collagenous colitis. My GI doctor prescribed budesonide 9 mg a day. My insurance said they did not cover it! I checked my prescription handbook, and it said it was covered, but only at 3 mg. So my doctor prescribed the budesonide 3 mg, and I take three each morning. And my copay was $8! Today is my first day taking three 3 mg of budesonide. Can anyone tell me how soon you felt it working? Thank you."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

For Ulcerative Colitis "I suffered frequent diarrhea, gas, and stomach pains for four months and lost 25 pounds with collagenous colitis. Finally started on budesonide at 9 mg a day for the first month, then 6 mg for month two and 3 mg for month three. This dosage tapering-off approach is important when taking steroids. It took 2 weeks before it started to work, but then my symptoms began to abate and became fully resolved by the end of month three with zero side effects. After I stopped the medication, the symptoms started to return after two weeks, and I thought I was doomed, but I took some Imodium and that did the trick. I have been symptom-free for 8 months now. Thankfully, I have a drug plan and live in Canada, so I only had to pay a very small amount for these very expensive pills."

• Mel...
• September 19, 2017

For Ulcerative Colitis "Was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis approximately 4 months ago; tried Lialda and Apriso as samples; Lialda tore my stomach up, and Apriso worked better but not that well after a short time; I then filled my prescription at one pharmacy through my Medicare D plan; tier 4 drug; I was astounded at the price: $773 for a 30-day supply; I found out after the fact I could have gotten some somewhere else for $258, wow, 1/3 the cost. The drug has worked; I also order through Canadian pharmacies for a 3-month supply; nice price difference; unfortunately, the medicine has stopped working for me, and I have been in the hospital; still very diarrhea; am looking for better days. Hope this helps."

• Les...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2021

For Ulcerative Colitis "This did nothing for me, except result in more diarrhea and lack of sleep. I found the side effects far worse than prednisone. I took it for five days at 9 mg/day orally. I felt edgy, and the insomnia was horrible. I also had stomach cramps and more trips to the bathroom. I had to stop it."

• JEH...
• April 30, 2023

For Inflammatory Bowel Disease "I have been on this drug for 3 months. Went through a regimen and weaned off. Began to have diarrhea immediately. Went back on one budesonide 3 mg pill. I have no appetite, have weakness, and nausea. Going to get off this pill and see if I can get to feeling better. I don’t think you are supposed to stay on this steroid."

• nal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 9, 2017

For Ulcerative Colitis "GI doctors diagnosed me with IBS-D. None of the medications prescribed produced a solution. I was hit by repeated attacks of incontinence (diarrhea). My present GI doctor diagnosed me with microscopic colitis, for which he prescribed budesonide. It worked, I have been using it successfully for about a year and a half. It is an off-label drug, not yet OK'd by the FDA for colitis. It has been OK'd for use for asthma for about 10 years, but has not been OK'd for microscopic colitis. Therefore, I pay just under $400.00 a month for a medication that is generic, placed on 'Tier 4' in Medicare D. In 2016, I was billed just under $200.00 for the same quantity. No other drugs are effective. This one is too expensive."

• Loa...
• July 31, 2016

For Crohn's Disease "After taking it for a week, I have diarrhea and cramps. I take one in the morning before breakfast, one before lunch, and one before dinner. I better take prednisone. Wondering how many days it takes to take effect. Before that, I had a three-week flare, now, 8 days it flares, and it is expensive too."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 18, 2025

Budesonide "On Entocort for 8 years. Worked perfectly. Tried to get off and diarrhea returned. Then Perrigo sold to a company in France. I can only get generic Budesonide EC now as a replacement. It does not work very well at all. Please! Will someone buy it back so we can get it in the United States? Please! It gives us sufferers quality of life."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2025

For Ulcerative Colitis, Active "I have had terrible diarrhea for 7 months this time, and the NP put me on 90 mg a day and also put me on Metamucil, 1 Tbs a day. The diarrhea this time was like urinating through my rectum, and the budesonide so far has helped the diarrhea. It is now a very soft stool. I have only been on it for 3 weeks. This is not my first time. I was on it two and a half years ago for diarrhea as well."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 15, 2024

Budesonide "Entocort is very difficult to get off. It will take several months, and any misstep will set you back with diarrhea to the beginning. I had heart medications to take and should never have started Entocort. The timing between pills was complex and conflicted with my heart pills. Moreover, the anti-diarrheal in Entocort is only strong for 4 hours, and the first half-hour it is starting up, while the last half-hour is winding down. It conflicted with my heart pills and vitamins for an hour before and 2 hours after. I would become bloated with gas. If you don't have conflicts, it may be working on the inflammation. None of this information is explained before starting. It should have been on a prep sheet sold with the medication with potential problems. If you have one basic problem and are willing to take it for life, it sounds like it works from other reviews. I had it under control with diet before the heart complication and hope to get there again."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2016

Budesonide for Ulcerative Colitis, Active "Had bleeding, diarrhea, frequent trips to the bathroom... Started to notice a difference within a day and a half of taking this. Not as many bathroom trips... actually starting to feel normal again."