Mesalamine for Ulcerative Colitis User Reviews (Page 3)

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2020

Mesalamine "I have UC and have switched from Apriso to Lialda this year because of the price, been using it for 7 weeks now and have muscle fatigue and acne. It does seem to be starting to work, having fewer trips to the bathroom than when I switched. Every time I eat even a handful of chips, I have an urge to poop. Hope that goes away. Do plan on going back on Apriso next year after building up HSA funds back up."

• Don...
• September 14, 2016

Mesalamine "Very helpful. Because it is so expensive, I would wait until it became really bad... Thinking 'oh, it'll get better.' But I will share a trick I do. Not Dr. approved. I use it full strength for 6 days (when I see real results... Do not stop treatment). Then I cut a 1/4 off of the small end of each, and collect them in a sandwich bag. Then I shake them to the bottom of the bag, let the bottom of the bag sit in warm water until I can roll a length/roll (while still in the bag). Let it cool, then cut into sections for more suppositories... to extend my treatment or for emergencies. I also eat the same foods most every day: avocados, white rice, soft scrambled eggs, bananas with peanut butter, squash, oysters, refried beans, asparagus, and can spinach."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2013

Mesalamine "After 8 weeks on Lialda, it did not clear up the blood, still had abdomen tenderness, and caused me to have diarrhea. I did get a discount card, which brought the cost down to $10. If you like this medicine, you should go to their website and see if you can get this card. I got it from my MD."

• Jac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2022

Mesalamine "I just was diagnosed with UC recently. My doctor has me on 1 g 4 times a day. Everything was going great for the first couple of weeks. No immediate need. Normal-looking stools and no blood. After the first 2 weeks, however, the bleeding has come back, and I'm using the toilet more than ever. Will be reaching out to my doctor to see if we are overdosing."

• Ken...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 28, 2017

Mesalamine "I was on Asacol for over 10 years, taking 2 pills 4 times a day. I switched to Apriso for another 10 years, taking 4 pills once a day thanks to the time release. Lately, I've been finding it cheaper than it used to be. I'll still have flares about 5 times a year. Sometimes, I forget to take them for a few days, and it doesn't bother me much. I am searching currently just to change it up since I've been on Apriso for so many years. For the most part, it's been fine, though. My insurance counts it as a tier 3, which is a joke, and I find it cheaper to order through online coupon sites, getting 3 months at a time."

• Lov...
• April 16, 2015

Mesalamine "****Helpful information**** Search the web for Lialda coupons to get Lialda for $10 a month! I am a 24-year-old who has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis since age 11. I started on Colazal when I was first diagnosed; but it only continued to keep me in remission for a few years. I was prescribed many other medications that didn't seem to work for me either. Finally, once I was prescribed Lialda, my health and quality of life improved greatly! Lialda is such a lifesaver for me! (Although I still have occasional flare-ups, things calm down when suppositories are used in conjunction with Lialda.)"

• Cor...
• March 9, 2015

Mesalamine "I was diagnosed with UC at 18 years old. After a week in the hospital, they came up with the final diagnosis, and after a few tried meds, they landed me on Lialda, and it worked great for me for 7-8 years, only experiencing flare-ups if I were to drink too much alcohol and lose sleep, which was rare, but in that case, I would need to use prednisone to get back into remission. Healthy diet, sleep, exercise, and Lialda kept me normal! I am 26 now, and I feel my body has built up a tolerance. For the past year, I have been on a low, going to the restroom more than five times a day. Up until now, Lialda was perfect. With the Shire card and health insurance, it was only $10 a month."

• Bea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2020

"I was diagnosed with celiac and proctosigmoid colitis and was prescribed mesalamine suppositories and had no trouble or flare-ups for a year. Recently had a flare-up and started back on it. I am happy with this stuff, except for the uncomfortable feeling after you deliver it. But otherwise, a great medicine."

• vnd...
• September 1, 2016

Mesalamine "Works fairly well on the ulcers, but the side effects are terrible. Two days in, my knee swelled to twice the normal size, and I can't stand on it. Fever and headache constant. Ache all over. Eyes hurt. Going back to Colazol."

• Dud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 17, 2021

Mesalamine "PT 1: Took Lialda after being diagnosed with UC in 2010, with visible ulcers in the ascending and transverse sections of the colon. I was having severe bleeding with stools, frequent abdominal cramping and gas after meals, frequent diarrhea, and BMs with constant urgency. I took it for 3 years, and in combination with adjusting diet, it cleared the UC symptoms and got me back to normal. I didn't have any severe side effects, it might've made me feel lethargic and overweight at times, which is why I wanted to get off it as soon as I felt better. I had remission for 5 years after I stopped taking it. PT 2: Microscopic colitis came back in the lower colon, and I’ve had no luck with Lialda (generic and brand versions) or Apriso. Had to go on Prednisone twice for flares and have had constant gas, bloating, constipation, and urgency issues for 3 years now. Looking at switching to a biologic pill like Zeposia or Imuran because Xeljanz is now on FDA watch for blood clots."

• Anonymous
• August 28, 2022

Mesalamine "This caused gas, bloating, cramps, and slight nausea. I have no idea why this med didn't work. I figured at 76 years old, who needed the extra pain and agony? Oh, I also had diarrhea, that was not good either. It never stopped."

• Nor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 2, 2020

"For the first 4 years, mesalamine worked all right for my UC, but then my body had enough, and I got side effects of feeling bloated all day long, bones felt weak, joint pain, chest pain, etc. I ended up quitting it and switching to Dipentum."

• res...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 17, 2022

"I had part of my colon removed about 20 years ago due to UC and was on mesalamine for 17 years. Possibly as a side effect, I experienced nausea and peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet. After reading a number of studies on NIH, I substituted 8 mg of nicotine (lozenges) daily for the mesalamine and have not had any UC symptoms for the last 3 years. I am not a doctor and cannot recommend this to anyone else, but nicotine does appear to be protective against UC in my case. Whatever you do, do not use tobacco products to get your nicotine!"

• Tee...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 15, 2020

"This medication works well for me. The only side effects I experienced were bloating and weight gain. I did stop taking it for a while just to see if that’s where my weight was coming from. But being pain-free outweighs the weight any day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2021

Mesalamine "I recently just started taking this, but I noticed a few days in I got an incredibly sore throat. No other symptoms of a sickness except for an odd dry sore throat. I read it could be a possible side effect, but I noticed no one else mentioned this. Idk my flare-up seems to be getting better though."

• Jor...
• September 7, 2015

"I am a practicing dentist and health book author. I suffered a flare-up of ulcerative colitis and was treated with IV corticosteroids. When I weaned off the prednisone pills, within a week I was having the emergency diarrhea again. I was on mesalamine, but it only stopped the bleeding. The emergency diarrhea continued, and the stomach cramps were unbearable. I stopped the mesalamine and went on prednisone. Prednisone works 100%. I would rather suffer an unwanted side effect from prednisone but be able to go to functions and work, etc., and have diarrhea running down my pants. I continually attempt to wean myself off the prednisone."

• Rc0...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2023

"Seems to be working, taking both oral and suppository. Been about 4 weeks now - still feel pressure like having to go to the bathroom quite often (10-12 times a day), but mostly gas. Seems to cause production of more gas than normal, causing feeling of having to go to the bathroom. Stools are less bloody and with less mucus than they have been, closer to normal."

• Dun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2021

"I was first given Asacol while on steroids for the initial case of UC. I only managed to take a few, it gave me diarrhea. So I only took it for a short time. The steroids helped me return to something fairly normal stool. After years, the doctor won't let me have any more steroids, only saying to take mesalamine. That had unfortunate effects with explosive diarrhea. That was vile for me, never reaching the toilet in time, very messy."

• San...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 14, 2023

Mesalamine "Pentasa has been a lifesaver. I have been taking it for 23 years with no side effects and have been in remission for 12 years. Pentasa is extremely expensive but works as a maintenance for UC. Now, I am forced to look for an alternative due to costs."

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2012

Mesalamine "I took the advice of another poster and bought a large volume enema and did a clean out first. My Dr. is OK with it, though says I don't need to. It sure makes holding it in much, much easier. I still sleep with a towel under me, but I don't leak if I do the enema first. I would say that if you have a hard time keeping it in (as I did) try the enema bag trick.... You can get one at any drugstore. It sounds not fun, but it's not that bad and it works!"

• gar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2023

"I am 77 years old and had been very healthy until three months ago when I had a very bad flare-up of UC. I experienced diarrhea, very bad cramps, and lots of mucus and blood. I was on the toilet over 10 times a day, sometimes for half an hour. I was that way for over a month. It was a horrible experience. My first G.I. prescribed me mesalamine, 1.2 grams, two times daily. After four days, I seemed to get worse, so I quit taking it for three days. I started to feel a little better, but I was in so much misery that it was hard to tell. I decided to try it again, but after a few days, it definitely was making me worse. The bad cramps were the worst part, and lots of blood in my stools was also scary. My first G.I. told me to come back in six weeks, so I decided to find a better G.I., and I did. My current G.I. took me off the mesalamine and immediately put me on a regimen of 40 mg of prednisone. He also ordered me to be tested for a C. diff infection, which I had. He then ordered 125 mg of vancomycin, four times a day. After a couple of weeks, I was feeling much better. I am weaning off steroids now and feeling good."

• UCs...
• June 28, 2020

"Mesalamine is great, it has kept me in remission for longer periods of time than other drugs, even biologics. The only thing I can somewhat complain about is that it makes me extremely gassy and the occasional headaches from it."

• Anonymous
• November 25, 2020

"I've had ulcerative colitis (UC) for 6 years now and take 6 Octasa tablets (mesalamine brand in the UK) a day. If I get a flare-up bad, I take the Salofalk foam every night, and after a few days, my symptoms seem to die down. I find it very good, although I find it uncomfortable to do and feel I need to run to the loo for the first 30 seconds. I had Asacol foam at first, but it didn't make me feel I needed to run to the loo, but I found this foam made me really bloated and constipated."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 19, 2021

"Awesome, a 240 mg dose a day keeps my ulcerative colitis in remission. Best taken at the same time every day, 12 hours late and you'll feel it a bit. Good for UC maintenance. Got me into remission for over a year."

• SZ0...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 4, 2024

Mesalamine "I love Lialda. I live as if I do not have UC (when I exercise the self-control to properly modulate my diet and habits). I am incredibly grateful."