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I want to cry...
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I want to cry...
Entocort didn't work for me, so I have been on my asacol HD for over 7 weeks, I have been taking 2 tabs 3xs a day. And it really seemed to help, one 'norman' a day and no other problems except I started having sore throats and back aches. I spoke to my dr and he told me to lessen the does to 2 tabs a day and see how I do. Well, I'm still going once in the morning but it isn't as formed and maybe once or twice more during the day. I have developed horrible acne on my forehead AND a mustache!!!!!!!! I called my doctor this morning and he said that the acne and the mustache are not from the meds and he feels that he has exhausted all of his options with me and he wants to send me to a bowel specialist. I feel so depressed..
I'm sending you all my sympathy. I am sure you will find advice that will help you figure this out (with the help of a second doctor, perhaps)... but for now I'm just sending you consoling thoughts. I'm sure you're right that there's a connection, and I bet both of these symptoms will clear up when you get to the bottom of it - whether there's a rogue ingredient in a trusted food, or something else.
Thinking of you,
Sara
Thinking of you,
Sara
I am so sorry that you are going through such a horrible time. I see you are from MA as I am. Have you tried going to a specialist in Boston? There is a Dr. Norton Greenberger at the Brigham who is suppose to be very good. I heard it's hard to get in to see him, but worth a call. It sounds like you need a good GI doctor that specializes in colitis. I don't know of any others, but Boston has to have some good ones. I am going to try a new one myself in Nashua on the 15th. His name is Dr. Nagri and recommended by another member of this forum.
Good luck and I hope you feel better.
Nancy
Good luck and I hope you feel better.
Nancy
that's horrible, without any doubt, no or only little effects with meds and on top of that side effect. Acne and a moustache could be side effects of Entocort. But you are off it quite a while now.
Have you already tried some diet changes?
Have you already tried some diet changes?
"As the sense of identity shifts from the imaginary person to your real being as presence awareness, the life of suffering dissolves like mist before the rising sun"
Jenny,
Well, that's a heck of a note. Acne and unwanted facial hair growth are usually side effects of corticosteroids, as Harma pointed out, but they are not impossible with any of the mesalamine-based drugs, including Asacol HD. Your doctor is wrong about that. While they are somewhat rare, they are still possible, as noted in the quotes below, taken from drug description web sites. The first one is from a site devoted to Pentasa, but if pentasa can cause any given side effect, any of the drugs in this class can also cause that side effect, since they all have the same active ingredient, mesalamine.
Under Side Effects / Adverse Effects for Pentasa:
Under Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals, concerning side effects for mesalamine, (which is the active ingredient in Asacol HD):
Dermatologic
Dermatologic side effects have included rash (up to 7%), sweating (up to 3%), pruritus (up to 3%), alopecia (less than 3%), and acne (up to 2%). Infrequently, lupus erythematosus-like reactions, prurigo, urticaria, dry skin, eczema, erythema nodosum, lichen planus, nail disorder, photosensitivity, folliculitis (rare), psoriasis (rare), and pyoderma gangrenosum (rare) have been reported.
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/mesalamine-side-effects.html
A lot of drug web sites don't bother to list side effects that show up at a rate of less than 2% in trials, but sometimes you can find them, if you do enough searching. Also, if you search some of the discussion boards where people use Asacol to treat other diseases, (such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, etc.), you will find posts by people who report the growth of unwanted facial hair, and/or acne, after taking one of the mesalamine-based drugs.
Of course, as Zizzle pointed out, these symptoms could also be due to a hormone imbalance issue, and hormone imbalance issues, (and treatments involving HRT), can also cause D, or prevent an MC treatment from bringing remission.
I hope you can find a treatment plan that will work for you.
Tex
Well, that's a heck of a note. Acne and unwanted facial hair growth are usually side effects of corticosteroids, as Harma pointed out, but they are not impossible with any of the mesalamine-based drugs, including Asacol HD. Your doctor is wrong about that. While they are somewhat rare, they are still possible, as noted in the quotes below, taken from drug description web sites. The first one is from a site devoted to Pentasa, but if pentasa can cause any given side effect, any of the drugs in this class can also cause that side effect, since they all have the same active ingredient, mesalamine.
Under Side Effects / Adverse Effects for Pentasa:
http://www.frmzy.com/drug/4/pentasaDermatological: acne, alopecia, dry skin, eczema, erythema nodosum, erythematous rash, hirsutism, nail disorder, photosensitivity, pruritus, skin discoloration, sweating.
Under Side Effects by Body System - for Healthcare Professionals, concerning side effects for mesalamine, (which is the active ingredient in Asacol HD):
Dermatologic
Dermatologic side effects have included rash (up to 7%), sweating (up to 3%), pruritus (up to 3%), alopecia (less than 3%), and acne (up to 2%). Infrequently, lupus erythematosus-like reactions, prurigo, urticaria, dry skin, eczema, erythema nodosum, lichen planus, nail disorder, photosensitivity, folliculitis (rare), psoriasis (rare), and pyoderma gangrenosum (rare) have been reported.
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/mesalamine-side-effects.html
A lot of drug web sites don't bother to list side effects that show up at a rate of less than 2% in trials, but sometimes you can find them, if you do enough searching. Also, if you search some of the discussion boards where people use Asacol to treat other diseases, (such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, etc.), you will find posts by people who report the growth of unwanted facial hair, and/or acne, after taking one of the mesalamine-based drugs.
Of course, as Zizzle pointed out, these symptoms could also be due to a hormone imbalance issue, and hormone imbalance issues, (and treatments involving HRT), can also cause D, or prevent an MC treatment from bringing remission.
Is the doctor you're referring to a GP or a GI specialists? If he's a GI specialist, he's telling you that he doesn't know enough about MC, and he's not interested in learning how to treat it, so you might as well search for a new GI doc. If he's a GP, he can't be expected to have an extensive knowledge of how to treat an IBD, so yes, you need to see a GI specialist, if you need to switch medications.jenny wrote:I called my doctor this morning and he said that the acne and the mustache are not from the meds and he feels that he has exhausted all of his options with me
I hope you can find a treatment plan that will work for you.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks guys. I just don't know what to do next.
Zizzle, Thanks for that info. I was dx with Endometriosis in 2003 and am currently on birth control constantly. Only giving myself my period a few times a year. Maybe Ill give a call in to my Gyno...
Tex, My doctor is a GI. I guess I will have to search for a new one...Do you think I can stop the Asacol HD cold turkey or do I have to wean myself off?
Thanks again
Zizzle, Thanks for that info. I was dx with Endometriosis in 2003 and am currently on birth control constantly. Only giving myself my period a few times a year. Maybe Ill give a call in to my Gyno...
Tex, My doctor is a GI. I guess I will have to search for a new one...Do you think I can stop the Asacol HD cold turkey or do I have to wean myself off?
Thanks again
Jenny,
Yes, any of the mesalamine-based medications can be started or stopped without tapering the dose, since they're not corticosteroids.
Incidentally, are you aware that some members here have tracked their D to either a contraceptive, or a HRT treatment, and they achieved remission by discontinuing the treatment?
Tex
Yes, any of the mesalamine-based medications can be started or stopped without tapering the dose, since they're not corticosteroids.
Incidentally, are you aware that some members here have tracked their D to either a contraceptive, or a HRT treatment, and they achieved remission by discontinuing the treatment?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.