Flare, entocort tapering advice

henrym · Post by **henrym** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:21 pm

Hi everyone!
I'm feeling a bit lost.. After 10 months of remission I got a serious flare after this Easter. Probably a combination of unsafe food, traveling and stressful period (...)
I thought it would just be temporary and started a safe diet. But after about 2 weeks of serious D I felt had no other choice. Now I am back on the full dose of Entocort.. I am shocked because I really thought I was off that stuff for good!
Yesterday I spoke to my GI and he proposed to do another colonoscopy in the beginning of July to check if there is anything else going on then LC. He told me that by that time I need to be tapered of the Entocort. I have a feeling this would be a bit too quick. In a week time I am going on a 3 week holiday to China. What would be wise to do? Any suggestions are welcome!

Post by **tex** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 9:02 pm

Hi Henry,

You did the right thing. If a bland diet doesn't stop the symptoms in a couple of weeks, it's almost always necessary to resume taking budesonide. The early stages of the tapering process are usually not so critical, but when the dose is down to 1 capsule per day, then most of us find that the slower we taper the dose, the better our chances of remaining in remission.

The budesonide should help to cover any small diet cross-contamination problems while you are traveling. I know nothing about traveling or eating in China though, so I can't help there.

Certain GI specialists are always wanting to do another colonoscopy "to see if there is anything else going on". There never is. If something else were going on, they would have noticed it the first time (unless they were asleep during the exam). They just can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that MC can return at any time (if something triggers a flare). You will have to decide what you want to do, but the odds are very high that all he will find is LC.

Tex

henrym · Post by **henrym** » Thu Apr 23, 2015 3:50 am

Thanks again Tex!

I think I will postpone the colonoscopy till I am tapered of on my own schedule.
My GI doesn't know too much about MC that's for sure. Even diet changes seem irrelevant to him...
By the way, this was just a yearly check-up, nothing to do with the flare. He discussed the colonoscopy with his colleagues before the appointment. Indeed to rule out other things.. probably because they have no other 'solution' then prescribing Entocort forever (and I was a bit too young for that). Also he took blood tests to look for auto immune disease (ANA/ENA, IGA, IGM, IGG, etc) and to find an explanation for my always low WBC.

Henry