Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Support Group

Glad your daughter is doing well.

I am sure everyone responds differently to all medications. My experience with Asacol was not a good one. I was only on it for three weeks, and it made my diarreah worse, and I ended up in the hospital for a week. The doc had me on it still for the first two days I was in the hospital, and then he took me off it.

Wishing your daughter and your family good luck, and a Happy New Year!

I took Pentasa, which is basically the same thing, and it helped me with my symptoms for awhile. I liked it and the only side effect I had was some insomnia for a little while.

Unfortunately, my Crohn's disease is pretty severe and I had some blockages and had to go on different meds.

Hi! I have been on Asacol (two pills, three times a day) for just over four months. I really can't say if I have experienced any side effects from it. Honestly, I don't even think it's working for me. But since I can't pinpoint side effects to it, I figure it's not HURTING me (may not be helping either lol) and I take them as ordered. I have read it can cause a moon face much like the evil Prednisone. I have also read it causes diarrhea and headaches. But again, each person reacts differently to it. I hope it helps your daughter!!!!

Glad your daughter is better. Asacol broke me out in a horrible rash all over my chest, belly and back. I wish you better luck with it.

It has actually worked 4 me. I take 3 pills 3"s a day. When I had the car scan yesterday the dr. told me it is working very nicely. I don't have any side effects either. Best of luck to your daughter.

I have had UC for 6 years now and have been on asacol for 3 years and had good results i am currently on 3 pills 3 times a day also a suppository called canasa. I hope this helps for her.

I was on Asacol for almost 15 years--most recent dosage was 2 pills, 4x/d. It worked fine for me until the inflammation moved higher in my colon & into the terminal ileum, where Asacol does not reach.

Eventually my diarh. got worse, too, but it was not the Asacol doing it; the disease had moved to a different spot & the Asacol was not getting there.

Asacol is basically a topical application of aspirin, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory, to the inflamed area---the pills are designed to open in the colon (Asa + col= aspirin for the colon---actually the asa" means "meSALAmine" -- SALAcylic acid is aspirin). Less of the contents reaches the farthest section from the beginning, so if you have inflammation nearer your rectum it may not do as much for you. Inflammation *in* the rectum is what CanASA (aspirin you put up your can, lol!) is for---again, the same stuff, but topically applied at the right spot.

Pentasa is the same stuff as Asacol (5-ASA), but it opens higher up, in the terminal ileum & right side of the colon. I am now on this, 2 pills, 4x/d. It is doing pretty well for me---no pain on the R side any more, anyway, and less running to the john. No side effects either.

I don't know why asacol would give anyone a moon face, unless they were taking it along with steroids & it was really the steroid doing that. But some people cannot tolerate aspirin & its close relatives and they can get chest rashes, sore tongues and other manifestations of aspirin sensitivity. Even go into anaphylactic shock if they are very allergic to aspirin---but they would probably know that before they started taking the stuff.

The trick with Asacol is that because it is applied topically (by the pills opening up in the right place) you have to be faithful about taking your pills at even intervals throughout the day. It is not a med that works through your bloodstream, as something like an antibiotic does. Many times people, especially young folks who are sensitive about taking pills in front of their friends, skip doses or take it less often than they should, or take less or none when they begin to feel better. It only works if it coats the lining of the intestine at "the bad place" so you have to keep the coating process going on, all the time. Make sure your daughter knows that!

She has a disease she will have all her life, so she would be smart to learn all she can about how digestive tracts work, both healthy & ill ones, so she knows what her docs are talking about & how the medicines she will have to deal with do their jobs. She will probably have many different medications, some of which have not yet been invented, over the years. The patients who understand their disease & how different treatments are supposed to work have a much easier time understanding their doctors & getting their doctors to understand them!

Asacol travels well in a small bottle you can keep in your purse, and discreetly take a couple out & swallow them using your water glass at a restaurant, or with your drink at a bar, or wherever you are. Few people will notice you are taking a couple of pills and if they do, just smile & say "My medicine" and move on. The older you get, the more people around you have to take some kind of medicine during the day!

My best to you & your daughter! Tell her congratulations on this medication working so far & keep taking it when she is supposed to!

My doctor started me out on Asacol and I was never sure it was working. I think it is one of the milder drugs you can go on for Crohn's and I never had any bad side effects. I think it actually made my diarrhea worse, and when things still weren't improving, my doctor put me on 4 pills, 3x a day. I could barely swallow that many and would find undigested pills in my stool!

In any case, I have a new doctor now and I'm on Lialda, which is working great. This is the same type of drug as Asacol (mesalamine, 5-ASA), but it releases farther down the colon and is mostly used to treat UC patients. I also use the Canasa suppositories which a few people have mentioned here. I think the combo of these drugs has helped me the most because my inflammation is in the rectum.

Asacol could work well, or you could try one of the other 5-ASA drugs, it's best to determine where your daughter's inflammation is and then go from there.

good luck to you and happy new year!

I've been Asacol since I was first diagnosed with UC. It worked great for a year and then I had a stress related flare and have been put on other meds on top of the Asacol. But, I would say in general it works pretty good and I have never noticed any side effects.

Good luck

I had a similar experience as Laurabryby. 12 pills a day with no real changes until I added 6mp and Remicade. The 6mp shut down my liver and kidneys and put me in the hospital. New GI put me on Colazal and that seems to work a bit better. But what really helps me is low dose naltrexone. Check out www.ldninfo.org. I wish the best for your daughter,
Fraz