Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis Support Group

Crohn's disease is a systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown cause, that results in chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. It can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, and can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract. There is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease, but there are many medical...

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NYCFAN 04/24/2008

I've had ulcerative colitis since 1995. Have been taking Asacol for maintenance from day 1. Still have maybe one flare up a year which has been treated using prednisone. I saw my GI today he wants to get my uc under control and does not want to have to treat with prednisone gain. He wants me to switch from Asacol over to Colazal. This is a big thing for me since I've been taking Asacol for so long. His thoughts are that the Colazal seems to have a better delivery system than Asacol and since my uc is more active along my left side of the colon he thinks the colazal will distribute the dosage more evenly where perhaps the Asacol is not.
Has anyone any advice or experiences with Colazal and any side effects? Anyone ever made the switch from Asaco to Colazal?

deleted_user 04/25/2008

i've used colosal in the past and had no better or worse results then other pills. steriods always seem to wor the best but have severa side effects. i wouldn't expect any major changes but you never know. if the meds are cheap with your perscription plan then they may be worth a try.best of luck ....rob

deleted_user 04/25/2008

NYC,

My thoughts are "stick with what works." If you feel those meds are working fine, get a 2nd opinion. Otherwise if your Dr. switches you, and you have a flare-up or an episode... that's on you! You're the one who will be suffering, not your Dr. Which... in my case... I almost have to remind my Dr. each time I have an appointment... and I prepare myself to be bitter and PUSH for something that will work for me. But I can see the over-use of a steroid such as Prednisone (bad on the eyes, sensitive to skin, the effects it has on the bones, and is it liver or kidneys?)

deleted_user 04/27/2008

I was on Colazal for several months when I was first diagnosed. It worked well but I hated it because it always got stuck when I swallowed it. Then I would have horrible burning in my chest. My Dr. switched me to Asacol which i don't think works quite as well but doesn't give me any side effects. Good luck.

deleted_user 04/27/2008

Asacol and Colazal work the same in the system, Colazal is very expensive to the tune of 800 bucks a month if on a maximum dosage. Why change if something is working for you, the old adage don't rock the apple cart comes to mind.

deleted_user 04/27/2008

Neither one worked for me. I know that they are in the same family of drugs. I hope it does work for you. Have you tried enemas? That seemed to be what helped me get some relief.

deleted_user 04/28/2008

I used colozal for awhile. I found it hard to breath and had chest pains. Ended up in the hospital because of it. They took me off just had an allergic reaction.

deleted_user 04/28/2008

i went from ascol to colozal, neither worked for me tho, and i didnt suffer any side affects, according to my doc these are the drugs are not as harmful as most.

deleted_user 04/28/2008

I was diagnosed with Crohns in 97 and was put on Asacol and stayed on that for about a year then was swited to Pentasa, which worked well, but then the company that our pharmacy got the Pentasa from stopped making it so my Doctor switched me to Colazal and I have been on it for about 3 years now. I like it alot better, and i have not had any side effects. I only take 4 tablets a day and they are a soft capsel, as with the Asacal I was taking 12 tablets a day and they were a solid pill that would run right thru me whole.

deleted_user 04/29/2008

When I switched GIs the new one swithed me from Asacol to Colazal. I then realized that that part of my hair loss had been due to Asacol. The Colazal seemed to be fine. It just went generic (I paid $15 for 360 pills) and I have been reading that some people are having problems with the genenric. I'm going to check with my pharmacist and GI.

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