Digestive Disorders Community

I've taken a similar med (Dipentum/olsalazine) for over 17 years now with no problems or side effects. If you look up aspirin you'll find a big list of side effects but that doesn't mean they happen to everyone - the drug companies cover their butts and list absolutely anything that might possibly happen so that people can't sue them.

Taking a med as an enema means it bypasses the rest of the digestive tract, further reducing the chances of side effects. Still if the med your doctor prescribed is making you nervous, you can always ask to try something else instead.

Answers as I know them:
1) Blood tests - I get them done annually. Nowadays I only get the full workup every other year or even every third year (when I see my GI to get scoped). Early on I got a lot of testing done but that's not needed anymore.

2) Side effects - I don't have any.

3) How long - that can vary so widely it's almost impossible to answer. The med isn't a permanent fix, more like part of an ongoing solution that among other things includes dietary changes, vitamins and stress reduction.

Dear sheba_q,
Thank you for the reply. The posting is very helpful to alleviate some concerns.

Additionally, if you have any recommendations on dietary changes, vitamin supplements and stress reduction, please do advise.

Regards.

Also, are you allowed to consume alchohol while undergoing Mesalamine treatment?
Thanks.

I poked around and found a starter diet that I've posted on here before. Some of it you're bound to react to, some of it you might not, and there are likely foods not listed that you have trouble with. That's one of the fun things about dealing with something that doesn't have a set diet beyond "don't eat anything that aggravates your condition" - like that helps...

* eat smaller meals at more frequent intervals
* avoid eating many processed foods
* avoid citrus fruit and anything highly acidic
* reduce the amount of rich, greasy and fried foods
* limit consumption of milk and milk products
* restrict your intake of high-fibre foods
* avoid whole corn (inc popcorn)
* cut back on sugary foods

My system swings the other way, but I've heard on here that coffee (or another hot drink if you're not a coffee person) really helps get things moving. That's one reason why a lot of constipation people really like their morning coffee.

A daily multivitamin will cover most of your needs. If you're not consuming much dairy Cal/Mag is another you'll want to think about. There's been a lot of talk recently about people with digestive problems (mostly with diarrhea) having low Vit D so that's another to consider. Fish oil is good for inflammation. Probiotics are a life saver to some and do nothing for others (I personally lean towards the former).

For stress reduction be sure to do some basic exercise and do things that you enjoy. It's as easy as that (well in theory anyway).

Btw there's a Crohn's and Colitis board too.
http://exchanges.webmd.com/crohns-and-colitis-exchange

I haven't heard anything against alcohol and 5-asa meds, other than to not take pills with alcohol (but that goes with any med).

It's generally suggested to limit alcohol when you have colitis or Crohn's as it can really do a number on your intestines - as in you'll be wishing you only had a hangover. I find that the occasional drink now and then isn't a problem, but if I were to go out drinking I'd end up paying for it big time.

Hopefully you're not a beer person, as it tends to be a worse offender than other drinks.