Pentasa

[Bluegirl1948]

Hi not been on here in a while but would like to ask is anyone one Pantasa 500g I take 4 in the morning and 4 at night only just the last to days but my visit to loo have up in the morning I was wondering how long does it take to get into your system.

[FRreedman]

I have been on them for so long, I can’t remember but, I think, it was about two weeks. I have been on them now for about twenty years.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to FRreedman]

Thankyou I will give the to weeks that’s is really good I can’t Thankyou enough

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to Bluegirl1948]

One more question I find it hard to take the tables whole, how do you take them do you dispersed them in water x

[FRreedman in reply to Bluegirl1948]

I take them whole, but I was told that they can be broken in half. I seem to remember that they weren’t supposed to be dissolved in water, but as I said that was a long time ago. Good luck, hope they help you and stay safe.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to FRreedman]

Thankyou I will keep with it xx

[jackdup in reply to FRreedman]

I believe you are right about not dissolving in water. I believe they are meant to remain intact until they get into the intestine where your inflammation is so if dissolved in water would likely just pass through the area they are meant to treat.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to jackdup]

I have change them to granules now working now .

[jackdup in reply to Bluegirl1948]

Excellent, I hope they help you.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to jackdup]

👍

[Eyebee]

I was on Pentasa for over five years but my Gastro told me that although my condition wasn’t getting any worse it wasn’t getting any better. She said Pentasa wasn’t really much good for small bowel Crohn’s, which is what I have.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to Eyebee]

Thankyou for that I have UC only been taken for a few days hopefully they will work for me xxx

[Liz191]

If you find the tablets hard to swallow maybe ask to get the granules instead. They also get in to your system quicker so tend to be more effective

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to Liz191]

I will ask my doctor if he could change them to the granules thank you I didn’t know they come in granules 😊

[Gloria814]

I have been on Pentasa for many years. I take 2 capsules in AM and 2 in PM. Don't recall how long they took to start working. Since mine are capsules they are big and somewhat hard to swallow. I see granules inside. I will ask about the granules Good luck to you. I have crohn's in large and part of small bowel. Colonoscopy again next week. Have them now every 1 to 2 yrs. I also take biologic drug Stelara. My mouth is very dry --i think from Pentasa but not sure

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to Gloria814]

Thankyou I am hoping they will work one to weeks good luck with your Colonoscopy I had one a couple weeks ago , keep well x

[Stephanie_munden1]

Hi I took quite a low dose of Pentasa, 1g twice a day. Tablets aren't supposed to work right away. Give it a few weeks. They can be hard to swallow. Just try and relax and count to 3! I'm now on Mezavant. I had taken Pentasa for a number of years. Good luck.

[Bluegirl1948]

I have UC had it for three years now it was under control until this year and now nothing seems to work that why I hope these work in a week or to xx

[bresbo in reply to Bluegirl1948]

Might I ask what you were taking (if anything) for the three years when your UC was "under control"? Pentasa, Salofalk and Octasa all contain mesalazine. If it's your first time with this kind of medication, the effect will depend on your symptoms and where your inflammation is.

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to bresbo]

I was on Octasa for to and half years they stop opening , on six a day then on Salofalk that didn’t work because low amount of mesalazine now they are trying me on Pentasa 4 in the morning 4 at night .

[bresbo]

Thanks for your history. Do you know where your bowel is inflamed? I'm asking because I've found that the doctors were always offering me oral medication when what I needed was rectal medication. If the inflammation is low down, rectal is the way to go. Also, if you're in a flare, a short course of rectal plus oral steroids really helped me enormously.

[Bluegirl1948]

Thank you for replying I think it might be low down because they given me Budenofalk foam to use at night and if this doesn’t work they would have to put me on a short course of steroids, but I really hope what I have now works , I ask my doctor if he could change the pills to granules because I am finding the pill to big take which he done should have them couple days x

[bresbo]

I'd suggest using the Budenofalk foam. It may be unpleasant, but it really rescued me from a nasty flare. If your inflammation is low down, the foam is going to help more than the oral mesalazine pills or granules. Also, you might ask for a course of mild oral steroids to take at the same time as the foam - Cortiment is what I had. But do try the foam. Good luck!

[Bluegirl1948]

I have just talk to my IBD nurse she has put me on a mild steroids for 8 weeks could I ask you did you still use the foam as well and meds x

[bresbo]

Yes absolutely use the Budenofalk foam at the same time as the oral steroids if your UC is low down. As I said before, if your UC is proctitis or sigmoiditis, a rectal treatment is really the way to go. I don't know if you are in the UK, but NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) publish a set of pathways (recommended treatment routes) for Ulcerative Colitis. You can find it here:-

pathways.nice.org.uk/pathwa...

If you follow the pathway for inducing remission in left sided UC, you'll see that topical (ie rectal) treatment is the first course of action to take, with oral treatment only used if rectal doesn't work. The doctors and IBD nurses don't often tell people this, maybe because they think a lot of people won't use rectal treatments, or don't like using them. It's true to a degree, it's not exactly pleasant sticking medicine up your bum every evening. But for me it's a more pleasant than blood and pain on the toilet 10 or 20 times a day.

Anyway, enough of my rant. Usually Budenofalk is also prescribed for 6-8 weeks, so it should match your course of oral steroids pretty well. Which oral steroids has the IBD nurse given you?

[Bluegirl1948]

I think it’s the one you recommended I think I might run out of the foam before the pills but I will talk the them about , I am in England I will let you no the name of the steroids when I pick them up tomorrow Thank you for all your help x

[Bluegirl1948]

They have given me eight weeks of Budesonide 9mg M/R tablets I talk to them about the foam and she said use it for the first week then have a break from it as I have already use for six weeks.

[bresbo in reply to Bluegirl1948]

Ahh, I didn't realise you'd already been using the foam for several weeks. So yes, if that hasn't worked, the oral Budesonide tablets are the next step. I do hope they give you some relief from your symptoms. All the best.

[Bluegirl1948]

She said they would put in to remission So fingers cross thank you for all help I will let you no how I get on 🙂

[Bluegirl1948 in reply to Bluegirl1948]

Sorry to get in touch again but could you remember how long it takes for the Budesonide 9mg to work as I am getting a lot of wind and seeing a little bit of blood in some mucs first thing I have been taken them for 2 and half weeks now , will be three on Saturday.

[Bluegirl1948]

I’m just started my 4th week of a 8 week course of cortiment ( budenside) 9mg daily steroid.Ive been told towards the end by my doctor you need to be gradually weened off otherwise you could become quite ill.

Ferrimgs the manufacturer only do a 9mg tablet so not sure how you can lower the daily dose to enable you to ween off.

Anyone been on this steroid with any ideas

Thanks Lynda..

[saj12 in reply to Bluegirl1948]

The taper regime should have been defined accordingly by the prescription or Doctor/nurse - Budesonide is also available as 3mg (budenofalk). When I was last on I had the 3mg tabs prescribed with the regime defined - maybe you should contact your nurse.