User Reviews for Mesalamine (Lialda, Pentasa, and others)

Before taking this medication I had bloody dirrahea,cramping, and dehydration. After taking it along with watching my diet I have had good results. I also took Rowasa enemas which helped heal up the lower end of my colon which I found to be the last part of the colon that the Asacol would help. I found that keeping a food journal helped me to identify the foods that were making me severly sick and adding to the pain and discomfort that I was having. I found that when I was having cramps, usually... late at night, that taking an clear water enema (just to remove stool) would stop my cramping immediately. MOST IMPORTANT, KEEP A JOURNAL You will find that some foods are like poison to a colitis sufferer. Asacol works well if you watch your diet otherwise you will still find that you will have cramping, diarreha, blood stool, and dehydration. Read More Read Less

THIS MEDACATION REALLY WORKED FOR ME I TOOK IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH STARTED FEELING BETTER AND STOPED TAKING IT AND MY CONDITION CAME BACK SO IF YOUR TAKING IT AND BEGAIN TO FEEL BETTER DON'T STOP I WAS WARNED BY MY DR. NOT TO STOP WHEN I FEEL BETTER BUT I DIDN'T LISTEN NOW I'M BACK ON IT AGAIN AND FEEL MUCH BETTER

bouts of diarea and fatigue

I have been on Asacol for 3 weeks - 800 mg twice a day - and symptoms have gotten worse. Doctor wants me to increase dosage - not sure what to do

has not helped my Crohn's but gave me OsteoArthritis,Osteopenia,and Osteoperosis from the amount of Steroids in this medication.

I had a bowel obstruction in 2005, with small bowel resection. Pentasa put me in remission, lost my job/insurance Feb 09, landed in the hospital Oct 09 with partial obstuction. Waiting for help from the drug manufacturer in Canada as Pentasa is the only thing between me and another surgery.

Diagnosed Crohn's 04/20/09.It seems starting Pentasa can be hard. Feeling lite headed at times. After five months of use, had chest pain and went to ER. Follow up with Cardiac DR, now on heart medicine for one year. Was told I had an irregular heart beat. Any correlation with drug? Personally, I don't know. Cardiac DR said NO. Back at two months of use, I took myself off of Pentasa for one month, (I was in denial of having Crohn's), I went back to having diarhea and abdominal pain. Got myself ba... ck on Pentasa. Ninety percent pain free. Bowl movements are solid and easy to have as long as you drink plenty of water. I take two capsules, 500 mg each, for times daily. I work Grave yard and want to sleep. It's hard to wake up to take the medication and then wake up later AGAIN to go use restroom due to full bladder. Botom line, as one person said it, the inconvience of taking the medicine is nothing as compared to the extreme pain if you don't take it. Read More Read Less

I have constipation with my colitis.It seems to make it worse.I haven;t heard of anyone else having constipation with colitis,maybe it just dont work for me.

As long as I take the med it is working if I slip up and forget I have a flare up. So I strongley recommend not missing any doses.

I am a 38 year old female with Crohns disease, I have had active crohns since April of 2004. I have been on Cimzia and Lialda for a year, prior to that I was on Remicade which put me into shock, then Humira well that did not work at all, and lots of others. My disease was to far along when lialda came out. I have had severe rectal fistulas, tried asacol and it did nothing, the lialda has held me. I recently had to have a colostomy, my sigmoid colon was removed. I have been symptom free since th... e surgery, I sill take 4 pills a day,and the Cimzia every two weeks. I believe it is keeping me in remission. With the copay plan the price is $10 in California. YEA! Read More Read Less

Have been taking this maintenance medication many years with few side effects. Last flare up and hospitalization was in 1993.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's about 4 months ago. I started taking Lialda for the first two months and it helped a little with the diarrhea (not so much the stomach pain). Since starting Asacol a month ago, I think the symptoms have gotten worse. I have more diarrhea, a lot of weakness and increased stomach pain. I also feel like I'm going to throw up every so often, which is one of the side effects. I notice that I pass pills, but my doctor said that its only the wax matrix which ends up in... the stool. My doctor plans to start me on 6mp, however it takes about 3 months to start working. I'm currently in college, and sometimes its a challenge to walk to class or even to stand in the shower for a long period of time because of fatigue. Read More Read Less

I used to lay with a heating pad for the pains in my stomach,I even have scars.This med will bring all pain and anything else to a halt in 15 min. After five years of misdiagnosis,I think thats pretty dam good. It feels great to be pain free!

Was on Asacol - switched to Lialda primarily to save a few dollars. Love the stuff, have been free of flareups for several years. Still expensive, but worth it.

Worked well for the first 6 months, but went off it for a month and then back on. After going back on it could not control my symptoms (8 months) until I wrapped the pills in empty pill capsules. Now its helping! Dissolving too soon?

I just wanted to let you know that the Shire company who makes Lialda does have a program to help pay for your prescription. My doctor's office gave me a card that I had to call Shire and activate. Now with my insurance, my co-pay for my Lialda is only $10.00. It was 40.00. If you don't have insurance, the card will give you $50.00 off the prescription. Since I have insurancce right now, I don't know what it runs or if the $50.00 would help. But now you know. I was just diagnosed with collagenou... s colitis and Lialda does seem to help. I did experiance the dark urine in the beginning (didn't know til now that was a side effect), but other than that no side effects. I take 4 tabs a day. My doctor started me on 2, but it just wasn't doing much good. With 4, at least on not sitting in the bathroom 10-15 times a day. I'm still afraid to leave my house for fear I won't make it to the bathroom. Hopefully Lialda will get this slowed down enough so I can feel more comfortable leaving my home. Read More Read Less

i have been taking lialda for 4 days. I have been tired,joints hurt and my knees and legs are swelling and hurt.i am also very nauseas.

I have been battling with my Ulcerative Colitis for 4 years now. I started with 6 pills of Asacol. I could not stand taking that many pills in one day. Then I went to Canasa suppositories that was not enough. It was not reaching high enough in my colon to treat the Colitis. Now I have been on Lialda, 4 pills a day, for 1 year. Went off of it and just did the Canasa for 2 years and then went back on Lialda 1 month ago. I think this battle with Colitis is going to be a life long battle. I... am 30 years old and would love to find a natural cure for this horrible condition. Lialda is the easiest and most effective drug I have taken but it does make me moody and gain weight. I have read that is can mess up your kidneys. Anyone know any natural treatments? Read More Read Less

SINCE I STARTED TAKING IT 4 DAYS AGO I HAVE DIARREH AND SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN. MY JOINTS HURT SO BAD I CAN HARDLY MOVE. I AM GETTING SO DEHYDRATED. I WAS FINE BEFORE MY DOCTOR PUT ME ON THIS MEDICINE. I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE IT A CHANCE TO GET INTO MY SYSTEM. BUT I AM NOT TAKING THIS EVER AGAIN AND I AM CALLING MY DOCTOR. THIS MEDICATION IS SOOOOOO EXPENSIVE I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER MEDICATION THIS MONTH.

Diagnosed with an abcess on my colon June 2008. Surgery and Diagnosis of Crohn's. Expense is the big issue. I have private insurance, high deductible. January 1 may be the end of my Rx.