Medication To take or not to take? 2 weeks on Mezavant/mesalazine & Hospital!

September 29, 2010

HiI have posted this on a couple of sites to get as many opinions as possible so sorry if I am clogging up your inboxes!!!

First a brief history of myself:-

UC 16 years ago/ scd 7 mths (illegals were probably consumed when I had a

colonoscopy in late July).

No medication taken for 15 years. Bowel movements once/twice a day.

Feb 10 lost all appetite BM 3-4 with blood loss. Started SCD. Just before

colonoscopy (late July 10) Bowel movements were down to 1.3 times a day stools

not perfect but not D either.

Since the colonoscopy which showed active but mild UC I have not been back to

how I was - veg was showing in stools that previously would not along with

increased blood loss etc.

The consultant told me to take Mezavant XL 4.8mg a day.

I took 2.4mg a day for two weeks despite the illegals in it. Then this Sunday

night I went to the bathroom a little constipated I went and stools were quite

good. Half hour later I started shivering I had a hot bath and went back to

bed. could not sleep an hour had passed and I rushed to the bathroom just made

it in time with D. Another minute passed and I felt very sick and dizzy I just laid

on the floor, one minute I was hot the next I was cold shaking uncontrollably.

I did not even have the energy to speak. My girlfriend phoned for an ambulance.

The "attack" died down and then came back less severe say half hour

later this happened a further 4-5 times with each attack becoming less severe.

I went to the bathroom between these incidents which eased the cramps I had in

my stomach. After a further night in hospital and 500 mg of corticoids

(prednisone I think). I was released from hospital yesterday and told it was suspected

food poisoning (however the discharge papers say a UC flare up???) I was told

to take mezavant 4.8mg a day

The girlfriend had eaten the same food and she said she had had a bloated

stomach with slight pain after a couple of hours of consuming the nitrate free

(but in date) scd safe sausages.

However I have never felt so ill as Sunday night, I've never felt sick or had

dizzyness with UC (side effects of mezavant) or gone hot and cold like that. I

was 15 years medication free and never had this yet two weeks of pills and this

happens. I have not taken Mezavant since Sunday.

Today still feel a bit cold and shivering from time to time. I had heartburn

earlier when I ate (not had that since starting scd) plus 4-5 BM in last 12

hours. But overall I don't feel to bad.

Whats other peoples thoughts on Mezavant/ Mesalazine/ Mesalamine/ 5ASA or was it just food poisoning? Should

I take Mezavant to help stabalize me while doing SCD? Or is it causing me the

trouble I am trying to avoid?

Started taking 3mg of omega 3 fish oil a day yesterday from Nordic Naturals I

read omega 3 can help but hopefully it wont complicate matters as I know I

should introduce foods slowly.

Thanks in advance for all comments and thoughts

September 29, 2010

It would be hard to tell for sure but that sudden onset does sound like food

poisoning. It would be reasonable that someone with UC would have a worse

reaction than someone like your girlfriend who has a sturdier GI tract.

Likewise, a lung infection may give a healthy person a cough, but a person with

asthma might get pneumonia? Unfortunately the best one can make is an educated

guess here.

15 years no meds/symptoms is a blessing. It may be that the flare up you had in

Feb- followed by colonoscopy and the possible food poisoning set you off, and

you are still trying to recover. It would be a good idea to get to intro/stage 1

easy to handle foods and soups. As to the medication- it may help you, or some

people react to it. It would be hard to tell at this point how you respond, or

if it caused the problem. Sometimes the best we can do is trial and error.

Hope you feel better soon,

PJ

>

> Hi

>

> I have posted this on a couple of sites to get as many opinions as possible so

sorry if I am clogging up your inboxes!!!

>

> First a brief history of myself:-

>

> UC 16 years ago/ scd 7 mths (illegals were probably consumed when I had a

> colonoscopy in late July).

>

> No medication taken for 15 years. Bowel movements once/twice a day.

>

> Feb 10 lost all appetite BM 3-4 with blood loss. Started SCD. Just before

> colonoscopy (late July 10) Bowel movements were down to 1.3 times a day stools

> not perfect but not D either.

>

> Since the colonoscopy which showed active but mild UC I have not been back to

> how I was - veg was showing in stools that previously would not along with

> increased blood loss etc.

>

> The consultant told me to take Mezavant XL 4.8mg a day.

>

> I took 2.4mg a day for two weeks despite the illegals in it. Then this Sunday

> night I went to the bathroom a little constipated I went and stools were quite

> good. Half hour later I started shivering I had a hot bath and went back to

> bed. could not sleep an hour had passed and I rushed to the bathroom just made

> it in time with D. Another minute passed and I felt very sick and dizzy I just

laid

> on the floor, one minute I was hot the next I was cold shaking uncontrollably.

> I did not even have the energy to speak. My girlfriend phoned for an

ambulance.

>

> The " attack " died down and then came back less severe say half hour

> later this happened a further 4-5 times with each attack becoming less severe.

> I went to the bathroom between these incidents which eased the cramps I had in

> my stomach. After a further night in hospital and 500 mg of corticoids

> (prednisone I think). I was released from hospital yesterday and told it was

suspected

> food poisoning (however the discharge papers say a UC flare up???) I was told

> to take mezavant 4.8mg a day

>

> The girlfriend had eaten the same food and she said she had had a bloated

> stomach with slight pain after a couple of hours of consuming the nitrate free

> (but in date) scd safe sausages.

>

> However I have never felt so ill as Sunday night, I've never felt sick or had

> dizzyness with UC (side effects of mezavant) or gone hot and cold like that. I

> was 15 years medication free and never had this yet two weeks of pills and

this

> happens. I have not taken Mezavant since Sunday.

>

> Today still feel a bit cold and shivering from time to time. I had heartburn

> earlier when I ate (not had that since starting scd) plus 4-5 BM in last 12

> hours. But overall I don't feel to bad.

>

> Whats other peoples thoughts on Mezavant/ Mesalazine/ Mesalamine/ 5ASA or was

it just food poisoning? Should

> I take Mezavant to help stabalize me while doing SCD? Or is it causing me the

> trouble I am trying to avoid?

>

> Started taking 3mg of omega 3 fish oil a day yesterday from Nordic Naturals I

> read omega 3 can help but hopefully it wont complicate matters as I know I

> should introduce foods slowly.

>

> Thanks in advance for all comments and thoughts

>

September 29, 2010

Mark,"Since the colonoscopy which showed active

but mild UC I have not been back to

how I was - veg was showing in stools that previously would not along with

increased blood loss etc."Any kind of procedure can cause stress to the body. It is possible that the colonoscopy was just enough to tip you over, or the illegals in the prep for the colonoscopy did. If you know that you are thoroughly chewing your food (needs to be like liquid before swallowing to make sure the food is fully masticated and the saliva well mixed in), then you might be having enzyme problems. It could be that you aren't producing enough for digestion, or it could be that your average body temperature isn't at normal (98.6 F). Sounds weird, but if you have metabolism issues (thyroid or adrenals) your body temp can fall and when that happens your enzymes are not as effective because they are designed to work at 98.6 F (37 C). Another thought goes with the 'loss of appetite' which could be a stomach acid issue. If there isn't enough acid, you don't feel hungry and will affect

digestion.Amelia

To: BTVC-SCD Sent: Thu, September 30, 2010 2:23:19 AMSubject: Medication To take or not to take? 2 weeks on Mezavant/mesalazine & Hospital!