I am taking Asacol I've noticed the meds full in my stool. Has this happened to anyone?

Thank you so much for your response. I did do the unthinkable with a glove and see that they were indeed full pills- although much softer. I will have to contact my doctor. This is all new to me and I guess I am still in a state of mourning of sorts. I have an 11 month old and my UC is dibilatating as I"m sure most people know- we miss all of the storytimes and regular outings- because it usually takes all day for my stomach to stabilize. I know normal is different for everyone- but what is a normal day like? Do these medicines help with the frequency? Thanks again!

From your original question I can't quite tell how long you've been taking the Asacol, but it seems like only for 2 weeks. The thing with these 5-ASA medications, which is the family of drugs that Asacol falls in to, is that they don't work like other drugs, i.e. take an aspirin for a headache and 30 mins. later the pain subsides.

Nope, not how Asacol works. Asacol is given to help reduce the inflammation in your gut. And that inflammation is cellular and can run deep into your colon, meaning that it probably took months to get inflamed and it can take a month or more of taking the drug to see a difference in the amount of inflammation in your gut and thus, your symptom pattern.

I was undiagnosed with UC and IBS for years and years. It wasn't until I was in a crisis state that the Dx was made - I'd lost 20 pounds in a couple of months, couldn't eat, constant D (10-30 BMs per day), etc. I was initially put on 9 Asacol/day. After 3 weeks saw no difference, so was increased to 12/day. By about the second month things started to slow down a bit. But, I also really changed my diet and a few other things (if you want, you can read my whole story in a book I wrote, www.ibdandibs.com). All-in-all it took me about 2 years to really get that first terrible flare-up under control.

I don't want to scare you with what I'm saying. And I know being a new mom adds a whole other amount of stress which just makes this all so much harder. But, honestly, patience and being as stress-free as possible will be very good friends to you right now. Also, being flexible and trying different approaches to things is good too. Like, could you invite some other new moms to your house for play time or story hour? Or, if you go out for a baby gathering, can you make a deal with a friend that if you have to go to the bathroom she'll your baby?

I actually found that having a back-plan or alternative really helped me to feel okay getting out of the house. And, honestly, once I was out my gut would actually settle oftentimes. Of course there were times I had to leave early, or didn't even get where I was going before I had to turn around and go home, but don't let this turn you into a prisoner. It's doable, really it is.

I had to learn to stop living in a black and white world, meaning I could either do something or not do something. I found that there is a lot of grey space when we make it ourselves. If you get somewhere 15 minutes late, don't beat yourself up, just be happy that you're there. If you have to leave early, so what? If you have to completely cancel something at the last minute, true friends will be understanding. Do what you can and take some of the pressure off of yourself to be super mom. You have a disease, and you have to learn to take care of yourself because if you aren't well then you can't be the best for your child.

It's okay to be imperfect even in a world that tells us it's not.

You can do this!

Hugs,

Elizabeth  

Elizabeth, THank you so much for your encouragement and support! I am almost in tears of joy! Your emails have been more helpful than any doctor's consultation. I am going to try going gluten-free, because I've heard this helps some people and I think I might have some wheat issues. Thank you again- I really needed this. Melissa

P.S.

Also, don't be afraid to take an Imodium or 2 to help get you out the door. This helped me quite a bit. Just don't take more than 4 in a 24 hour period.