Health Expert Todd Eisner shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/50082/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/50082/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/50082/index http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57468/coumadin-safe-colitis Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:02:00 -0500 Todd Eisner My ulcerative colitis has been stable on Asacol. I recently was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and my cardiologist put me on Coumadin. Is that safe with my colitis?   Coumadin is a blood thinner that decreases the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Your cardiologist and gastroenterologist should work together to come up with the best regimen for your disease. Coumadin will not cause your colitis to flare or become... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57468/coumadin-safe-colitis http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57466/colonoscopy Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:57:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I'm a 68 year old woman with a history of heart disease. Last week, I was hospitalized with abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. I was placed on antibiotics and the emergency doctor ordered a CT scan which was read as having colitis. I was discharged and I am feeling better. I last had a colonoscopy five years ago. My symptoms have improved with the antibiotics. I have an appointment with my gastroenterologist in a few weeks. Will he... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57466/colonoscopy http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57465/ulcerative-digested Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:53:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I take Asacol for my Ulcerative Colitis, and at times notice the pill come out in my stool undigested. Is this normal?   Passing Asacol tablets in the stool is not an uncommon occurrence. Sometimes just the shell of the pill comes out undissolved, but at times, the entire pill with the medication inside ends up in the stool. It is unclear why this happens, but likely has to do with low acid levels in the intestines not allowing the... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/57465/ulcerative-digested http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55658/medications-resection Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:44:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I recently underwent a resection of some of my terminal ileum because of Crohn's disease. Do I need to take any medications now? I don't have any symptoms.   Pentasa, a 5-ASA agent used to treat active Crohn's disease has been shown to be effective in decreasing the chance of patients developing post-operative recurrences. Treatment is indicated at maintenance doses of 1 gram twice a day. Supplementation with vitamin B12 is also... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55658/medications-resection http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55657/abdominal-ulcerative Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:41:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I am a 52 year old female with ulcerative colitis and have been in remission for a few years. Of late, I have been experiencing abdominal bloating, weight gain and some difficulty moving my bowels. I had a colonoscopy a few months ago and everything was normal. Any suggestions on what I can take or what might be causing my symptoms?   There are most definitely a few conditions that need to be considered. First off, if you have not had... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55657/abdominal-ulcerative http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55656/crohn-colon-cancer Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:38:41 -0500 Todd Eisner I have Crohn's disease. Am I at increased risk of colon cancer, and if so, how often to I need to be screened for colon cancer?   For years, it has been recognized that patients with longstanding ulcerative colitis were at increased risk for developing colon cancer, and therefore needed to undergo surveillance colonoscopy more frequent than the general population. Patients with left-sided ulcerative colitis for more than twenty years,... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55656/crohn-colon-cancer http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55323/remicade-inflammatory Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:56:13 -0500 Todd Eisner I have Ulcerative colitis and have been treated with Remicade, which seems to be losing effectiveness. Can any of the other biologics be used?   There are currently three other biologics that are FDA approved for inflammatory bowel disease, but currently only Remicade is approved for Ulcerative Colitis. Humira, Cimzia and Tysabri have been used for Crohn's, with Humira currently undergoing phase 3 trials in Ulcerative Colitis. Results are... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/55323/remicade-inflammatory http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/53943/fleet-phosphosoda-safe Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:45:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I have chronic ulcerative colitis and undergo yearly colonoscopy. I previously have taken a fleet phosphosoda prep. I have heard that this might not be safe. What are my options?   As most people who undergo colonoscopy will attest to, the worst part of the procedure is the preparation. When colonoscopy was first developed, the standard prep was a one gallon solution, Golytely. A one gallon jug with powder is filled with water and mixed.... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/53943/fleet-phosphosoda-safe http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/52410/answers-ibd-questions Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:33:00 -0500 Todd Eisner I have been taking Humira 40 mg every other week for Crohn's disease. I notice that after a week or so, I start having worsening symptoms. Is it possible to take the Humira more frequently?   Humira is a self-injected biologic that has been very effective in patients with Crohn's disease. It is in the same drug class as Remicade, as opposed to a two-hour infusion in either the hospital, ambulatory care center or physician's office,... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/52410/answers-ibd-questions http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/50063/inflammatory-disease Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:20:00 -0500 Todd Eisner Osteoporosis is a decrease in bone density. As humans age, resorption of bone outpaces formation of bone and bone density begins to decline. While some loss of bone density is normal, when the process accelerates, osteoporosis becomes a threat. While some people with osteoporosis may notice some back pain or change in posture, this disorder generally produces no symptoms until the bone becomes so weakened that it breaks. Bone fractures due to... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/50082/50063/inflammatory-disease