Asacol is a brand name drug which is known in the generic world as mesalamine. This medication is often prescribed to ulcerative colitis patients early on during the treatment phases. Some people use this drug as their maintenance drug for many months or even years.
Asacol is unique in that unlike some other medications, it is made with a special outer capsule that enables it to travel through much of the gastro intestinal tract intact before it starts to release itself. Basically, the outside of the pill doesn’t break down early on, it is supposed to make its way near your colon before it releases its medicine inside. When I was prescribed this medication, I was told that the pill only releases itself once it hits a certain Ph level that exists only in the colon…
There are several different mesalamine medications on the market, and Asacol might very well be one of the most expensive. If medications costs/health insurance are a factor, you might want to talk with your doctor to see if there are alternatives that your doctor might recommend. As asacol is taken orally, there are also other medications which are similar and mesalamine based which are prescribed as enemas and suppositories.
asacol pills
Asacol is a medication which is considered an anti-inflammatory medication. One of its main goals is to try and stop our bodies from creating other substances which produce inflammation and or pain.
One thing to note is that before you start taking Asacol, be sure to tell your doctor if you have any type of known allergic reactions to Aspirin. Asacol is very similar to Aspirin and you should definitely let your doctor know if you can’t tollerate it before starting on Asacol.
As for people who have had success from Asacol alone for treating their ulcerative colitis, it surely does happen. It wasn’t the case for me, but I am just one particular case.
If you have had used or are using asacol and want to share a comment below on how its going/went for you, feel free.
October 23, 2010 at 8:36 pm
I’ve been on mesalamine (under the brand name salofalk) in various forms since being diagnosed in November 2009. I started on enemas as my UC was lagely isolated in the colon and lower left side. I thought I had cramps before, but wow. Apparently it’s not all that common and can be a reaction to either the drug, or the enema. It’s also one of the least invasive and least systematic way of dealing with isloated lower left UC. I persevered for a couple of weeks, but then couldn’t take it anymore. My dr was away so I went untreated for a couple of weeks (please don’t do this, ever. See a GP, turn up at your specialists office and cry until they find someone else to see you, anything), ended up on massive doses of pred from an after hours GP.
Then I tried salofalk granules (like little vanilla flavours hundreds and thousands), which didn’t seem to do much either and I crashed again as I weaned off the pred. So then upped the dose of the granules and added azathioprine. Again, everything fell to pieces when I weaned off the pred. Then as it seemed like I was going to be on steroids for a while, I went from pred to entocort, which didn’t seem to help either and I ended up in hospital for a week, tried the entocort again and back in hospital again. Then I was back on to pred and salofalk foam (basically enemas but foam instead of liquid – meant to be easier to handle, also started remicade at the same time (and still on the granules and azathioprine). This cocktail got everything under control and I successfully weane off the pred during my 3 doses of remicade. I also started SCD at the same time.
Everything was going pretty well for a few months, at least I thought so. I had some loose BMs, but thought that was prety normal given how much fruit and veg I was eating. To cut a long story short, I had a flare a couple of weeks ago, and went back on the SCD intro diet. I’ve added spinach, yoghurt and applesauce and am adding pork for dinner tonight (mmm, solid food) and all seems to be going well.
October 23, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Wow Catherine,
You have done an incredible amount of mesalamine! It seems like you just might have done every possible combination. Thanks so much for sharing your story about this. I hope things go well for you with your current attempt with the intro diet, and espcially with some pork tonight! best of luck and keep us posted!!
October 24, 2010 at 5:49 am
I liked the way they often came out the other end and you could still read the drug name!!
October 24, 2010 at 7:32 pm
I was diagnosed with severe UC back in 2004 and put on Asacol by my doctor. It made my symptoms worse at first but when I lowered the dose then it was livable. Asacol is an anti-inflammatory drug so all it does is reduce inflammation. It did nothing for the pain of colitis nor did it do anything to actually heal my intestines or cure the problem that was causing my symptoms (yeast and fungal overgrowth). It wasn’t until I discovered the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and understood what was causing the imbalance in my intestines and worked to bring my gut back into balance that my ulcerative colitis was healed – without meds. I’ve been symptom free and med free ever since. I’m glad to hear the the SCD worked for you also. Keep spreading the word and saving people’s colons!
July 14, 2011 at 5:33 am
Asacol has been like a miracle drug for me. I’ve got total moderate UC, and was in a horrible state having been misdiagnosed with having ‘food poisoning’ for 2 weeks. Finally saw another doctor, practically thrown at the specialist within hours, colonoscopy for diagnosis, and bam: six daily Asacol 800mg tablets have REALLY helped. I have reduced my diet really dramatically to help it all heal, and gradually adding back in various foods. What’s really shocking is that if I ever forget to take the pills, there’s an immediate effect, so they are doing a great job.
I do have some horrible secondary symptoms like sleeplessness and dizziness where it’s hard to say if it’s the condition or the Mesalazine causing it.
But it really is astonishing how quickly and successfully it worked. I feel very lucky.
February 6, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Gaby:
Your story is basically identical to mine. I ate some chinese food and figured I had food poisoning. Two weeks turned into a month, and finally I got a referral to a gastro doc and got a colonoscopy. He put me on Asacol and prednisone, eventually tapering the prednisone down to none and Asacol to 2 400mg tablets 3X daily. I can tell if I miss a dose, too (it’s easy to forget the midday dose at work) because my stomach aches a little and starts gurgling. I’ve been symptom free for around a 6 months now after a very light flare this past June
It’s cool to read someone’s story and have it be just like your own. Good luck!
November 29, 2011 at 9:55 am
Hey Adam, nice to read some of your information and that of your readers .. Good job!
I was diagnosed about 7 years ago with mild Colitis .. and I had not a flair up for 5 years …. this was all new info for me .. since my health for over 60 years has been near perfect. I paid no attention and had no flair ups until about ONE YEAR ago .. a little of this and that … to point me to another colonoscopy about one month ago .. Yup, it came back … worse than before .. but with the Asacol .. I am well into my first month of taking it .. and I am seeing a great result … I do read up on WHAT NOT to entice the BAD bacteria, so I am eating very carefully , and back to dancing with Xbox, (thanks for my son’s electronic geekness) and folks the dancing around REALLY has kept me healthier … So my combo is morning exercise, Asatol, and keeping it all silent from down there …. lower left and right colon. Recently, I read the IBD can be a precursor to cancer.. Does anyone know about that? Here’s to Salmon Salad today! Best regards,
November 29, 2011 at 10:02 am
Hey Punky,
Great to hear you are having some nice results with the Asacol. I don’t know the specifics and the exact data, but unfortunately I do think there is a correlation between IBD patients and higher instances of things like colon cancer… but, you might want to talk more with your GI doc to get some better info on that.
It’s something that definitely crosses my mind from time to time, but I try not to wory about it, since worrying for me, hasn’t been very productive in terms of changing much in my future.
Either way, maybe you can send over some of that salmon salad my way…..now you got me hungry!!!
Adam
December 29, 2011 at 1:11 pm
Hey Adam,
I’m on 3200mg of Asacol in the mornings for my UC. I was diagnosed in October but had a rather severe flare for two years. It took me 18 months to admit something was wrong to my GP and then another 6 months to get my diagnosis. I’m working on regulating my diet and my Gastroenterologist recommended a low residue diet for the first 6 months. I have celiac disease too so eating is a tricky thing. The bleeding has finally stopped, mucus is less but I feel like I’m starving to death.
I lost just over 100lbs in the last year and though it’s obvious that my inflammation is less (YAY for less diarrhea) I still feel like I need to eat constantly but I feel sick most mornings and can’t eat until noon or so.
Did you have any of the nausea with the Asacol?
Glad your UC is in control and YAY for no flares!
Thanks,
Andrea
December 29, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Hey Andrea,
Whats happening! Great to hear from you.
Wow, lost 100 pounds, that’s alot, I hope that it didn’t make you horribly underweight, cause I know that some people definitely get that way when they are in nasty flares.
When I was taking the Asacol, I never really noticed any nausea, so i’ve got to say no about that.
Good luck Andrea, feel free to write in whenever you like. For me concerning the eating etc.. I’ve noticed that once my colon is healed and I’m gaining weight again, my cravings to eat more are much less. I think since so much more is being absorbed, my body is basicaly getting more “bang for the buck” type of idea.
your UC buddy,
Adam