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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis

I have a 14 year old daughter (5 1 - 130lbs) who just recently stopped taking Mezavant (Lialda). She use to take 2 - 1200 mg tablets a day for her Ulcerative Colitis. But her UC is in remission and therefore does not need to take it anymore. We reduced her meds from 2 tablets a day to 1.......for a week. Then had her stop taking the other tablet all together. She is doing great but she has had a few side effects and I was wondering if they are normal? She has been experiencing insomnia, a little chest pain (in between her breasts - a #3 on a scale of 1-10 pain - 10 being the worst and only at bedtime) and she seems a little manic at times:).........she goes from being high as a kite, to feeling somewhat down, in a matter of minutes. She had these SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS when she was coming off of 40 mgs of Prednisone- but they all completely went away! So I m hoping these will too. I am surprised that she would have these kind of symptoms because Lialda is only an anti-inflammatory, not a steroid! Thanks for reading this email. I appreciate you taking the time to answer it for me!
Mon, 10 Aug 2015
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi,
Welcome to health care magic,

Since there is no complete cure for ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel disease) ,she will have to follow both life style changes and control of flare of symptoms.

I usually recommend my patients to use these drugs like immunomodulators and steroids on flare episodes only.You can ask your gastroenterologist for drug treatment during this flares.

1)One dietary intervention we may recommend is a low-residue diet which is a very restricted diet that reduces the amount of fiber and other undigested material that pass through colon helps to relieve symptoms like diarrhea or abdominal pain or discomfort.


2)If she goes on a low-residue diet, be sure you understand how long should stay on the diet, because a low-residue diet doesn't let you get all the nutrients you need.You may also require to take vitamin supplements.

3)Avoid foods that may increase stool output such as fresh fruits and vegetables, prunes and caffeinated beverages.

4) Take more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. which has an anti-inflammatory effect. They are found in fish, including salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines.

5) Decrease or eliminate concentrated sweets in diet, such as juices, candy and soda, to help decrease amounts of water pulled into your intestine.

More frequent meals are better tolerated rather than taking full meal at a time. This eating pattern can help increase the amount of nutrition you receive in a day.

Regards,
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Suggest Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis

Hi, Welcome to health care magic, Since there is no complete cure for ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel disease) ,she will have to follow both life style changes and control of flare of symptoms. I usually recommend my patients to use these drugs like immunomodulators and steroids on flare episodes only.You can ask your gastroenterologist for drug treatment during this flares. 1)One dietary intervention we may recommend is a low-residue diet which is a very restricted diet that reduces the amount of fiber and other undigested material that pass through colon helps to relieve symptoms like diarrhea or abdominal pain or discomfort. 2)If she goes on a low-residue diet, be sure you understand how long should stay on the diet, because a low-residue diet doesn t let you get all the nutrients you need.You may also require to take vitamin supplements. 3)Avoid foods that may increase stool output such as fresh fruits and vegetables, prunes and caffeinated beverages. 4) Take more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. which has an anti-inflammatory effect. They are found in fish, including salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. 5) Decrease or eliminate concentrated sweets in diet, such as juices, candy and soda, to help decrease amounts of water pulled into your intestine. More frequent meals are better tolerated rather than taking full meal at a time. This eating pattern can help increase the amount of nutrition you receive in a day. Regards,