Steroids - Crohns Disease Forum - Support group and forum for IBD, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease

Matt_91 · 07-17-2009, 09:18 AM

Been searching lots of websites and so far no information so though I'd see if anyone here knows...

My Crohns has been really inflamed for a while so I was put on steroids (Prednisolone) and they worked really well but as the dosage dropped the inflammation got worse and I was in a lot of pain. Went to see my consultant on Wednesday and he put me on a different steroid which you can stay on long term on the highest dose (Entocort/Budesonide) but so far these steroids don't seem to be helping.
So my question is can someone who has been on these specific steroids before tell me if they took a while to start working for you and how effective they were?

My Butt Hurts · 07-17-2009, 10:44 AM

Hi Matt - prednisone does work well for so many people. My doctor wouldn't put me on entocort because he said it wasn't strong enough, though it does work for others. Are you on anything else? You might need another maintenance drug to help keep your symptoms under control.

mharvey90 · 07-17-2009, 05:27 PM

Matt, I'm in a very similar situation! I started prednisone at 40mg a day, then a week later i started to taper down, and was on prednisone for 6 weeks. It helped tremendously in the beginning, because it really is a miracle drug (although it has terrible side-effects!) But as soon as i got down to about 15mg i started to realize that i was feeling bad again. My doctor just started me on entocort 2 days ago, and i'm waiting for it to start working, and it hasn't yet! i've heard mixed reviews from people, some have said it worked great, some have said it did nothing at all. I am also on remicade, by the way.

saidinstouch · 07-17-2009, 06:43 PM

Entocort will only work if you have inflammation in your terminal illeum or the ascending colon shortly thereafter. If your inflammation is elsewhere in your intestines, then the Entocort won't really give you much benefit. If it is in your terminal illeum, then it might take a week or two for it to act since it is a much lower dose and not systemic so its effects will be less rapid as far as I understand.

Hopefully you'll get some relief from it, otherwise as stated before another medication might be needed for maintenance therapy.

07-17-2009, 09:18 AM	#1
Matt_91 New Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1	Steroids Been searching lots of websites and so far no information so though I'd see if anyone here knows... My Crohns has been really inflamed for a while so I was put on steroids (Prednisolone) and they worked really well but as the dosage dropped the inflammation got worse and I was in a lot of pain. Went to see my consultant on Wednesday and he put me on a different steroid which you can stay on long term on the highest dose (Entocort/Budesonide) but so far these steroids don't seem to be helping. So my question is can someone who has been on these specific steroids before tell me if they took a while to start working for you and how effective they were?

07-17-2009, 10:44 AM	#2
My Butt Hurts Squeals-a-lot! Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 3,886	Hi Matt - prednisone does work well for so many people. My doctor wouldn't put me on entocort because he said it wasn't strong enough, though it does work for others. Are you on anything else? You might need another maintenance drug to help keep your symptoms under control.

07-17-2009, 05:27 PM	#3
mharvey90 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 198	Matt, I'm in a very similar situation! I started prednisone at 40mg a day, then a week later i started to taper down, and was on prednisone for 6 weeks. It helped tremendously in the beginning, because it really is a miracle drug (although it has terrible side-effects!) But as soon as i got down to about 15mg i started to realize that i was feeling bad again. My doctor just started me on entocort 2 days ago, and i'm waiting for it to start working, and it hasn't yet! i've heard mixed reviews from people, some have said it worked great, some have said it did nothing at all. I am also on remicade, by the way.

07-17-2009, 06:43 PM	#4
saidinstouch Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 422	Entocort will only work if you have inflammation in your terminal illeum or the ascending colon shortly thereafter. If your inflammation is elsewhere in your intestines, then the Entocort won't really give you much benefit. If it is in your terminal illeum, then it might take a week or two for it to act since it is a much lower dose and not systemic so its effects will be less rapid as far as I understand. Hopefully you'll get some relief from it, otherwise as stated before another medication might be needed for maintenance therapy.