Hugs
First thing to know
Pentasa is a
5-asa
It is used primarily in UC
It is NOT FDA approved for Crohns as a monotherapy
It only affects the top most layer of the intestine and does not treat the rest of the layers
Crohns affects the full thickness all layers
Most GI equate giving pentasa to giving aspirin for a brain tumor
Not going to help much and not going to hurt either
Children who get Crohns have more agressive disease
The large majority need immunosuppressants and biologics
Ds was dx st age 7 (he is almost 14 now so 7 years)
He was started on pentasa which he took exactly for one month
If it is going to help
It will help within one month (without steriods )
Ds then was trailed on basically every other drug out there until a year after dx and him not getting better we tried remicade
The difference was phenomenal
Didn't realize just how sick he was until I saw him better
He took pentasa for 1 month
6-mp for 8 months
Mtx for 3 months
Remicade 8 months
Humira over 5 years (with mtx added due to juvenile spondyloarthritis))
Currently started on Stelara and mtx (Aug 2017)
A lot of kids on here are started on pentasa
I know of only one who actually stayed on pentasa only
Might be worth asking about mtx (they no longer recommend 6-mp in kids due to increase lymphoma risk with it )
Mtx is a lot cheaper
Definitely let your GI know about the cost
The GI dept would have social workers
Most states (US) which have a special insurance (Medicaid ) for kids who have diseases like Crohns
Regardless of parent income
It acts as a secondary insurance and covers copays
Tagging optimistic
Een (exclusive enteral nutrition-formula only no food )
Can be used for 6-8 weeks to induce remission without steriods
And then switched to 90%formula 10% food for maintenance
Ds has done een many times and tried 99/10 but it didn't work for him
Een does not work for juvenile spondyloarthritis
So that option is off the table for him
Lots and lots of hugs
The first 1-2 years is scary
But you can get a new normal with the right meds
Granted it may not be the first med you chose or your GI chooses
It will be the med your Dd body chooses
Adding
Lots of natural moms on here
And there is NO HOLISTIC treatment for Crohns
Tagging farmwife
Good luck