Hey CanadaCurt
I'm taking Salofalk 4000 mg daily (4 times 2 500mg tablets).. I started on this over a year ago.. First time around it had little/no effect (nothing seemed to be working last year)... however, this time around, alone with dietary changes, I am noticing VAST improvement - most notably a lot less bleeding and a lot less pain - I still get pain, but it is nowhere near as bad)
Side effects - pain is more intense (but it seems to be getting better day by day) approx 60 - 90 minutes after I take my pills... could be the pills, or it may be that the pills anti-inflamatory effect allows more material to pass thru the ileum/colon. Dunno, doesn't matter - the pain abates, and like I said, it is way better than last year, and even better than the day before. got it?
OK, other side effect that I personally experience is headaches, severe ones. So severe I guess you could rightfully label them as migraine. However, these only occur after my last dose of the day (nighttime) AND I found on Dr Falk website that it's better to take the pills, drink plenty of water (2 glasses min)
then wait 1/2 hr - 60 minutes to eat a light snack, modest lunch, whatever..
NOT take immediately with food as recommended on the prescription. Dunno why there's a discrepancy, and I'm not sure why it's different..., I just know that this method works best for me... Very often I don't get headaches if I go this route.., and if I do, they're typically far less severe/dehabilitating. OK
Now, you might be totally different.. and this is the only medication that I am currently on.. I didn't know it was available as an enema (See, WE don't know it all here, so be careful, talk to your doctors, do what's best for you)
I was on a steroidal enema years before, steroids aren't nice, steroid enemas are the worst thing I've ever used, and I hope theres no confusion over what you are taking/being administered. know there are plenty of people on here who are taking one form or the other of 5-ASA (Salofalk being one of those) AND steroids... They might be able to give you a thumbnail sketch of what its like to mix 5-ASA (pentasa, mesalimine, salofalk, whatever) and steroids.
Hope this is helpful.. Just don't expect a miracle from medicine alone. you'll need to do your homework on diet, trigger foods, exercise, all of it to improve