Pregnant and advice on pentasa for uc

pregnant and need advice on pentasa for uc

hi im nicole and new to this website, my reason for joining is to hopefully get some advice and information. i was diagnosed with coeliac disease 2 years ago and uc last year. i was on pentasa 2g twice daily for a couple of months. when i started taking them i was doing well so i did not realy notice much difference on the meds. then 2 months ago i found out i was pregnant and my gp advised i stop taking pentasa. as i was feeling fine i did not worry to much. but now i have started what i think is a mild flare up, i have not enough experiece with these flare ups to know for sure if it is the uc or just the pregnancy but what ever it is it is not nice. i woke during the night with cramps and diarrhea cold sweat and anxiety then today i can barely eat anything ( could be the morning sickness either) . my question is is there any one out there that used pentasa during pregnancy and how did it work out for them any advice would be great so i can debate with my doctor if i need to when i go back to her!

Well, its prob best to use as little meds as possible while your pregnant. Try the Brat diet; bannanas, rice, applesauce and toast. Try and stick to bland starchy carbs and plain proteins like baked skinless chiken or eggs. Also try and have a cup of yogurt everyday as the probiotics in it help regulate the bacteria in your gut.

As for the pentasa, studies are inconclusive to show whether or not it has a negative effect on a fetus. The studies show no increase from that of general population but do exist; and is unclear whether it was from the drug or the IBD.
http://www.drugs.com/pregnancy/mesalamine.html

Ask your doctor about Sulfasalazine or other forms of mesalmine.

thanks for the reply, i will try that well today i stuck to the rice porridge for brekkie and beans on toast for lunch, more beans and mash potato for dinner, went down ok so far but very bland food dont think i can stick with this for the whole of my pregnancy i dont think it would be good for the growing baby either , i will have to have a discussion with my doctor but she is not very open to using meds at all during pregnancy and theres a long waiting time to see my consultant, its just all very confusing and when your feeling so bad (with morning sickness and baby cramps) and the uc i just want someone to give me anything that will help. i care about my baby but i personally think if there is not a known harm done to baby by pentasa i would be much better taking it while pregnant for the baby so that i can eat wide range healthy diet, not be stressed every day from uc, work and exercise in the long run it sounds better
oh and applesauce thats unusual!!!!?

Hi Nicole and welcome! Your doctor should not have had you stop your medication. It is important for the mother to stay on her medication to avoid flare ups, which can cause more harm than the medication. And Pentasa is quite safe during pregnancy. Check out the link below directly from the CCFA website where it states: "Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine®) and other 5-ASA compounds such as Mesalamine (Asacol®, Pentasa®, Rowasa®, Canasa®, Lialda®), balsalazide (Colazal®), and olsalazine (Dipentum®) do
not increase complications or harm the fetus. Sulfasalazine may cause nausea and heartburn. Women can breastfeed while taking a 5-ASA compound."

http://www.ccfa.org/media/pdf/FactSheets/pregnancy.pdf