Oh, lord.
For my ulcerative colitis:
Mesalamine, an anti-inflammatory. I’ve taken this every day for about four years. I don’t even think it does anything for me, but I’m too scared to experiment with stopping it. Fortunately I don’t think it really has any negative effects, or at least, not that I’ve noticed.
Prednisone, a cortisone steroid. It works like magic for some UC patients, but has never done a thing for me. Even so, my doctor always puts me on it when I have a flareup, which is incredibly irritating, because it has about a million side effects and does far more harm than good. I’ve gone on it for periods of a few months several times over the last four years, and am on it currently.
Infliximab, a biologic immunosuppressant. Since UC is an autoimmune disease, sufferers can benefit from immunosuppressants. Infliximab is an infusion that I have to go to the hospital to receive once every six weeks. I started it about 1.5 years ago and for a while it was my miracle drug, but it’s losing its effectiveness. It’s a relatively new drug and it’s powerful stuff… in all honesty, I don’t think anyone has a good idea what all it might be doing to me, which is a fairly unsettling thought. I’ve had a few beastly lung infections while on it that I think are related to having a suppressed immune system.
I’m getting surgery soon to remove my colon, which will cure my ulcerative colitis. I won’t ever have to touch any of this stuff again. I think I’ll be a lot healthier for it.