Just wondering if anyone has recommendations for GI doctors or what kinds of medicines you take. I’ve been diagnosed since I was 8 yrs old and currently on Lialda which I get mailed from the States. I take 4 tablets (4.8 grams total) in the morning but seem to be flaring, so I’m going to have to go to a doctor here, but I’m wary of anyone fiddling with my medicine. Usually when I flare, changing the medicine doesn’t help much anyway. I’m not even sure if Lialda is even available here?
Hello, I am a UC sufferer as well. OP, are you still around? I was diagnosed 8 years ago, been in Taiwan for the past 5. I take Asacol and get it straight from the pharmacies here in Taiwan. Do you have a special diet? I mostly just eat what I want when I am in remission, but during a flare up it’s usually nothing but oatmeal and rice soup Anyways, let me know if you are still here, or if any other UC sufferers are in the house, HOLLA!
Mesalamine is available in Taiwan, too. So you can go to any GI clinic on this island for this, theoretically. Some patients will go to rheumatologic clinic and sulfasalazine would be prescribed, instead. Both drugs have similar effects, but they all need three to six weeks to take effects. So basically the drug being taken won’t be changed during a flare up, but extra drug(s) might be added on. This should be and could be discussed with the doc, I suppose.
As for the dosing, mesalamine should better be taken three or four times a day in divided doses. So won’t you consider changing the way of taking your drug before going to the doctor?
kau826, are you a UC sufferer yourself? Do you get your meds through prescription? I did it this way a long time ago, but the doc would only write me out like a 2 week prescription, so I would have to go back all the time and wait. Now I just go straight to the pharmacy and they order it for me without a prescription (Asacol), it is much more convenient, the only problem is it is more expensive that way, because I can’t use my insurance there. Either way, still much cheaper than back home! I pay 1400nt for 100 tablets, which lasts 25 days (if I’m in remission)…if you get the same amount back home without insurance, it is something like $200USD! For the same exact drug…
No, I’m not, but I more or less know this drug. For me, it’s strange that the doctor kept giving you 2 week prescription and you had to come back again and again, if you were in remission. Ideally the doctor will give chronic but stable patients a refill card (consecutive prescription for chronic disease 慢性病處方簽) of two or three months. It means that you visit once and get two or three months of drugs. In this way, you can visit less and even pay less than regular visit does. I remember that in order to encourage the prescription of refill card, the government has some reward measures for the hospital, so the doctor should not be reluctant to prescribe it. Besides, UC must be checked up periodically, so you’d better go to the doctor regularly, instead of taking drugs from the pharmacy. Next time, be sure to ask the doctor if you can get a refill card and maybe he/she will be more than happy to help you.
[quote=“kau826”]
No, I’m not, but I more or less know this drug. For me, it’s strange that the doctor kept giving you 2 week prescription and you had to come back again and again, if you were in remission. Ideally the doctor will give chronic but stable patients a refill card (consecutive prescription for chronic disease 慢性病處方簽) of two or three months. It means that you visit once and get two or three months of drugs. In this way, you can visit less and even pay less than regular visit does. I remember that in order to encourage the prescription of refill card, the government has some reward measures for the hospital, so the doctor should not be reluctant to prescribe it. Besides, UC must be checked up periodically, so you’d better go to the doctor regularly, instead of taking drugs from the pharmacy. Next time, be sure to ask the doctor if you can get a refill card and maybe he/she will be more than happy to help you.[/quote]
I checked your profile and see that you are a doctor, thanks for your advice! My dad is a medical doctor in the US (not sure how he feels about me being a buxiban teacher in Taiwan, when he was my age he was already a doctor, haha…anyways, that’s another story!) I will definitely check into the 慢性病處方簽, as it will save me a lot of money in the future! BTW, do you know many Taiwanese with UC? From what I know, it is a rare disease that is found mainly in people of Northern European heritage. What other diseases can be treated with Asacol?
Hi exister, thanks for your sharing of a little part of yourself. I believe your father will understand your choice.
When I was back in Kaohsiung, I did see some UC sufferers every now and then. They seldom come to rheumatologic clinics, so I can’t give you the numbers or whether there are many here in Taiwan. But I know there’s an association of inflammatory bowel disease in Taiwan and this disease is not well acknowledged and recognized until 1975. So the patients here have their own stories, too. Maybe you can log on their website some day. ibdpg.tw/index.php
Sulfasalazine is used more often by rheumatologists simply because it is more familiar with and it can be used in a variety of rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Reiter’s disease and UC/CD related arthropathy. Mesalamine (Asacol, lialda) seems to be approved only in UC by FDA, but there’s some off-label use in CD and Reiter’s disease, as far as I know. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the info, Doc. Hopefully in the future a few more UC sufferers here in Taiwan’s expat community will stumble across this and find some useful info. When I first moved here 5 years ago, I wasn’t sure if my UC would be a problem while living abroad. It’s been easy enough to find meds and everything here, and I’ve stayed in remission for the majority of my time here (a few flares here and there, only one really bad one though). It’s also much cheaper to be sick in Taiwan than the US! When I had to have a colonoscopy here a few years ago, I thought I was going to end up broke…the doctor saw my surprised look after I found out it was less than 2000nt (I forgot exactly how much) and just said, ‘this isn’t America.’ haha.
I have about 20 boxes of VSL #3 450B CFU probiotic packets I can bring to TW this week from the US if anyone is interested in buying them for IBD. Helped me a lot as a stepping stone in becoming normal from 5 years of bad colitis. I will sell for like $60USD/box (~$1200) instead of $80+ (~$1600) in US.
Kau826, is Humira available in Taiwan, and would I be able to get a prescription as a UC patient? Is it affordable? It is a very expensive treatment in the US.
Anyone had experience with receiving Remicade / Infliximab here is Taiwan?
I just moved here and am getting my first infusion next month. I’m paying out of pocket because I was told National Health Care Insurance does not cover it. For my 3 vials it will cost me around $48000 NT.
I was told that I could get a Severity Level Index Scale done which basically shows the Insurance company that I in fact need the medication, in hopes that they will cover a portion. Part of the scale is to get a Colonoscopy done which I am dreading and actually a little uncertain about but I’m assuming the hospitals are pretty modern (I would be going to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei). Shitty thing is that I just had a colonoscopy 2 months ago on the states (healthy / no flaring) but was told that the insurance company does not rely on / accept these records and requires you to get one done here! The Gastro Dr I saw has all my records too, seems very absurd that the records would be irrelevant.
If anyone has any info about this index scale, insurance, colonoscopies or anything related to Remicade please share. It is extremely difficult to get information since it is not a common medication here and I don’t speak the language (thankfully I have a colleague who has been helping me!).
Thanks And I hope everyone is doing well with their UC.
Anyways, let me know if you are still here, or if any other UC sufferers are in the house, HOLLA! 