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Start when your doctor advises it
Be patient,
not complacent
Keep open communication
Attend
follow-up appointments
Start when your doctor advises it
Be patient,
not complacent
Keep open communication
Attend
follow-up appointments
Usually, Gaidos recommends
starting a new drug as soon as insurance approves it and the pharmacy fills it. “If we’re switching from one that’s not working, we’re probably going to put them on a medication that’s a different mechanism of action,” she says, meaning, “They would be working differently and not tend to cause a lot of problems with any overlap.” Some of the medications are even used in combination with others.
Start when
your doctor advises it
Be patient, not complacent
It can take a couple of weeks for the new medication to start making you feel better. If you’re still miserable two weeks in, alert your doctor. “At that point, you want to make sure you’re not missing anything,” says Gaidos. “Sometimes, patients have
an infection or something [else] driving their symptoms.”
Keep open communication
There should be a clear plan for how
you’ll monitor symptoms and stay in communication with your doctor, says Afzali. For example, speak up if you’re having trouble sticking with the dosing schedule or the side effects are making the new treatment unpleasant. Your doctor can recommend possible solutions.
Attend
follow-up appointments
Your doctor will recommend regular follow-ups to monitor your progress.
If symptoms improve, they might check your blood and stool for inflammatory markers and recommend imaging tests. Don’t miss these critical visits, which are essential for assessing progress.