Talking to Your Doctor

Only your doctor can confirm the cause of the symptoms you or a loved one may experience and if PENTASA is the right option for you. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may look at your health history and a variety of medical tests—including blood tests and stool samples. Your doctor may even recommend a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to get a view of the inside of your rectum and colon.

Depending on what your doctor finds out about your condition, he or she will let you know your treatment options. Since individuals with UC have a higher incidence of colon cancer, your doctor may also advise you to get additional tests to determine the extent of that and other complications you may have.

Regardless of the severity of your condition, one of the best things you can do to understand your condition is to talk about it with your doctor. To make sure you talk about issues that are important to you, you can make a list ahead of time. Below is a list of sample questions you can ask.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• Is it possible that my health issues have been caused by more than just one problem?
• Should I have additional health tests done to check for colon cancer or other complications of my condition?
• What are the treatment options for my condition?
• Is surgery a possible treatment for my condition?
• What should I do if I experience a flare-up or if my symptoms return or worsen?
• Are there lifestyle changes I can make to help my condition?
• How can I tell others about my condition?
• Are there support groups available in my area for people with my condition?
• Why do you recommend PENTASA to treat my condition?
• When should I take PENTASA?
• What should I do if I forget to take a dose of PENTASA?
• What are the common side effects of PENTASA?