Dr. Saltiel received his Pharm.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, in 1980, following undergraduate work at UCLA. At UCSF, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Service Award and the Bowl of Hygeia Award. He completed a residency in clinical pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois, in Chicago.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Balsalazide disodium is an oral anti-inflammatory drug that is used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. It is a form of mesalamine (5-aminosalicyclic acid) that is activated when it reaches the colon by the colonic bacteria. Other mesalamine-containing drugs include Pentasa, Rowasa, and Asacol. Balsalazide disodium was approved by the FDA in July of 2000.
PRESCRIPTION: yes
GENERIC AVAILABLE: no
PREPARATIONS: Capsule: 750 mg
STORAGE: Balsalazide disodium should be stored between 15 and 30°C (59 to 86°F)
PRESCRIBED FOR: Balsalazide is used to treat the signs and symptoms of mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis.
DOSING: The usual dose is 2250 mg (three 750mg capsules) taken three times daily for 8 to 12 weeks.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: There are no known drug interactions with balsalazide disodium.
PREGNANCY: Animal studies have not demonstrated any adverse effects on the fetus, however, there have been no studies in pregnant women. The physician, therefore, may prescribe balsalazide to pregnant women if he/she feels the potential benefit outweighs the theoretical risks.
NURSING MOTHERS: It is not known if balsalazide disodium is secreted into breast milk. Since many drugs are secreted, balsalazide disodium should not be taken by nursing women.
SIDE EFFECTS: The most commonly occurring side effects are headache (1 in 12 patients), abdominal pain (1 in 17 patients), nausea (1 in 20 patients), and diarrhea (1 in 20 patients).
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease,
primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can
affect other parts of the digestive system as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are
common symptoms.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is closely related to Crohn's disease, and together they are referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment depends upon the type of ulcerative colitis diagnosed.
Crohn's disease (also spelled Crohn disease) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. It
primarily causes ulcerations (breaks in the lining) of the small and large
intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere from the mouth to the
anus. It is named after the physician who described the disease in 1932. It also
is called granulomatous enteritis or colitis, regional enteritis, ileitis, or
terminal ileitis.
Crohn's disease is related closely to another chronic inflammatory condition that involves only the colon called
ulcerative colitis. Together, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are frequently referred to as
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have no medical cure. Once the diseases begin, they tend to fluctuate between periods of inactivity (remission) and activity (relapse).
Inflammatory bowel disease affects approximately 500,000 to two million peop...
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