Dr. Ogbru received his Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in 1995. He completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Arizona/University Medical Center in 1996. He was a Professor of Pharmacy Practice and a Regional Clerkship Coordinator for the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy from 1996-99.
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: Mesalamine is an oral drug used for treating
ulcerative colitis . Lialda is mesalamine
in a form that is slowly released in the intestine so that it
can be given just once-a-day. Other oral drugs containing mesalamine that are similar to
Lialdainclude Asacol,
Pentasa, and
Apriso. Asacol and Pentasa, however,are given as multiple daily doses.
Rowasa .The exact mechanism of
mesalamine is not known but is believed to be by reducing inflammation in the
colon. Ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory diseases cause excessive
production of chemicals (i.e., prostaglandins) that produce inflammation in the
colon. Prostaglandins are produced by cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.
These enzymes are over-active in individuals with ulcerative colitis. Mesalamine
may work by blocking the activity of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, therefore,
reducing the production of prostaglandins. Reduced prostaglandin production
reduces inflammation in the colon and other symptoms associated with ulcerative
colitis. The FDA approved Lialda in January 2007.
GENERIC AVAILABLE: No
PRESCRIPTION: Yes
PREPARATIONS: Tablets: 1.2 g
STORAGE: Store at room temperature, 15-25 C (59-77 F)
PRESCRIBED FOR: Lialda is used for inducing remission in patients with
active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. In clinical studies which compared
mesalamine against placebo for 8 weeks, more patients in the mesalamine group
achieved remission.
DOSING: The recommended dose is 2.4 g or 4.8 g once daily with a meal.
Tablets should be swallowed whole without breaking the coating.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Specific drug interaction studies have not been
conducted with Lialda. Other mesalamine medications have been associated with
several drug interactions. Combining mesalamine with drugs that affect kidney
function, for example, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (for
example, ibuprofen),
may increase the likelihood of kidney dysfunction. Concurrent use of mesalamine
and 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine
(Imuran) may increase the likelihood of blood
disorders. Mesalamine may increase the blood thinning effect of warfarin
(Warfarin).
PREGNANCY: There are no adequate human studies of mesalamine use
during pregnancy. Mesalamine is known to cross the placenta into the fetus, but
animal studies revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus. Mesalamine should only
be used during pregnancy if it is felt that the benefit of its use justifies the
unknown risks.
NURSING MOTHERS: Mesalamine is excreted in
breast milk. Mesalamine
should only be used by nursing mothers if it is felt that the benefit of its use
justifies the risk.
SIDE EFFECTS: The most common side effects are headache and
flatulence. Hair loss and itching also may occur. Infrequent side effects
include increased heart rate, acne, pancreatitis, back pain, fatigue, tremor,
ear pain, and blood disorders. Kidney dysfunction has been associated with
mesalamine. Kidney function should be evaluated prior to and periodically during
mesalamine therapy. Mesalamine may cause an acute intolerance syndrome that
resembles a flare of inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms include cramping,
acute abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea. Fever, headache, itching, and rash also may occur.
Symptoms usually subside once mesalamine is discontinued. Since mesalamine is
related chemically to aspirin,
individuals who are allergic to aspirin should not take mesalamine.
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.
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two diseases.
Microscopic colitis (lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis) is a disease of inflammation of the colon. Microscopic colitis is only visible when the colon's lining is examined under a microscope. The cause of microscopic colitis is not known. Symptoms of microscopic colitis are chronic watery diarrhea and abdominal pain or cramps. Microscopic colitis is diagnosed through biopsies of several areas of the colon. There is no standardized treatment for microscopic colitis; however, eliminating NSAIDs, and treatment medications such as Imodium, Lomotil, Petpo-Bismol, Entocort EC, and mesalamine (Asacol) have been helpful in some individuals.
Colitis means inflammation of the colon. The colon, also
known as the large intestine or large bowel,
constitutes the last part of the digestive tract. The colon is a long, muscular
tube that receives undigested food from the small intestine. It removes water
from the undigested food, stores the undigested food, and then eliminates it from the body through
bowel movements. The rectum is the last part of the colon adjacent to the anus. The common symptoms of colitis include:
abdominal pain,
diarrhea, and
sometimes, rectal bleeding.
There are many different types of colitis
with different causes. Some examples of colitis include:
infectious colitis caused by bacteria (such as
shigella,
Campylobacter, E.
coli, and C.
difficile)
infectious colitis caused by a virus (such as
cytomegalovirus [CMV])
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the