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life time asacol effects?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/31/2013 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
Is it really safe to take asacol or similar ingredient drugs for your life time? What happens when some of it gets into the bloodstream instead of working locally?
Posted 7/31/2013 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
Asacol is generally safe to take forever in most people, certainly more preferable than prednisone, Imuran, 6MP, Remicade, or Humira. I don't believe it makes it into the bloodstream at all.
Posted 8/1/2013 1:35 AM (GMT 0)
some small amount is metabolized. some small percent of people (not immediately allergic) can have kidney or liver side effects after a few years. BUT, this can easily be tested with simple blood work every year or two.
Posted 8/1/2013 3:31 AM (GMT 0)
I found this.

http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharmaceutical/b2.1.monographs/CPS-%20Monographs/CPS-%20(General%20Monographs-%20A)/ASACOL.html

Approximately 20% of the administered dose released was absorbed, with about 80% available for topical activity in the colon. The absorbed mesalamine was rapidly acetylated through the gut mucosal wall and by the liver. It was mainly excreted by the kidney as N-acetyl-5-ASA.
Posted 8/1/2013 4:36 AM (GMT 0)
My aunt's (who's 68 with crohns and diverticulitis) doctor said it can keep people from being able to tell when they have other issues going on since it's an anti-inflammatory. I've been taking Asacol or Lialda for two years now....not sure if its ok long term.
Posted 8/1/2013 5:32 AM (GMT 0)
Mesalazine works as a total body anti imflammatory? I thought there were only "receptors" in the colon.

Because if you type in Mesalamine you only get resuilts that it treats the colon/colitis.

Mesalazine (INN, BAN), also known as mesalamine (USAN) or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis[1] and mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease.[2] Mesalazine is a bowel-specific aminosalicylate drug that acts locally in the gut and has its predominant actions there, thereby having few systemic side effects.[3]

Post Edited (Jessicaaa) : 7/31/2013 11:36:55 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/1/2013 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
If you are on any mesalamines, you need to have your liver and kidney function tests done every 6 months at least.

There are some whose kidney have started to fail as a result of mesalamines.

 

Posted 8/1/2013 3:11 PM (GMT 0)

InSoFla said...
If you are on any mesalamines, you need to have your liver and kidney function tests done every 6 months at least.
There are some whose kidney have started to fail as a result of mesalamines.

6 months may be overly cautious, but blood work can be cheap if insured.

key word is "some" and "started"

it is a small percentage, and it is easily reversed by adjusting or changing medication
Posted 8/1/2013 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
It's safer than being in a flare-up long-term with constant levels of inflammation, which then greatly increase your risk of getting colon cancer. That's how I look at it. I've been on Asacol (now Delzicol, same thing) for over 6 years now.

It doesn't work as a total body anti-inflammatory.
Posted 8/1/2013 3:13 PM (GMT 0)

Jessicaaa said...
Mesalazine works as a total body anti imflammatory? I thought there were only "receptors" in the colon.
Because if you type in Mesalamine you only get resuilts that it treats the colon/colitis.
...

but it works topically. the portion metabolized is not known to act as anti-inflammatory, especially not after converted to metabolites.

so it would not be used to treat inflamed joints, or lungs, or anything it could not touch. This pretty much means the GI tract.

make sense?
Posted 8/1/2013 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
as long as I can read around the spelling gaffs -

;-)
Posted 8/2/2013 8:33 AM (GMT 0)
@DBwithUC

So if you happend to get a side effect like

Commonly:

  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Cramping
  • Flatulence

Uncommonly:

The source would only becoming from your GI tract? ie not your brain? ie the side effects come from the GI tract? Because mesalazine only works in the GI tract, hence side effects originate there?

Post Edited (Jessicaaa) : 8/2/2013 3:00:23 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/2/2013 10:36 AM (GMT 0)
I have been on asacal for almost 20 years with no problem.I am now on the asacalhd
Posted 8/2/2013 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
jessicaa...if you don't want to take them, then don't.

They have merit for what they do...but some people can be allergic or intolerant to 5ASA or salicylates in general. For those people, it's best to not take them.

I have no problem with salicylates or 5ASA meds...hopefully, I can use them for the rest of my life (unless something better comes along), because they've worked amazingly.

q
Posted 8/2/2013 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
The risk appears to be linked to medications to control IBD”, says researcher Millie Long, MD, MPH, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
''Patients on immunosuppressant medications, particularly of the thiopurine class, have an increased risk of skin cancer, greater than three times, compared to patients with IBD who do not use these medications",

Azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran) and mercaptopurine (Purinethol). Because azathioprine and mercaptopurine act slowly — taking three months or longer to start working — they're sometimes initially combined with a corticosteroid, but in time, they seem to produce benefits on their own and the steroids can be tapered off.

Side effects can include allergic reactions, bone marrow suppression, infections, and inflammation of the liver and pancreas. There also is a small risk of development of cancer with these medications. If you're taking either of these medications, you'll need to follow up closely with your doctor and have your blood checked regularly to look for side effects. If you've had cancer, discuss this with your doctor before starting these medications.

The risk of cancer is always there, some meds may pose a higher risk than others but there's still risk for cancer...basically you're darned if you do and darned if you don't...typical life.
Posted 8/2/2013 8:36 PM (GMT 0)

pb4 said...
The risk of cancer is always there, some meds may pose a higher risk than others but there's still risk for cancer...basically you're darned if you do and darned if you don't...typical life.


Well, don't you know that everything causes cancer haha. I mean you drink tea it causes cancer, you like breathing deeply well that causes cancer (twice as likely if you're in New Jersey), like snuggling with puppies well guess what that causes cancer too, and so forth. I know this is a little tongue-in-cheek but the point is lots of things are claimed to cause it. And in the end all you can do is enjoy your life the best you can and not worry about it.
Posted 8/2/2013 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
LOL ipoop, well I don't enjoy my life but I also don't worry about cancer either.
Posted 8/2/2013 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
snuggling with puppies causes severe joy and slobber
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